Contraception in dogs I: Evaluation of surgical sterilization risk and benefits

With the known history of hundreds of years, elective surgical sterilization in dogs is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in veterinary practice. Many techniques for surgically sterilizing dogs have been described, such as traditional midline ovariohisterectomy, lateral ovariohisterectomy, ovariectomy, prepubertal sterilization, laparoscopic ovariohisterectomy/ovariectomy, castration and vasectomy. Making the decision of whether or not to perform or the optim？al age to perform surgical sterilization in dogs requires a rather complex process. There are serious differences between veterinarians' opinions about the risks and benefits of surgical sterilization in dogs as well as the age at which they should be performed. When deciding on sterilization, mainly the dog's health status and health expectations shou？ld be taken into consideration along with many factors such as suitability of the dog as a pet, living environment, interaction with other dogs, potential as a working dog and population dynamics. In this review, in the light of the current literature on the subject, the long-term health risks and benefits that need to be evaluated in the decision of surgical sterilization in dogs are discussed. As a result, elective surgical sterilization in dogs should be strongly advised by veterinary surgeons, to ensure contraception, prolong life span, prevent pathologies related to the breast or reproductive system and reduce behavior problems.