Re: 6 months too young to be neutered Angela, you are so funny, I guess Dexter can't resist the temptations of a Ridgeback ;D ;D I think it's all pretty normal so don't worry xxx
Re: 6 months too young to be neutered [quote author=drjs@5 link=topic=4214.msg50239#msg50239 date=1390812634] Our vet recommended spaying BEFORE the first season. A friend of ours who' s partner is a vet thought we should have waited. I'm not sure if its true that older vets say wait and younger ones say do it early or if I am making assumptions based on too little evidence! As we were never considering breeding and we have an intact male farm dog up the road (with a tendency to go AWOL) in hindsight I think early spay was a good decision for us. [/quote] My Baby Vet (he has to be older than he looks...) is not pro-blanket castration / spaying... but that would be because the older vet - and practice founder - doesn't like doing it as a matter of routine. They do not encourage owners to rush into decisions. I know that spaying before the first season dramatically reduces the impact of mammary tumours in later life, waiting one season also greatly reduces the risk, as well as hopefully avoiding growth issues caused by early spaying (as others have mentioned above - in large dogs, it can delay the fusing of the growth plates and potentially result in joint problems, just as it an with the boys). I don't think there is an easy, obvious and 'right' thing to do - there are lots of ifs and possiblys and mights - having read up, and discussed things with the vet, his opinion (that of the practice) was that the biggest risk in not spaying was accidental pregnancy. I have to admit I'm with Julie on the subject. Both my spaniels however were castrated as soon as they hit 6 months, as that is what the practice in Devon where we were living at the time recommended. It had no impact at all on their personalities. Their coats were never the same again, though! Clare
Re: 6 months too young to be neutered One other negative I've heard about spaying is that it can lead to incontinence in bitches. One vet, whose own bitch now suffers from incontinence, advised me not to have Poppy spayed for that reason alone. It's a minefield.
Re: 6 months too young to be neutered [quote author=Karen link=topic=4214.msg50397#msg50397 date=1390854086] It's a minefield. [/quote] Definitely! And the emotional aspect can be the most explosive of all! Clare
Re: 6 months too young to be neutered Obi was neutered at 7 months and cocks his leg frequently. Generally not in our yard though. He's also the normal height for a male Lab - 56cm at the shoulder. I do think he's less solid than he might have been had he been neutered later - we'll never know
Re: 6 months too young to be neutered I think the height difference between castrated and not dogs is very, very small - I read, anyway. There might be something in the "solidness" though. Charlie's neck and shoulders are thick, and getting thicker. Much more so than most castrated dogs I meet. There might be nothing in this, and it's my imagination, but I definitely think he has more "mass". It might just be his make up though, and he would have been like this anyway. At least I know it's not fat - people are starting to say he is too thin. The vet though, much to Charlie's disgust, says "that dog has a looong way to go before he is too thin". Charlie says he is size zero already. :.
Re: 6 months too young to be neutered Good grief imagine what a weaner Riley would be if we'd chopped his bits off! Hang in there Charlie, it'll be worth it!
Re: 6 months too young to be neutered [quote author=bbrown link=topic=4214.msg50432#msg50432 date=1390856884] Good grief imagine what a weaner Riley would be if we'd chopped his bits off! [/quote] Barbara, I am shocked!
Re: 6 months too young to be neutered Why jac? I love him dearly but he's not a big dog that's for sure!!
Re: 6 months too young to be neutered Now now I'll be interested to see if Riley muscles up much as I push him for longer retrieves and into cover and water. He's very lean, working type and I doubt he'll change loads but we'll see
