If only Jessie Knew...

[Goldencity1]

That I've just booked her in at the vet's to be speyed tomorrow! She is a 9 months old Golden Retriever, currently fast asleep after her morning run.
I had always planned to have her "done", but had forgotten about it, iyswim. However, this week she has turned into a "teenager" and got all stropy, last night at training class she was awful. Spinning in circles on the end of her lead, running off instead of "stay" , generally being a pain. Normally she is very good...sigh.
Will post a picture of her in the "cone of shame"!

Spaying her May not necessarily help and it will take a while for the hormones to leave her body. I would discuss it with your trainer and really research first. At 9 months her skeleton is still not finished developing. Also if you don't let adolescence run it's course she may never mentally grow up properly.

I was under the impression that it was advisable to wait until a) a bitch had been on heat and b) spaying should take place mid way between two heats.

It's not a magic wand to change behaviour and it is a major op - I'm not sure that expecting her to suddenly become a model pupil is sensible. Perhaps you could postpone the op until you've had a chance to look into it more?

I am not having her speyed to stop bad behavior, but because I do not want to breed from her, there are a number of farm dogs locally who just roam free and judging by the number of odd collie crosses locally, accomplished rapists!
I had the previous pair of Goldies speyed at this age with no problems and it's what my vet recommends.
I have been through this stage before, and they do grow out of it. It just reminded me that time is passing!

research into neutering golden retrievers

Your post did read like that though op! I personally wouldn't do it as early as 9 months, but obviously it's your dog, your decision.

Has she already had a season? Turning teenager on you could well be hormonal changes due to its imminent arrival if not! I'm by no means an expert but I thought it was safest done 3 months after a season.
My Goldie came into season at 10 months, so the timing is about right.

If you get her done tomorrow, we will be one day behind you! Mine is being done Friday I'm dreading it

You should not spey a dog until she has had her first season. If you do it can affect their growth, make them even more prone to weight gain and also her coat will completely change, becoming very cottony and matted. My goldie has just come into season now and its no hassle.
Having her speyed will not affect her behavior, she is just growing up, becoming more confident and testing the limits.

Sorry, re read my original post and it does look like you said, frosty! It was the change in behavior that reminded me....that and the trainer asking last night if she was due a season. I've had a lot going on in RL and time just ticks on!
Just got back from a walk, much better behaved. Walked well on a loose lead, recall good, only thing not "staying" for very long, but lots of people about today so lots of distractions.

Lilcamper, have just read your link, thanks. It seems to be saying that the main risk for bitches being speyed early is joint problems, and cancer a risk for late speyed ones:

"Specifically, early neutering was associated with an increase in the occurrence of hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear and lymphosarcoma in males and of cranial cruciate ligament tear in females. Late neutering was associated with the subsequent occurrence of mast cell tumors and hemangiosarcoma in females."

Jess' family all have very good hip scores, they don't seem to have those problems [have met many of them including several goldie oldies] and I would rather avoid the increased cancer risk.

Just to reiterate, I don't expect speying will change her behavior, just stop her getting jumped on by the local free range farm dogs!

I have had both speyed and unspeyed Goldies and know what seasons are like. Years ago, Lucy was fine, very little mess or naughtyness. Penny her litter sister was dreadful, lots of bleeding [tied to get her to wear ST's at one point, but she just shredded them!] and boy mad, she would try to escape all the time. The constant pestering by the farm dogs was awful.
Millie and Daisy were both speyed - much easier! Neither overweight as we are careful with diet and their coats have been fine. Millie is only now, age 11, getting a bit "woolly".
All these girls except Millie gone to the Bridge.....

You should not spey a dog until she has had her first season.

I could not disagree more.

I believe veterinary thinking is divided on this topic at the moment for the reasons the OP has quoted.

My own personal opinion would be that the ideal time to spay is before the first season. Ideally at about 9 months. This way you spare the dog the rush of hormones, the (slightly) increased risk of cancer, and also the risk of a phantom pregnancy.

Also, I do believe that neutreing will always make an animal a little more prone to weight gain, and so the appropriate action is simply to reduce feed quantity a little after the op, until you've found the optimum amount to feed.

I'm guessing you weren't looking for a debate on neutering, OP, so I'll just say good luck for tomorrow. My boy was done 3 weeks ago, so I still clearly remember the miserable feeling of leaving him at the vets. That day really dragged on, until I could pick him up in the afternoon! My vets offered either the rigid cone of shame, or a soft blue one. I opted for the blue one and it was great - would definitely recommend you see if your vet has one of them.

I guess we will have to agree to differ.
Hope you get on ok tomorrow, let us know how it goes.

Thanks Frettchen! Was really just after some hand holding!

I have also just spoken to our vet, who had just phoned me to confirm the time. She reasured me that now is the right time and that although "more old fashioned" thinking suggested waiting till after a season, the reduced risk of mammary cancer and phantom pregnancies made an earlier op the best option.

Liking the sound of the soft blue collar, Jess is a bit nervous so would probably find the rigid one very scary!

We had our lab bitch speyed recently and although she felt rather sorry for herself for a couple of days she bounced back pretty quickly, and the hard thing was keeping her quiet while the stitches healed. 6 weeks on and it's as if nothing happened.

Hope Jessie is a good and brave patient (and milks it enough to be hand fed choice bits of chicken....!).

Hope the drop off went well this morning. Will be thinking of you and Jessie today.

Well Jessie came home this afternoon, very sorry for herself but fine. She has scoffed some of the special recoperative dog food and managed to scrounge 2 cooked carrots and some meat from DH who is a soft touch.
She's not wearing the cone of shame, but a canvas vest, which fasteners round her neck, a cross her back with a strap round her bum.
Back to the vets in the morning, and oh, Mrs Goldie, don't let her get dirty when she goes out.....easier said than done when every path round here resembles the Somme.
I think I'll put her in another t shirt over the top...

Glad she's home and well (as well as can be after an op) The vest sounds very interesting. With my boy I was told lead-walks only for a week... that lasted about 3 days until I decided he was perfectly fine, but as he's a boy he did have a slightly easier operation.

Good luck with keeping her clean!

I am glad she is okay, they bounce back so quickly when they are young.
We waited until ours was about one but she still had not had a season and like you, we live rural and I get lots of wandering dogs in my garden! So I just made the decision to do it. My vet agreed too

Thanks! After a restless evening, she settled down by about 3, and was very miffed not to get her normal morning run. Back to the vets for a quick check, all fine, the big dressing and sticking plaster are off and she's raring to go. Not too impressed with being kept on the lead for a short walk. I have got a couple of old vests I am going to put on her when we go out. She will look silly, but hopefully stay a bit cleaner!

Can you tell me where you got her vest from?
Would be interested in getting one for my goldie when its her turn.
Thanks

The vet put her in the canvas/elastic one....sort of like an apron with extra straps. The vest I have is just that, an old vest. Front legs thro the armholes, bit of tape round the tummy (over the cloth) to hold it in place and away you go! Would post a pic but don't think I can in "doghouse".

Thanks goldencity.
Glad the op went well.
Best of luck keeping her clean......

Do what is best for you and your family. Opinions are very much divided on best time to spey therefore do what YOU want. I speyed both my girls at 6 months old with no adverse effects.

Oh and good luck. I know you will be stressing but she really will be fine once she gets the anaesthetic out her system the next day or so.

We had our golden lab spayed at 6 months. She has had no adverse effects. Her coat is lovely and she is still slim and a healthy weight. She is almost 2 now and has really settled down and is (mostly) well behaved and very lovely