Dogs that were spayed or neutered lived an average of 9.4 years versus the 7.9 years of intact pets based on a study of 40,139 deaths. The lifespan of these pets is lower than that of a normal dog population as this data set was from a veterinary teaching hospital but the take home message is clear – spaying and neutering prolongs your pet’s life!
Hoffman, JM et al Reproductive Capability is Associated with Lifespan and Cause of Death in Companion Dogs PLos ONE 8 (4) : e61082
