Hi all, next Monday I've made an appointment to spay my Bella. I've got 2 "problems"... 1. Due to being a rescue, no one is 100% sure how old she is exactly. The vet says she is 5-6 months old. 2. Loads of people (including my vet) tell me I should wait till after she has had her first heat (around 7-8 months old)...but after doing a lot of research I've read that there are many health benefits to doing it before then....so now I'm confused. People are telling me she is too young and to wait till after she's gone into heat, whereas most of the info I've gotten my hands on says otherwise... Help! I really need some advice, please!!
Wow....tough question. I had Lilly spayed before her first season - probably as I was scared of what a season involved, and scared of the possibility of puppies - and I was no way in any position (being a working mum) to deal with either scenario. Our vet didn't discuss any ins and outs with us, just said yes and she was booked in at 6 months. They also delayed the micro-chipping until her op as "its quite a painful procedure for pups so we will do it under GA". Hmm. We just went with it. She is 7 yo now so going back a little, certainly before the mandatory microchipping was thought of. Lilly has bilateral HD and is quite tall, and I often wonder whether this was at all related. IF I was ever doing the puppy lark again, with hindsight I think I would wait for a first season, but that is with some experience, I thought I was doing right at the time. I am certainly NOT blaming her HD on the early spay, there are loads of other things we did wrong - allowing her up our steep stairs, some "out of control" leaping from several steps up, over-exuberant play - loads of thing we allowed that were co-factors. I'm not ensure there is complete consensus on this. No one answer fits all. It depends on your situation, your priorities, your past experience. There have been several threads before am sure with evidence to support both angles. Will see if I can find any for you jac
Here are a couple of articles and threads that may offer you some guidance: https://thelabradorforum.com/threads/at-what-age-to-spay.16833/ http://www.thelabradorsite.com/should-i-have-my-labrador-neutered-the-latest-evidence/ http://www.thelabradorsite.com/should-you-spay-your-dog-a-look-at-pros-and-cons/ https://thelabradorforum.com/threads/when-to-spay.15503/
I had Xena spayed at 6 months. It's too early to tell if I'll regret it, but most pet owners spay their dogs at 5-6 months in NZ and their dogs mature into fantastic looking bitches, so I'm not overly concerned.
I waited until after Harleys first season and would do the same if I had another pup. I wanted to make sure she had grown and developed before having it done. Some really good links above to help you decide.
My last two girls were spayed at different times, one before her first season , the other one after the fist season . There was no difference in the behaviours or growths of either of them , except that Tess who was spayed early , did tend to stay more babyish , but maybe she would have done anyway ! Take all the information on board and then make an informed decision x
This is a very timely post for me as Cassie is in the third week of her first season, she is rising 12 months. I've read the link on the main site, and as before the risk of pyometra would be my main reason for having her spayed sooner rather than later, I always thought it more prevalent in older dogs, but I think @Naya you said Harley had after her first season? I have pretty much decided though to let her have one more season -- if she's only going to be once in twelve months, I can live with it, but every six months would be tedious. I've missed getting out with her, but she seems fine! Strangely, I find the idea of taking her girliness away a bit sad, don't what this might be saying. I'm lucky that I have space to walk in on my doorstep that is not a public area. I go with @kateincornwall , way up the information and your own circumstances and go from there.
You are not alone in this feeling...I have had a undescribed sadness about having Harley spayed (she is having her op on the 26th April) and I really don't know why. The plan was never ever to allow her to have a litter and the plan was always spaying and I am a HUGE spay and neuter advocate. We are only having her ovaries removed, which is unusual in our country but it has made me feel a bit better about the procedure. We are fortunate that we have a great, open minded vet and he has discussed our concerns and questions at length with us. His opinion, and he stresses that it is only opinion, is that most people spay before or at 6 months for convenience - the risk of pregnancy and the hassle of a dog in season, the research that I have read is not clear on whether there are significant enough health advantage to wait passed the first season. Sample sizes in a few studies were small, and also there is contradictory research and the results of the studies are not always statistically significant. So we are left with anecdotal evidence which is always interesting but 100% susceptible to researcher bias. Because there are so many variables in play with each dog we don't know what would have been different if the procedure was delayed or performed earlier. I actually think that a rich, well-conducted qualitative (I can hear all the scientists shudder- stop it! ) study would be valuable. So, from what I have read, and I haven't spent exhaustive hours on it, really it is a dog specific, owner specific fit. You need to try and make peace with what is the most logical and reasonable decision for you and your pup.
Does the rescue agency have any input? I'm surprised she wasn't already spayed, rescues often do, here. Or they have some kind of rebate if you agree to spay the dog before puberty. While I would not spay early myself, believing all I've read about the benefits of leaving it at least till growth is complete, I can understand a rescue's thinking. One lost or unwanted dog has already produced pups, they want to eliminate even the remotest possibility of it happening again, if they can.
