Opinions on when to get a dog spayed

LillyVanilli

We have a 5 month old labrador (bitch). We dont plan on breeding her and the vet had recommended that we get her spayed at 6 months or 16 weeks after her first heat. A few friends of mine who have always kept dogs have said that we should definitely let her have one heat before we get her neutered. There seems to be varying opinions on this. When do you think is the best time for her to get her spayed? I obviously am more inclined to go with the vet rather than mates but just interested in other opinions.

kildara

It depends on the vet as to whether they will advise before or after the first heat. We had one vet say before was better (but that she would not do her own dogs until after the first heat) and the vet who will actually carry out the surgery suggested half-way between first and second heats was the best time to do it.
I think you will find differing opinions on the matter.

We are getting ours done in October, she is just finished her first heat.
Good luck with it!

justhedog

Ruby2Shoes wrote: »

We have a 5 month old labrador (bitch). We dont plan on breeding her and the vet had recommended that we get her spayed at 6 months or 16 weeks after her first heat. A few friends of mine who have always kept dogs have said that we should definitely let her have one heat before we get her neutered. There seems to be varying opinions on this. When do you think is the best time for her to get her spayed? I obviously am more inclined to go with the vet rather than mates but just interested in other opinions.

DON'T GET HER SPAYED! TOO MUCH CHANGES HAPPEN.

Ruby Soho

What are you talking about???
Don't just post remarks like that and not give any explanation when 99% of people on this board think that neutering is the correct and responsible thing to do!

Ruby Soho

Anyway OP, I, and my vets would spay before the first season, I know there is divided opinions about this between people but I think that it is more beneficial to the dog in terms of long term health. There are lots of other threads about this, but the chances of her developing mammary cancer later in life is SIGNIFICANTLY reduced if spayed before the first season.

Clare Bear

Ruby Soho wrote: »

Anyway OP, I, and my vets would spay before the first season, I know there is divided opinions about this between people but I think that it is more beneficial to the dog in terms of long term health. There are lots of other threads about this, but the chances of her developing mammary cancer later in life is SIGNIFICANTLY reduced if spayed before the first season.

Yeah, the whole myth about letting a bitch have a heat (or even a litter in some opinions!) first is just that, a myth. It has never been proven to be a better option for the dog. If anything it's the opposite for their health. Best to spay before the first season.

justhedog? Too much changes? Would you rather have a load of unwanted puppies instead?!

Ruby Soho

I wouldn't say its the 'opposite for their health' as you put it, but I do think that if a bitch is going to be neutered young, its just more beneficial to do it before the first season.
If left til after the first heat, its actually a much easier surgery from the vet's point of view, maybe that's why they suggest it
It is said that spaying after the first heat ever so slightly reduces the risk of urinary incontinence, but like my vet said, urinary incontinence never killed a dog... mammary carcinoma certainly has.

justhedog

Clare Bear wrote: »

Yeah, the whole myth about letting a bitch have a heat (or even a litter in some opinions!) first is just that, a myth. It has never been proven to be a better option for the dog. If anything it's the opposite for their health. Best to spay before the first season.

justhedog? Too much changes? Would you rather have a load of unwanted puppies instead?!

1. Responsible owners don't have unwanted puppies. 2. Have had over 20 bitches in my life so far. none of them were spayed, never had unwanted puppies, all that have passed on so far lived a full healthy life to 12 and 16 years of active fun. Have seen many friends bitchs spayed, changed the personality, caused weight gain, coat quality failed. AND MANY HAD PASSED ON BY 8 YEARS .

Clare Bear

justhedog wrote: »

1. Responsible owners don't have unwanted puppies. 2. Have had over 20 bitches in my life so far. none of them were spayed, never had unwanted puppies, all that have passed on so far lived a full healthy life to 12 and 16 years of active fun. Have seen many friends bitchs spayed, changed the personality, caused weight gain, coat quality failed. AND MANY HAD PASSED ON BY 8 YEARS .

Responsible dog owners? You'd be surprised the number of responsible dog owners who have had neighbours' dogs jump 15 + ft walls to get to their bitch when they're in heat. Each to their own though if that's your choice, I hope you have high walls!

justhedog

responsible owners come from both side's. It is the bitches health and quality of life we are disscussing here.

