Hi John. Thanks for reading the article closely – it’s why I added the data. Just to say that there is an increased risk doesn’t cover the nuances such as just how much of an increased risk there is. If you look through all of the similar pages, you’ll see that in most cases, this is true. It means that, although the neutering age recommendations we make fit the best available evidence, they should not be seen as hard and fast rules and should be adjusted in light of other environmental and health factors as well.

Hi Hannah. In these cases, we feel that the first heat was clinically silent, but nonetheless happened. Therefore, our recommendation remains the same.