ArticlePloS one2013
Reproductive capability is associated with lifespan and cause of death in companion dogs.
Article in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 83 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
83 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 162 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- The association between gonadectomy and timing of gonadectomy, and the risk of canine cranial cruciate ligament disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Veterinary surgery : VS · 2025Pooled it
- The evolution of monogamy is associated with reversals from male to female bias in the survival cost of parasitism.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2021Pooled it
- Evaluating the role of surgical sterilisation in canine rabies control: A systematic review of impact and outcomes.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2020Pooled it
- Germ cells are hidden contributors to sex differences in vertebrate lifespan.The Journal of reproduction and development · 2026Review
- OLD DOG - Validating the dog as an animal model for human aging studies.The Journal of frailty & aging · 2026Article
- Cumulative gonadal hormone exposure is nonlinearly associated with risk of canine cranial cruciate ligament disease: a generalised additive model analysis of 20,590 dogs (1988-2023).The Journal of small animal practice · 2026Article
- Cutaneous mast cell tumors in dogs: Association with gonadectomy.Brazilian journal of veterinary medicine · 2026Article
- Exploring behavioral outcomes of gonadectomy in pets: a need for personalized approaches.Animal reproduction · 2026Review
- Reproductive Control in Dogs with Emphasis on Anti-GnRH Immunocastration and Its Behavioral Effects.Veterinary sciences · 2025Review
- Epigenetic Clock Analysis of Sex Chromosome Aneuploidies.Aging cell · 2025Article
- When - and whether - should we spay/neuter companion dogs.The Journal of small animal practice · 2025Review
- Cross-sectional survey of 43,517 dogs in the Dog Aging Project identifies owner-reported lifetime prevalence and characteristics of gastrointestinal disease.Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association · 2024Article
- Variations in Canine Behavioural Characteristics across Conventional Breed Clusters and Most Common Breed-Based Public Stereotypes.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2024Article
- Investigating the Life Expectancy at Birth of Companion Dogs in Portugal Using Official National Registry Data.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2024Article
- Article
- The killifish germline regulates longevity and somatic repair in a sex-specific manner.Nature aging · 2024Article
- Male animal sterilization: history, current practices, and potential methods for replacing castration.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2024Review
- Cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in senior and geriatric dogs.PloS one · 2024Article
- Effects of reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial dysfunction on reproductive aging.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2024Review
23 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Reproduction is a risky affair; a lifespan cost of maintaining reproductive capability, and of reproduction itself, has been demonstrated in a wide range of animal species. However, little is understood about the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Most cost-of-reproduction studies simply ask how reproduction influences age at death, but are blind to the subjects' actual causes of death. Lifespan is a composite variable of myriad causes of death and it has not been clear whether the consequences of reproduction or of reproductive capability influence all causes of death equally. To address this gap in understanding, we compared causes of death among over 40,000 sterilized and reproductively intact domestic dogs, Canis lupus familiaris. We found that sterilization was strongly associated with an increase in lifespan, and while it decreased risk of death from some causes, such as infectious disease, it actually increased risk of death from others, such as cancer. These findings suggest that to understand how reproduction affects lifespan, a shift in research focus is needed. Beyond the impact of reproduction on when individuals die, we must investigate its impact on why individuals die, and subsequently must identify the mechanisms by which these causes of death are influenced by the physiology associated with reproductive capability. Such an approach may also clarify the effects of reproduction on lifespan in people.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.