Allgäuerin

we got our girl neutered when she was 6 month and BEFORE her first heat. i searched a lot around and found out that (like Ruby Soho said) the cancer risk min. under 1%, when they get neutered BEFORE the first heat!!!
now she is nearly two years and so far nothing changed to the bad in her personality or anything else. Far from it!

justhedog

Allgäuerin wrote: »

we got our girl neutered when she was 6 month and BEFORE her first heat. i searched a lot around and found out that (like Ruby Soho said) the cancer risk min. under 1%, when they get neutered BEFORE the first heat!!!
now she is nearly two years and so far nothing changed to the bad in her personality or anything else. Far from it!

Thank God I was'nt born female or else I would die of cancer if I don't get neutered!!!!!!!!

justhedog

Clare Bear wrote: »

Yeah, the whole myth about letting a bitch have a heat (or even a litter in some opinions!) first is just that, a myth. It has never been proven to be a better option for the dog. If anything it's the opposite for their health. Best to spay before the first season.

justhedog? Too much changes? Would you rather have a load of unwanted puppies instead?!

It is not a myth about the first heat. Bitches who do not experience a heat do not fully mature. Do you know about the breeding cycle of a female dog.

Ruby Soho

justhedog wrote: »

Thank God I was'nt born female or else I would die of cancer if I don't get neutered!!!!!!!!

Stop being so dramatic.

Its great that your dogs are living long and healthy lives, kudos, you must really care for them. But this thread is about WHEN to neuter a dog, not whether or not its the right thing to do.
You say your friends dogs died prematurely, can you directly attribute that to the fact that they did not have ovaries?? I think not.

I work in the industry, and have been doing so for 5 years, I very regularly see the effects of both male and female dogs suffering from health issues later in life because they were not neutered, I'm not saying that it happens to every dog, but it does happen. Very regularly.
I'm talking about cystic ovaries, endometrial hyperplasia, pyometra, testicular neoplasia, prostate problems, mammary cancer, the list goes on.
I don't know of any happening because the animals were neutered.
I had my own bitch was neutered when I got her, she was a racing greyhound. I have managed to keep her weight to within 1kg of her track weight through healthy food and exercise for the last 5 years. She is a healthy, happy, energetic dog, full of beans, visits the vet only for vaccinations and annual check ups. Her coat is shiny and glossy.
Did I do the wrong thing by neutering her?
No.

justhedog

That may be so and fair play to you but the practice of neutering has become all too faishonable today. Like a lot of things in this world humans dictate to much over other inhabititans of this world. it is the easy way out of responsibilty.

WIZE

justhedog wrote: »

That may be so and fair play to you but the practice of neutering has become all too faishonable today. Like a lot of things in this world humans dictate to much over other inhabititans of this world. it is the easy way out of responsibilty.

I find this strange when you see how many dogs are left to a pound .
cross dogs are not the type of dogs people really want.And thats why the pounds are full of them .
Lets leave the Dog breeding to the breeders.
And this goes for cats aswell

Quote from Dogs in Destress:
16,546 dogs were put to sleep in Ireland in 2005, these were mainly healthy dogs.
http://www.dogsindistress.org/

justhedog

Yes leaving the breeding to the breeders but it is so easy to become a dog or cat breeder in this country. Those dogs are there because of no laws or policing of animal issues in this country. Why not put our efforts into stopping the problem occouring, and I dont mean whole scale neutering. Don't make it so easy for people to be irresponsiable.

Ruby Soho

And how do you propose we do that without large scale neutering??

I'm genuinely curious as to how you think we should solve the problem. I think the state has more pressing matters at the moment that to pass new dog laws and employ people to enforce them nationwide... Sure blatant cruelty cases hardly warrant a slap on the wrist these days, how are you going to discourage irresponsible breeding?

star-pants

This is veering rather off topic.
The OP asked for opinions on WHEN to get their pup neutered, not a humanities debate. You may start a thread on that if you wish.

