The Trouble With Darla
A Hormone Replacement Journey That Went South
Someone left a comment on one of my posts about my dog Darla that made me realize many people are still unaware of what hormones do for our dogs, and why desexing them is really not in their best interest.
“Why do you even care about her hormones?”
Fair question. So let me tell you why I care. And why, if you have a spayed or neutered dog who’s struggling, you might start caring too.
Nature’s Cruel Joke
I’ve been through menopause. If you have too, you already know where I’m going with this.
When your hormones vanish, your whole body notices. The brain fog is so thick you walk into a room and forget your own name. Your joints ache in places you didn’t know had joints. You’re tired all the time. And the people around you have one helpful explanation: “You’re just getting older.”
Are you freaking kidding me?
In the middle of all that, a thought hit me hard: I bet this is how our spayed and neutered dogs feel.
The difference is that I could complain about it, and they can’t. They can’t tell you their joints hurt or their brain feels foggy. They just slow down, gain weight, get cranky or anxious, and we chalk it up to age or personality.
If you’ve been watching your dog change and feeling in your gut that something is off, congratulations, you have picked up on something important that most people blow off.
Spaying and Neutering: An Awakening
When I was in veterinary school almost 40 years ago, we were taught that spaying and neutering was the healthiest choice for every pet. Period. At the time (and still now), controlling pet overpopulation is a real and important goal. These programs have prevented unwanted puppies and needless euthanasia.
But decades later, after millions of these surgeries, we’re seeing downstream effects nobody had the data to predict back then. Research now links removing a dog’s sex hormones to a higher risk of:
Cancer including hemangiosarcoma, osteosarcoma, lymphoma, transitional cell carcinoma (bladder cancer) and even prostate cancer
Joint problems like hip dysplasia and ACL tears, especially when dogs are altered young, before their growth plates close
Urinary incontinence in spayed females, because estrogen helps the urethral sphincter hold urine in
Weight gain that isn’t only about calories
Endocrine disease such as hypothyroidism, Cushing’s disease, Addison’s disease and diabetes
Behavior changes including fear aggression, reactivity, anxiety and earlier dementia
The full post covers what I changed, what I learned, and why one dose does not fit every dog.
In the Full Post, You'll Discover:
The hidden hormone that keeps "yelling" at organs that are no longer there, and how it may fuel inflammation in your dog's brain and joints
Exactly how I adjusted Darla's hormone therapy and how she's doing today
Alternatives to a traditional spay or neuter that you can ask your vet about
Options for dogs who have already been spayed or neutered
The best research sources so you can have a confident conversation with your veterinary team
If your dog is struggling with incontinence, joint pain, weight gain or anxiety after being spayed or neutered, this one's for you.
👉 Read the full story on Substack
You're not crazy. You're correct. And you have more options than you think.