What is the current thinking on age to spay?

[Loubilou09]

I have an older bitch who I waited until she had her first season before getting her spayed.

Is current thinking the same or do people have other thoughts?

Recommended age is six months. It also is dependant on breed and rate of maturation.

Personally I'd wait till she is 12-18 mounts (&if large breed 24 months) to ensure she is physically and mentally fully grown up.

Our vets don’t spay until after the first season. The idea of neutering dogs of either sex at six months or even younger seems to be passing as more evidence emerges of the disadvantages of doing so.

I have a giant breed of nearly two. I'm still waiting. She matured with each season.
My mum had her small breed dog spayed before her first season. I wouldn't recommend that.

My vet says 6 months but I am unsure whether to wait until she has had a season. There is so much conflicting advice.

I’m still in the ‘after first season’ camp, but not based on evidence just common sense - give them time to mature, but make sure it’s early enough you still get all the benefits in terms of decreased risk of mammary cancers etc.

I have always had giant breeds and wait till they are fully mature a 2 years before getting them fixed

Our vet has recommended about 2 months after our whippet bitch's first season, which she reckons will happen when she's around 12 months old, i.e. when she's fully adult, so spaying when around 14 months.

I want to make sure she's fully physically mature before it's done.