Spay

[janika28]

My vet says Maggie should be spayed at 4 months old. Thinking this is a little too young? What is your opinions?

[doubledip1]

Way too young... Spaying is such an invasive procedure. I would wait until she is at least a year old. Heat isn't that bad, it's just house arrest. On leash at all times, even in the yard, and no public places like stores or parks. We are having Luna spayed between 18 months and 2 years.

[BaconsMom]

Please wait until 18 months!!! At a minimum, wait until after the first heat, but it is best to wait until their growth plates close at 18 months to avoid joint problems

[WhoopsaDaisy]

Most people would recommend waiting until at least 6 months. If you can wait until 12 months that would be even better. Also, there is some new research that suggest waiting until after the first heat cycle to spay. I'm sure someone will post with a link the the articles. Of course if you wait until after the heat cycle you will have to keep her under "house arrest" for four weeks and she will have to wear doggie diapers. I don't think it's for everyone, but I felt that it was worth it to wait until after Daisy's heat cycle to spay. She has her heat cycle at 15 months and I just spayed her at 17 months. Some have their heat cycle earlier though it's usually between 11-16 months- I think.

[janika28]

Just wondering why I should wait until after first heat?

[smartrock]

Some female pups have what's called a recessed vulva, which causes issues such as frequent urinary tract infections, localized skin irritation, etc. The anatomy often corrects after the first or second heat cycle, which it would not have the opportunity to do if spayed young. Many folks also feel that your lab will look more like labs are "supposed" to look because their hormones have allowed the natural development of her skeleton. There are also orthopedic benefits to waiting until the pup is skeletally mature. There is a stickie posting somewhere that talks about neutering and spaying that Snowshoe compiled, read the first few articles to get a taste for the research. Many recommend not doing an early spay/neuter.

I think vets often push for earlier spay for population control reasons, maybe it's easier to do when they're smaller, they often cite other health benefits, such as decreased incidence of mammary cancer, but I think there is only a pretty small incremental increase in risk if you wait until after the first heat. My breeder asked that we wait until Lark was 18-24 months of age. She had her first heat cycle at 15 months and will be spayed next month when she is 18 1/2 months old.

Oh, here are the spay/neuter articles:

Neuter/Spay - Pros, Cons, Risks, Benefits - Research Article Links

[emma_Dad]

What did your breeder tell you about spaying her?

Also check out the health section I posted an article about the benfits to late spay. And there was some good conversation on the thread.

[WhoopsaDaisy]

The biggest incentive I had for waiting was an eye condition she had. It's called entropion, basically her eyelids were too big for her eyes and her eyelashes were rolling into her eyes causing irritation and if left untreated could cause serious damage. For the last two months Daisy's head has grown and I see the condition correcting itself. Otherwise I'd have to do plastic surgery to fix it. The other reason I waited was because of the studies that show dogs spayed/neutered early have higher risks for bone/joint problems and cancer. The only reason I saw not to wait was the inconvenience of the heat cycle and the more complicated spay surgery. It's best to wait 2-3 months after the heat cycle to spay. Dogs have a heat cycle every6 months and you want to have he surgery right in between the two heat cycles. I would have waited until next month to spay but we are going to the beach next month I would like Daisy to be able to enjoy it as well

[janika28]

Will definitely think about this. My breeder didn't mention what age to spay and I didn't ask. But our first lab was spayed at 6 months I believe.

[ZoeysMommy]

Personally, I would not put a pup under anesthesia for any reason until at least 6 months of age.

I choose to wait until my lab and corgi were both over age 1 and went thru there first heat. There are possible health benefits associated with waiting. I had no issues with my girls, I don't own any males and mine are always supervised and with me at all times, there was no chance of an accidental pregnancy

On the other hand, I also think its fine to spay at 6 months old as well. Millions of dogs are spayed at a young age and there is no negative effects. Its a personal choice and there is no right or wrong answer, its entirely up to you and your vet. You have plenty of time to make your own informed decision. Do some research and decide what is right for you and your dog