What Is The Best Age To Neuter A Cavoodle

Updated July 28, 2022

Whether you call it neuterspaycastrate or desex, the right time to get it done in dogs is a subject of much debate. This is because it varies from breed to breed. Recently, a study was published on the best age for neutering small dog breeds like Cavoodles.

The study actually looked at 0-9kg crossbreeds but this data should be the closest match to a Cavoodle currently available.

This paper provides the first evidence for small dog breeds on choosing a time of desexing with the fewest health problems. The study compared the dogs neutered at different ages for their rates of:

All of these have been suspected to be linked with the age of neutering. Here’s what they found (only bold values are significant, my summary to follow):

HDCCLEDAt Least One
Male < 6 months0/15 (0)0/15 (0)0/15 (0)0/15 (0)
Male 6 – 11 months0/17 (0)0/17 (0)0/17 (0)0/17 (0)
Male 1 year0/39 (0)0/38 (0)0/39 (0)0/38 (0)
Male 2 – 8 years0/35 (0)1/34 (2.94)0/35 (0)1/34 (2.94)
Male Intact0/93 (0)1/92 (1.09)0/94 (0)1/92 (1.09)
Female < 6 months0/34 (0)1/33 (3.03)0/33 (0)1/32 (3.13)
Female 6 – 11 months0/59 (0)1/59 (1.69)0/61 (0)1/59 (1.69)
Female 1 year2/87 (2.3)3/87 (3.45)0/88 (0)3/87 (3.45)
Female 2 – 8 years0/58 (0)0/58 (0)0/59 (0)0/58 (0)
Female Intact2/89 (2.25)3/88 (3.41)1/90 (1.11)4/88 (4.55)
Joint disorders. For ages 1 through 11 years and for each neuter period: no significant findings.
LSAMCTHSAOSAAt Least One
Male < 6 months0/15 (0)0/15 (0)0/15 (0)0/15 (0)0/15 (0)
Male 6 – 11 months0/17 (0)0/16 (0)0/17 (0)0/17 (0)0/16 (0)
Male 1 year0/39 (0)1/39 (2.56)0/39 (0)0/39 (0)1/39 (2.56)
Male 2 – 8 years1/35 (2.86)0/34 (0)0/35 (0)0/35 (0)1/34 (2.94)
Male Intact2/92 (2.17)5/96 (5.21)0/94 (0)0/94 (0)7/94 (7.45)
Female < 6 months0/32 (0)0/34 (0)0/34 (0)0/34 (0)0/32 (0)
Female 6 – 11 months0/58 (0)1/60 (1.67)0/61 (0)0/61 (0)1/57 (1.75)
Female 1 year0/86 (0)1/84 (1.19)0/88 (0)0/88 (0)1/83 (1.2)
Female 2 – 8 years0/58 (0)0/57 (0)0/58 (0)0/59 (0)0/55 (0)
Female Intact2/87 (2.3)0/90 (0)0/90 (0)0/90 (0)2/87 (2.3)
Cancers. For ages 1 through 11 years and for each neuter period: no significant findings.

UI was not reported in early spayed females.

If this table makes no sense, it’s mostly because there are no abnormal findings. Have a look at this one for Golden retrievers as a comparison. 

Summary: The Best Cavoodle Spay & Neuter Times

As you can see, there is minimal evidence that health problems in small dogs like Cavoodles are influenced by the age of neutering. Owners of either sex are therefore free to choose the age of desexing that suits them best.

Recommendation: 6 months for both males and females.

This is so far the only science we have for the best desexing age in small dogs. Your vet, breeder or online group may have a different opinion based on their experience or personal beliefs. It’s perfectly reasonable to take their advice into consideration as well.

The study authors are to be applauded to bringing into focus one of the most common questions from dog owners. For the Staffy at least, they’ve made the decision a lot easier.

Related: Best Desexing Age For 39 Breeds | Desexing Choices For Dogs | Costs Of Desexing

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

4 Replies to “What Is The Best Age To Neuter A Cavoodle”

  1. Hi Andrew,
    Firstly thank you very much for such an informative article based on research and facts. I was hoping you could help me with my query. I have a 8 month old male Cavoodle who is currently 7.5 kgs and my Vet says that’s pretty much his max adult weight. I understand from the article that the recommended age for desexing for this breed is 6 months however I would like to know what is the max safe age for desexing? If I delay it until he is 1 year or even a little longer than that, would that cause any problems? I don’t have a concern with his behavior. He is not showing any aggressive behavior at this stage hence I want to delay the desexing as long as possible without creating any issues. If there is a max recommended age, that would be great to know. Thanks!

    1. Hi Payal. The problem with delaying the age is that behavioural problems develop gradually, and are very hard to reverse. Conversely, there is no reason to think that further delay will have any benefit. That’s why the ages for these articles are all based around the earliest possible.

      1. Thanks Andrew, that makes sense. Is it still worth while to wait until they develop a personality before desexing? or is it a myth that personality has anything to do with this procedure? Also are there any health risks if desexing at an older age I.e around 1 year old?
        Many thanks!

      2. Desexing at one year of age shouldn’t entail any significant increase in health problems. As for personality, it’s a matter of opinion whether sex hormones have any benefit. One clue might be the difference in personality between entire male and castrated adult dogs, which is mostly subtle, and often only significantly different in ways that society deems undesirable. For example, there is no effect on trainability for search, protection or guard dogs.

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