Just after advice on when to spay a female pup. Getting very mixed advice. Pretty sure my breeder told me 5 months, my vet told me they start from 4 months, I read online 6 months? Suggestions?... she will be 4 months next week. She is 10.6kg when would she go through her first heat? As I would like to do it before then if possible
I had my first girl Willow done before her first season at 6.5 months. I now think this was too young and will let any girls go through at least one season in future. Luna had her first season at 11 months and is due her second in the next month or so. I haven’t yet made the decision on whether she will be spayed or not but I want her to finish maturing physically and emotionally first.
I usually wait until they've had a first season and are physically and mentally mature my last girl was spayed when she was about 15 months old.
My vet advised me to spay my girl at 6 months, before her first season. But I read, and was told, spaying early can interfere with her development and maturity. She had her first season at 10.5 months and was spayed at 15 months (if you decide to spay after a season you need to time it around 3 months after the end of the season). On another note, my girl had a laparoscopic spay which is a less invasive procedure with only the ovaries removed and not the uterus. It has a faster and less painful recovery and two tiny incisions and no stitches. However, not every vet performs this procedure and it is more expensive.
These articles are now about 10 years old but still well regarded on the pros and cons of spay and neuter and the age at which to do it. My boy is intact, my next girl I probably will not spay till about two years old. http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongT...uterInDogs.pdf Long-Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay / Neuter in Dogs Laura J. Sanborn, M.S. May 14, 2007 http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/pdf...ma.231.11.1665 Determining the optimal age for gonadectomy of dogs and cats, Margaret V. Root Kustritz, dvm, phd, dact
