Examining Differences in Blood Calcium, Phosphorus, and T4 Levels in Various Breeds of Canines: A Study on its Association Between the Age of Spay/Neutering and Osteopathic Diseases
By Emma Silverman
I’ve always had a keen interest in the field of veterinary medicine. Towards the beginning of my high school career, I discovered animal physical rehabilitation. I had realized there was this field completely devoted to the healing process for various animals’ injuries and even used as a surgical alternative. As I explored this topic further, I wanted to do something about it, so I decided to sign up for the Science Research program during my Freshman year. Little did I know, this small interest of mine would flourish into a passion that I’d be pursuing as a career … Dogs have been man’s best friend for thousands of years. Unfortunately, their life is commonly cut short due to osteopathic diseases, ranging from mild to severe cases, sometimes even resulting in death. Previous research has found that in some small and large breed dogs, their age of neutering can cause significant hormonal shifts, increasing the number of osteopathic occurrences later in life. There has been a lack of research on these hormonal shifts and what has been truly causing this correlation. Through a blood sample data analysis study, looking at numerous records of early-neutered canines (n=75), I determined a significant direct linear relationship to increased diagnoses in hypothyroidism with early neutering (p < .0001). Additionally, I took the development of any osteopathic disorders post-CBC and compared this disease development time period between canines neutered < 6 months and ? 6 months. Various breeds of early-neutered/spayed canines had developed early signs of patella luxations, cranial cruciate ligament rupture, or limb lameness in a shorter time period in comparison to canines neutered/spayed ? 6 months (p = .009). Although an important mission in the veterinary world is to control overpopulation, it is crucial to realize that this pattern of early neutering has been contributing to these drastic hormonal and bone density shifts. This only maximizes the risk for diseases and health issues down the line for the dog.