Right time to spay my Brittany

[jbwardfamily]

Hi everyone,

My Britt is 4 months old and the vet started talking about getting her spayed at 6 months. I have read some places that say not to do it that early and others that say it is fine. I have no intentions of breeding her and want to make sure she is at the right stage in her development when I get it done. I also do not want to wait long enough for her to go through her first "cycle" either. I've never had a female dog before and need input. I got a female because a hunting buddy of mine said that my current dog (Chihuahua) would accept her more than a male and would not try to establish dominance. He's been right so far.

Thanks.

[Sharon]

Many folks say based on what they've read , to wait for 2 years for a male's bone structure growth to be complete. I have a new pup and my vet wants him spayed in January ; pup will be 8 months old. She's says it has nothing to do with bone growth . I have confidence in her - was Dean at the Ontario Vet College. So I don't know what to say ..........................

[oilcan]

The Breeder I just got my male from told me wait till 9 months old then get it done.

[RoostersMom]

All of our dogs but the new pup are spayed or neutered. If I had it to do over again, I would reconsider neutering on the males (or do a lot more research) - but I would definitely spay any female I own. I would, however, wait until she was fully developed (18 months - 2 years).

That's just my personal opinion based on reading articles about pros and cons of spay and neuter. I've seen no adverse reactions in our spayed or neutered hunting dogs or any of the fosters I've dealt with.

[dog dr]

I would wait till at least a year. Sex hormones are responsible for closing the growth plates in the bones. If the sex hormones are removed (via castration or spay), the growth plates don't close when they should and the bones keep growing for a time. Theory is the longer bones change some of the forces on the joints, and may lead to some of the orthopedic injuries, etc. we see in dogs.

[Wildweeds]

I say not untill you've evaluated the qualities which should be close to 2 years,but then you have to be dilligent about not having an accident.I've met more than one guy who has expressed extrememe remorse from spaying a female.At a minimum I'm with the dog Dr,which equates to the 2 heat cycle rule of the olden days.

[aulrich]

For the layman this is a totally muddied issue, there are so many studies, I won't call them contradictory(but darn close), though they will say "because of this it is better to wait or early is required because of this". There are upsides and down sides of both positions, so it comes down to your goals and the risks you want to take. Personally I am waiting to fix the boy until 2 years, the bone growth plate issue is well documented so I did not want to risk orthopedic issues, I want him to have the best chance at having a long and comfortable working life and retirement.

But I will fix him, and the single biggest issue is safety, The reality of where I live dictates that I spend a significant amount of time on public off leash areas, and intact male dogs get extra attention there and if we come in contact with the wrong dog there is risk of a fight.

Roostersmom - what were the issues that make you rethink neutering of the males dogs?

[RoostersMom]

Aulrich - I may decide not to neuter based on reading about leg injuries mostly, but some concern about cancer as well. The orthopedic reports concern me....though from what I glean, these are all studies with relatively small sample sizes. Plus, I often wonder how you can compare the dogs who are raised in different environments with different lifestyles fairly. Having dealt recently with ACL injuries and reading that early neuter might contribute (I don't think it did in my dog since she was spayed later), I just don't want to take the chance with my boy. His bloodline on the males side is also VERY mellow and not prone to aggressive behavior with other males, so I think I'll just see how it goes. I won't raise a litter or breed him though - I figure that should be for folks that really know what they're doing.

[RYNO]

Hi everyone,

My Britt is 4 months old and the vet started talking about getting her spayed at 6 months. I have read some places that say not to do it that early and others that say it is fine. I have no intentions of breeding her and want to make sure she is at the right stage in her development when I get it done. I also do not want to wait long enough for her to go through her first "cycle" either. I've never had a female dog before and need input. I got a female because a hunting buddy of mine said that my current dog (Chihuahua) would accept her more than a male and would not try to establish dominance. He's been right so far.

Thanks.

My setter pup is almost 10 months now and appears to be on the tail end of her first cycle, the britt I had before went into heat at around 9 months as well. A co-worker has a springer pup that went into heat at 6 months. I guess what I'm saying is it could happen real soon for you, or be another 6 months out. I doubt I'll breed my setter but I wanted her to have time to develop before spaying. I'll likely let her go through another cycle then get fixed next summer. It's a bit of a PITA, but she wears the doggie diaper without any issues when running around the house. I take it off when she's in the kennel.

[kninebirddog]

I would wait till at least a year. Sex hormones are responsible for closing the growth plates in the bones. If the sex hormones are removed (via castration or spay), the growth plates don't close when they should and the bones keep growing for a time. Theory is the longer bones change some of the forces on the joints, and may lead to some of the orthopedic injuries, etc. we see in dogs.

What Dog Dr says wait till at least 1 or a little older let them fully mature

[Del Lolo]

Never, never ever before 14 months.

[Del Lolo]

Many folks say based on what they've read , to wait for 2 years for a male's bone structure growth to be complete. I have a new pup and my vet wants him spayed in January ; pup will be 8 months old. She's says it has nothing to do with bone growth . I have confidence in her - was Dean at the Ontario Vet College. So I don't know what to say ..........................

50% of all Vets (including Deans) graduated in the bottom half of their class.
It's obvious that your Vet does not keep up with current research information.

[bobman]

I don't do it until three and may not even do it at all and I don't let them get bred either.

There is a lot of conflicting info but the idea they don't need he hormones nature gave them is kind of hard to believe for me

[zrp]

I would recommend a spay (or neuter) at around 6 months - before the first heat cycle. That will eliminate the chance of pyometra, mammary cancer and other health concerns.

[Sharon]

Many folks say based on what they've read , to wait for 2 years for a male's bone structure growth to be complete. I have a new pup and my vet wants him spayed in January ; pup will be 8 months old. She's says it has nothing to do with bone growth . I have confidence in her - was Dean at the Ontario Vet College. So I don't know what to say ..........................