@Harley Quinn , I think we need a whole other forum or thread to discuss psychology of dog ownership!
I had Willow spayed before her first season; it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. I do regret it, though. With Luna, things are a bit different because we now have two properties, so separating her from Shadow will be easier, if still a bit of a hassle. I'm undecided yet whether or not she'll be spayed at all, but will definitely be waiting until after her first season at the very least.
Thanks to everyone for their input, it's so important to get feedback from others in the same situation as I'm in. @Snowshoe, I am a volunteer at the shelter. I was actually the one who found her in a box in a rubbish bin on my way to the shelter. She was tiny, and it was my birthday, so I saw it as a gift from god and took her home with me when I finished my shift that day...so they have no more info than I. The vet thought was apprx 6-8 weeks old at the time. She realized later that she might have missed the mark on her age though cuz her teeth didnt come in when they were supposed to...so instead of her estimated bday being around Sept 20-30, she now thinks her bday is around Oct 15.
I have had two bitches spayed before first season and two after and haven't noticed a difference. I think as you are not sure of her age, I would wait until she has had her season and then have her spayed three months after that.
@selina27 yes, Harley developed pyometra after her first season. She had just turned 1 year old and the vet said she was the youngest ever case of pyo that she had seen. I would spay if I had another pup, but would again wait until after her first season. Pyometra is an awful thing to go through.
Ive had 3 bitches...all done 3 moths after first season...my 2 old girls never had any problems Meg age 3 so far all ok
My old girl is 14 and was not going to spay. She had one season which was horrible for her. She was very upset and went off her food . It was so hard for her so I had her spayed at about 16 months and she was fine and has been fit and healthy all her life.
Before I got a bitch, I thought I'd prefer not to spay her - I still think this, tbh. I'd rather not spay a bitch until 4, 5 years old. I don't like neutering dogs. I think hormones naturally play a necessary part in their development. I also think that in more sensitive dogs, the operation itself can be traumatic (this won't be the case for all dogs by any means, but even so I'd prefer an older rather than younger dog to go through it). I don't think it's such a trivial thing to be left at the vet's, have all the pre-op procedures, and anaesthetic etc. and then wake up feeling awful/full of drugs - even though most people think nothing of this, I think it can be an awful experience for any dog let alone a very young dog. Yep - this is a big thing. Now I own a bitch I think I probably will have her spayed. Owning an entire dog as well is definitely a complicating factor, but the main reason is the bitch's quality of life, at least living with me and the lifestyle I have. Seasons are so no fun - not for the bitch, and not for me. Betsy was pretty miserable and uncomfortable. Stuck inside, lead walks only, just no fun etc. Plus, Betsy then had not a dramatic phantom pregnancy but at least another month's downtime when she wasn't really able to train. 4 months out of training in a year is a massive deal when I work and time off to get on with stuff is carefully planned and made the most of etc. If I didn't work, didn't have my precious dog training time/holidays planned out a year in advance, and had lots of time to spend with dogs day in, day out, I might feel differently....but I don't. In terms of timing, I think unless you are going to spay much later in life, after the first season is best. There is still some protection against mammary cancer at that point (which you may as well have) and at least the dog is reasonably on the way to maturity. Plus, you at least know you are spaying at a time where hormone levels are stable, which you don't know in advance of a season.
I had Poppy, age 5, spayed a couple of months ago. Her seasons were no bother, she never suffered from phantom pregnancies, and I never intended to have her spayed. However, she had a couple of epileptic fits which coincided with her last season, and we made the decision to have keyhole surgery. Like others, I was distressed at the idea of having her spayed - hated to put her through an unnecessary operation, and mourned the fact she would never have puppies. But you know what - not only did the operation go well and her recovery was speedy, she is MUCH HAPPIER now. I never thought this would be the case, but lots of people have commented on it. She is more cheerful, more cuddly, and more playful, both with us and other dogs. I wonder whether she suffered from her hormones much more than we ever realized. Would I have another bitch spayed, and if so when? I think that would depend totally on the individual dog, and on my lifestyle. I'd definitely wait until after the first season though. You're making an informed decision, and I'm sure you'll do the right thing for you and your girl.
@JulieT I used to work for a vet and can say that in my experience, although the bitches look as if they are suffering after being spayed it is normally the anaesthetic which is upsetting them. I can remember some bitches that were spayed at 10am up and about and happy by 12 noon, but of course that does not apply to all. In my experience, the dog was admitted, taken to the kennels inside and given a pre-med and then settled down virtually straight away. They were then quite relaxed and not scared. My vet believed in dogs going home as soon as possible for the dog's sake, so didn't keep them in overnight. I sometimes think we worry more than the dogs! I must admit though to choosing to have males this last time as the operation is much simpler.
