When is the best age to spay a bitch?

[sweetkitty]

Am confused one person says 6 months before first season, another says after first season, another says in large breeds it should be left longer.

We are getting a Rhodesian Ridgeback next month so large breed, aren't going to breed or show her just want to do what's best for her?

I have always spayed at six months before the first season and will continue to do so (large breed dogs). This is also the view of the majority of the vets at our practice - there's just a couple who would advise leaving larger breeds until after a first/second season (and one who breeds and leaves his bitches entire for life).

There's no right or wrong, there's pros and cons either way, just read everything available to you and make the decision you feel is right.

6 months is usually about right for most dog breeds, I think some vets will recommend waiting a bit longer for giant breeds or miniature breeds to make sure they are developed and strong enough to get through what is a major operation.

Watching with interest as my puppy is coming up to 6 months and have an appointment with the vet next week to assess.

6 months for my girls, will always get them done before the first season - I don't want them to have that 'rush' of hormones.

The rescue I volunteer at gets all theirs done then too - or as close as they can guess (with abandoned dogs)

6 months unless they have an under-developed vulva at that point ( get vet to check) in which case 3 m after first season.

Six months old here, too.

But this time we paid a little more and our puppy underwent keyhole surgery. It was worth every penny.

She had an amazing recovery, two tiny incisions with just one stitch in each, and no need to wear a cone because she wasn't bothered by the tiny wounds.

She was running around as normal within a few hours and back to her normal exercise routine just one day later.

So is keyhole surgery like a sterilisation not a whole uterus, ovaries, Fallopian tube removal?

Ill wait until I get her, see what the breeder and vet advise.

My bitch was done at 5 1/2 months before having a season. The vet insisted. I didn't know any better. I had an entire male at the time and would have been unable to keep them separate.

I don't think it was right for her (staffy) as she never lost many of the less desirable puppy traits. I feel she could have benefitted from being more mature and emotionally (hormonally) developed.

But most people do tend to say 6 months as if bitches don't ever have a season they are protected from ovarian and uterine cancer and have a reduced risk of mammary cancer.

keyhole surgery only removes the ovaries, but this still has the protective effects against mammary tumours and pyometra as they are both hormonally driven.

I would have it done at 6 months, before any season.

I have a male pup, so isn't entirely relevant, however my best friend has a young bitch who came into season just before they were going to get her spayed. She's now going through a phantom pregnancy, and there's a slight risk of her coming back into season before she's eligible to go in for her spay. It's a lot of hassle for the owners, a lot of hormones for the bitch to deal with and there are the associated increase in health risks with each season.

Different vets say different things, and different owners say different things. Also show dog owners and breeders will have different opinions based on their doggie experience, so I don't think there's a wrong answer. Just weigh up the pro's and con's of early and late spay and see what works for you.