My 2c? I got my pup (I call her a pup because she still is in my eyes even though she's nearly 7months) neutered at 5months. She's still as loopy and bright and her personality is still as strong as ever. My other dog was neutered at 2years (A while after we got her) and no changes in personality, still as loving as ever.

I had another dog, same breed, an Apso - we got her from the pound and she was around 2years old, she got neutered in there and she was the sweetest soul you'd ever meet. She lived until she was about 14. The reason she didn't live longer was because she went to live with my aunt for a few years and she didn't take proper care of her.

There are pros and cons, but considering not EVERY dog owner is a responsible dog owner, you have to take it upon yourself to be responsible enough for both. If I had a bitch in heat and a dog jumped my wall to get at her, it's as much my fault as it is the other dogs owner.

OP - up to yourself, the vet will give good advice, it makes no odds to them really when you decide to get your pup neutered.

teckster

It is worth pointing out that in some European countries it is illegal to neuter or spay unless there is an urgent medical reason for doing so.

The more the original poster knows, the easier it will be to form his/ her own opinion on the matter such as the when and if.

Sigma Force

Don't agree with you justthedog.

OP there are various opinions so it's up to you at the end of the day.
Personally I still go with the 6 months of age, we've always spayed at that age with dogs, cats and rabbits and never had any problems. Before their heat that is.

LillyVanilli

Thanks for the info. I think Ill go with my vet and most of you guys and get her spayed at 6 months if she hasnt gone into heat. I still think of her as a little puppy but shes beginning to loose her teeth and get a hairy belly, shes getting all grown up now

YOURFACE!

I will be getting my GSD pup spayed before her first heat on the advice of my vet- nobody else! Its just a matter of catching her before it happens.

Dublin141

My dog has an appointment to be neutered. She hasn't had a heat yet and the vets in the surgery all advised to do it as soon as possible and not to wait. I was a tad nervous (still am) but that's because it is a surgical procedure not because I am afraid that it will drastically change her personality. I'm going on the advice on my vet and have taken into account the opinions of caring and experienced dog owners.

justhedog

Dublin141 wrote: »

My dog has an appointment to be neutered. She hasn't had a heat yet and the vets in the surgery all advised to do it as soon as possible and not to wait. I was a tad nervous (still am) but that's because it is a surgical procedure not because I am afraid that it will drastically change her personality. I'm going on the advice on my vet and have taken into account the opinions of caring and experienced dog owners.

Why do all the vets push the neutering of dogs. Simply Money

WIZE

justhedog wrote: »

Why do all the vets push the neutering of dogs. Simply Money

Stupid statement.


People become vets because they love animals so why would they do this for the money.

Vets do this for the health of the animal and to prevent unwanted pups which is too common in this Country.

All you have to do is look in Spain , France and Italy where strays wonder the streets.

I sure you wouldn't be happy if any of your dogs became Pregnant

Something you might want to read
http://www.wspa-international.org/wspaswork/strayanimals/Default.aspx

fatmammycat

Most vets don't push for anything as far as I know, and only do what owners ask or require of them. The fact of the matter is a spayed bitch has a better long term reproductive health prognosis than that of a bitch left unspayed. A male dog unneutered and not allowed mate is a sorry frustrated animal too. The responsible owner will attend to his animal and take his health and psychological well being into account. If you're not going to breed your dog, the responsible thing is to ensure your animal is spayed and/or neutered. Not to do so is irresponsible and the reason our irish pounds are filled to the brim of beautiful, healthy, but unwanted animals. Spayed/neutered animals need not get over weight or altered in a negative way. Frankly Justthedog your attitude is prehistoric and unfounded and beginning to smack of 'conspiracy theory'.

fatmammycat

And OP, congrats on your new puppy, I hope you have many wonderful years together.

Dublin141

justhedog wrote: »

Why do all the vets push the neutering of dogs. Simply Money

They didn't push. They were asked for their opinion and gave it.

GER12

We got a pup and she's four months old today. Asked the vet this question and he said to bring her up at six months and they'll see if they can do her then. Do dogs go into heat at exactly six months?

Dublin141

All dogs are different. Bigger dogs like labs can take longer, my own is nearly 10 months and hasn't gone into heat yet.