[Dailydrool] Neutering question

[Elizabeth Lindsey]

I've been going through files today and discovered the receipt for  
young Charlie's neutering. He was neutered right at four months old.  
Is this a little young for a puppy and/or a basset, or is four months  
the right age? I think I've heard somewhere that early neutering  
causes growth plates to close prematurely which results in crooked  
bones. Could being neutered at four months be the reason Charlie's  
front legs and feet are so misshapen? Not that there's much we can do  
about it now, but I'm curious about it.

Elizabeth