Having my puppy spayed.

[AlphaBravoHenryFoxtons]

A v experienced dog-owning friend mentioned today that she would only consider keyhole surgery. My vet doesn't offer this.

Is it widely available as it seems to be a sensible thing for me to investigate if it's less trauma for my poochikins.

With keyhole surgery they only remove the ovaries so it is less traumatic for the dog in theory. I have always opted for the full removal as then you eliminate the risk of any uterus related issues as well. All surgeries have had a tiny 1-2 inch cut and only a couple of stitches. All dogs recovered very quickly and a couple didn't slow down at all stupid loonatic spangles usually

I don't have millions of dogs well I do have 4, I just foster for a dog charity

The safest procedure is one your vet is most familiar with.
And remember wounds heal from side to side, not end to end

I personally will probably keep my bitch entire but if you want to spay I dont really see much point in a keyhole as you don't eliminate the risk of pyometra or uterine cancer which is the only reason beside pregnancy you'd get it done?

It's not that hard to stop a dog getting pregnant, keep them in the duration of the season and if necessary give them a mismate.

Thanks for your thoughts, everyone. I must admit I know absolutely nothing about it. I'm very new to dog ownership and it's all a very steep learning curve.

Chat to your vet OP, I'm sure they would be happy to answer questions.
Spaying before their first season reduces the risk of developing mammary tumours later in life.

While the above is true, in larger breeds, I'm talking Labrador, Rottweiler size plus it's best to delay spaying until they are fully developed - 2 or 3 years old.

Sometimes the larger breeds can develop bone problems if spayed early.

Spaying can also alter the coat in some breeds and (rarely) can make females incontinent.

While there are some very strong arguments for spaying, like the elimination of pyometra etc i would research thoroughly and make an informed decision.

England and America are very pro neuter, but in lots of other countries like Germany, Norway and others it's the norm to leave dogs entire.

Certainly the breed I am involved in, which is a giant breed, the recommendation is to wait until after 2 seasons, this allows them to fully develope, growth plates to close and reduces the risk on incontenance.

I left my Bernese Mountain Dog female unspayed until she was 3. She came into season for the first time at 7 months, had a season every 4 months, and a phantom pregnancy between each season with a range of symptoms ranging from destructive to alarming, until at 3.5 yo (a few months ago) she developed life-threatening pyometra and had to be spayed as an emergency (most certainly not keyhole). Vet said she was probably hormonally a lot older than her years. Thankfully she has recovered fully.

Not sure I'd even try to eave another bitch unspayed that long tbh.

Did your vet not think that odd?

Seasons should be either every 6 months or once a year.
Having a season every four months would alarm me and I am not a vet.

Re phantoms, again, I personally would spay a bitch that was suffering phantoms, especially severe ones that are producing milk, causing big temperament changes etc.

Was your vet not concerned?!

Just had our only-just-6-months-old bitch spayed last week. It was done at the rescue where we got her so we had no options just the usual spay. She was done on Friday and already is back to normal. It's hard work trying to keep her from running up and down the garden and jumping up - impossible, in fact, but we've done or best and today her wound looks like it's almost healed already.

In the past my dogs were nearer one, I think, when spayed. This seems to be better though as puppies recover incredibly fast. I'd say go ahead and even if I'd had an option, I'd have opted for them to whip the whole lot out. Less chances for cancers, down the line and I have lost too many dogs to cancer of one sort or another...

My last dog was spayed aged 7 as she had come from a breeder who cut me a deal on her price so long as I agreed to take her back and have at least one litter bred from her. Then she went blind aged 4 after one litter and it was obvious she couldn't be bred from, but we dithered for 3 years about spaying her. Mainly because she was phobic about vets after her eye ops. When I did get her spayed, she was like a new dog! It made a dramatic difference to her and only after we had her done we realised how much her seasons had affected her. She had a whole new lease of life at 7. But recovery from the op itself was slower.

On Friday when we took pup in the vet said that the pups even come round from anaesthetic much faster than older dogs and recover so much faster. I wouldn't hesitate to have the full op done on a 6 month old pup again.

Thanks very much everyone for sharing views and stories. It's really helpful.

I think I am leaning towards getting her spayed v soon (she's 5.5 months now) via a conventional op.

Let her grow up first, she needs her hormones for mental and physical growth.

Having a season every four months would alarm me and I am not a vet.

You said it.

Our vet was not concerned. There is a wide range of normal, just like there is with women.

She was not spayed sooner for the same reason someone else mentioned- the breeder (my BIL as it happens) wanted a puppy back as she has a phenomenally good family tree.

For Butt.

I'm not in any way qualified no, but i would not consider every 4 months normal, especially not for a giant breed.

I am not sure of the dynamics but I am sure I have heard that the full cycle preparing the egg etc etc takes six months and when bitches who come into season more frequently than this are mated they often don't get pregnant.

I think the 4 monthly cycles when giant breeds especially are known for only cycling every 12 - 18 months, coupled with the fact she came on at 7 months when it's more typical for a giant breed to get her first heat at one year plus the fact she was experiencing a severe phantom every heat, I would have taken that as a sign that something wasn't working right personally.

I would go for the keyhole spay personally, but i would wait until she is a little older so she can mature. Keyhole doesn't remove the uterus, but it does remove the risk of pyometra as long as the bitch is young enough to still have a healthy uterus and the ovaries are removed fully, as pyo is hormonally driven.

Regarding frequent seasons and phantom pregnancies, these are known to be a risk factor for pyo.