Neutering dogs may have some impact on the animals developing hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tears, lymphosarcoma, mast cell tumors and hemangiosarcomas, according to a new study led by veterinarian Benjamin Hart at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine.

It was published last week in the online scientific journal PLOS ONE. Read the study here.

Researchers evaluated the medical records of 759 golden retrievers -- male and female -- and found that early and late sterilization were associated with an increased occurrence of certain disorders.

For example, it found a doubling of hip dysplasia among male dogs neutered before one year of age.

However, Hart noted that the effects of early and late neutering may vary from breed to breed and any connection between neutering and health conditions may be attributed to more than one factor. Read more about the study here.