Book Review: Should I Spay or Neuter My Dog? Understanding the Secret Life of Sex Hormones.

I've decided to do book reviews here, to help you guys decide what's potentially a good book for you, and to help me get through my extensive reading list!

Book title: Should I Spay or Neuter My Dog? 

Understanding the Secret Life of Sex Hormones.

Author: Jane Messineo Lindquist (of Puppy Culture)

What is this book about:

This book is looking at the scientific evidence, and giving reasons and explanations for the benefits, and costs of neutering and spaying. It also explains the consequences of spaying and neutering (or not).

Who would this book suit:

 - Performance dog owners
 - Performance puppy owners
 - Performance dog breeders
 - Breeders
 - Dog trainers
 - Veterinary staff
 - Rehoming and shelter staff
 - Education about pet health and reproduction for children.
 - Pet dog owners that are willing to make an informed decision about their dogs reproductive health.

What was awesome about this book: 

The introductory paragraph is awesome. It really describes us - dog crazy people. It's written in an easy to read and entertaining way.

There are four main infographics that are visually excellent, and summarise the main points. This is great for skim readers that want the basic idea but don't want to read everything. It would also work for education purposes.

This book has a nice amount of relevant science explanations, which makes it somewhat technical with some of the words, but I think it's important given the subject. The science explanations are written in an entertaining way with anecdotes and the perfect amount of detail for the audience. I like how sections discussed the scientific research that was related, and in many cases pointed out potential issues or limitations with the studies.

The section on pyometra was really interesting. This is not something that I know much about, having never owned an intact female (Chace was spayed at 12 months). I found it really interesting that the chances of pyometra vary so much between breeds. It was also excellent to see the impacts relating to behavior discussed in detail.

The references at the back of the book were extensive.

What I didn't like about this book: 

It sounds silly but it's such a great book, but it has a flimsy light cardboard cover. This makes it almost more like a pamphlet than a book. I'd love this to be available in hardcover, and also an e-book which I think would be a great option for breeders to send home with their puppies to new owners.

I wish that the book had gone into other options, as it really only discussed entire, spay/neuter, or OSS. It would have been interesting to discuss other options such as ovariectomy, vasectomy,  or the hormone-suppressing bioimplant for males.

This book is definitely firmly in the side of keeping dog's intact. Whilst I appreciate this, some people may find it confronting.

Verdict:

This book is a must-read for anyone with a vested interest in the long-term health and well-being of their dogs. It's a well presented and well-researched book, and an excellent price.

4/5 stars:

Where to find this book: https://shoppuppyculture.com/collections/books-1/products/puppy-culture-spay-neuter-booklet