When to spay?

[Gorran]

Next question, Daisy is nearly 18 weeks, the vet we use said she can be spayed from 5 months. Is this correct? It sounds early.

When did you have your puppy spayed?

[GobHoblin]

Our lil lady is booked in on 20th august (rspca rescue so take them back for spaying/neutering) She will be 6 months old.

[sunflowerseeds]

It depends on the vet's preference and her breed. Little dogs can have a season at 6 months, big ones much later. There are also reasons to wait until after the first season, especially with large breeds. Google it.

[Gorran]

Thanks both. I have googled, sunflower seeds, I just wondered what other
people had done and why they'd made that decision.

[CaptainBanana]

We did our cavachon at 6 months, before a season. It was utterly eventful and she's been just the same since.

[Lizcat]

I went to a very extensive meeting on the risks and benefits of neutering a few months ago. Firstly the myths they don't need to have a season we used to believe that urinary incontinence was related to early spaying studies have shown that if a bitch is going to get this it doesn't matter when you spay.
The evidence the benefits with reduced risk of mammary cancers are in having done before the third season.
Bitches spayed before their first season will have a more infantile looking vulva than those left till after the first season.

[Gorran]

Lizcat - in your professional opinion would you spay my Choc lab at 5/6 months? Our vet went through the mammary tumour thing and incontinence and said much the same. It's good to know its a widely regarded view.

[Lizcat]

I always say to people that my advice is to get it done before the third season, but exactly when before then is personnal choice as to whether you think you can cope with seasons etc. Sorry to be vague, but I really do believe it should be your choice.

[anchovies]

Gorran I'm wondering this too. According to the rescue it needs to be done before six months but my dog trainer says that letting her have at least one season will make her a difference to her maturity? Our vet, like yours, would do it at 6 months regardless.

[Lizcat]

Rescues do promote early neutering really to prevent accidental litters.

[Aquelven]

Our vet like them to have a season so that they mature properly first. Same with dogs, he likes them to be twelve months to give their bones a chance, he says.
His main advice is to have it done at the mid point between seasons, when the hormones are at their lowest. Otherwise they risk having a pseudo pregnancy caused by the sudden plummet in hormones.

[kid]

My previous vet advided on neutering at 6 months or as close as possible regardless of breed or sex of dog.
My new vet doesn't push owners to neuter their dog, at least he has never mentioned it to me about my 2 year old male springer.

[ChristieF]

We have had six dogs. All female and all spayed. Our latest is a miniature Jack Russell. The previous five dogs were all spayed before the age of 6 months on the advice of the vet. This last girl Moss was different. New vet in a new area and he advised us to let her have her first season before spaying. So she was about 8/9 months old. The first season was horrible. You forget about the blood spattered everywhere when they're in season. Now whether it's the fact that this dog is of a very affectionate nature or whether it was purring off spaying I don't know. But of all our dogs she is the most loving, cuddlesome creature we've ever had. Is that a side effect of letting them have a season? Could it be because we got her very young (eight weeks) so she has attached more? I don't know. But she behaves very differently to our other dogs.

[hoodoo12345]

Both the bitches i have had were spayed 12 weeks after the first season.

[Canidae]

Same as Hoodoo. Both mine had one season and then spayed.

[NCIS]

I've had two bitches spayed before their first seasons, no problems at all and they are/were both hugely affectionate.