50% of all Vets (including Deans) graduated in the bottom half of their class.
It's obvious that your Vet does not keep up with current research information.

LOL I'll tell her that. NOT.

[cjhills]

Graduating in the bottom 50% is better than not having gone to school at all, as is the case with most of the experts on here.
Do whatever you and your vet feel comfortable with. Thousands of dogs( maybe millions) have been spayed at six months with no problems.
I had a male neutered at six months tear a tendon when he jumped out of a moving truck. I think it would have happened if he still had his nads...................................Cj

[Del Lolo]

http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTerm ... InDogs.pdf

http://www.caninesports.com/uploads/1/5 ... s_2013.pdf

[RayGubernat]

Look -

The simple answer is this:

For male dogs, there is absolutely no medical reason to neuter a healthy dog with two descended testicles. Period.

For female dogs the two significant medical reasons for spaying are pyometra and mammary cancer. Spaying essentially eliminates those conditions which typically occur later on in a dog's life.

In either case, male or female there is no medical reason, that I am aware of, to rush into the spay or neuter for an otherwise healthy dog.

Non -medical reasons for spaying an neutering abound. There is, and has been for some time, a drumbeat of political correctness being pounded at pet owner's to be "responsible" and to neuter their pets...the sooner the better, so as to eliminate unwanted pregnancies and unwanted puppies. The assumption this campaign is based on is highly offensive to me. The assumption is that I am a clueless jerk who will let my dog breed indiscriminately.

I am sorry, but I do indeed take offense to that. The fact that this pressure to spay and neuter comes from, in many cases, veterinary professionals... in no way lessens it's offensiveness to me.

Spaying or neutering your pet is a personal decision, and should be based on your needs, your family's needs and what is right for the pet. The fact that a dog is not physically, or mentally mature until at least one year old, or approximately two heat cycles, should be considered along with other factors, IMO.

RayG

[Karen]

EXACTLY what Ray said.

[ezzy333]

Ray, you read my mind right to the very word. I may not take offense at what they tell us to do but it just is another example of people in our government who become automatically more intelligent than the rest of us just from getting elected to a government position. Makes me wonder why we need schooling when intelligence and learning is all controlled by being elected.

Ezzy

[klewis]

Ray, you read my mind right to the very word. I may not take offense at what they tell us to do but it just is another example of people in our government who become automatically more intelligent than the rest of us just from getting elected to a government position. Makes me wonder why we need schooling when intelligence and learning is all controlled by being elected.

Ezzy

these are my thoughts exactly.

[cjhills]

Ray, you read my mind right to the very word. I may not take offense at what they tell us to do but it just is another example of people in our government who become automatically more intelligent than the rest of us just from getting elected to a government position. Makes me wonder why we need schooling when intelligence and learning is all controlled by being elected.

Ezzy

these are my thoughts exactly.

I don't know what the government has to with spaying. While Ray,ezzy,Klewis and most on the forum are likely responsible owners, many are not there is a major problem with over population of dogs and cats and the more of them that are spayed the better and the sooner the better...........Cj

[Vonzeppelinkennels]

The reason most dogs are neutered or spayed is for the convienence of the owners & only the owners sure not the dogs!! I have never in over 40 years neutered or spayed a dog & never will unless for a medical reason that leaves no other choice. As far as cats go you could shoot every one of them as far as I'm concerned.

[Peter]

I think a common frustration some members experience with their veterinarian that I see on this forum is dealing with veterinarians that don't have experience with hunting dogs or any high performance dog. That is unfortunate, but what a lot of people are forced to work with. But at the same time, most veterinarians don't see a high number of working dogs. If I think about the last 100 dogs I saw at my practice, less than 5 of those were working dogs (one police K9, a couple of hunting labs and an aglity dog). Most of the other pets are mixed breed dogs, or at minimun shouldn't be bred. I would imagine most people on here agree that people breeding dogs just because, to make a few bucks, or so their child can witness the miracle of life are not good reasons to breed pets and has helped contribute to the demise of several breeds. Couple that with vets that have likely had some exposure to shelter medicine in vet school (my shelter vet at school euthanized 1500 pets a year when she worked at a shelter before coming to teach), this creates at strong desire to see pets castrated before they are able to have offspring. Most of what we see is pets, not working dogs. I imagine this is the same for a lot of veternarians that members see.

My opnions on when to castrate follow that 6 month recomendation, but is modified on a case by case basis, depending on the pet. Although I recommend castrating at 6 months, my main reason is for owners not wanting to breed their pets. I think when it comes to castrating males, their are little "health" benifits seen from doing so. The diseases that present themselves associated with an intact male (enlarged prostate, testicular cancer) often come later in life, and if caught early, usally cause no severe issues. Prehaps there is some decreased roaming on dogs that run free, I guess if they don't roam and don't get hit by a car that is a health benefit, but that is a bit of a strech.
When it comes to castrating females, there are some health benefits, but I can argue against most of those if I need to. Spaying early can decrease mammary tumors, but only before the third heat. I think observant pet owners should be aware of a mammary mass early and early removel helps reduce the risk of spreading to other organs. A spayed female can't get a pyometra. You can't tell which ones will get it, but I can tell you the ones that do get it, the surgery isn't like a routine spay, it is dangerous, and will cost more for sure. So again these are't solid reasons to spay, but along with unwanted puppies, these diseases are reasons to consider spaying your pet. This is sort of the spill I give clients that are on the fence about castrating or don't want to spay their pet early. As far as disease associated with early castration, I think we may see some increased cases of orthopedic injuries, and I suspect increased cases of hypothyroidism. But when Mr. Smith brings in his back yard bred lab at 2 years old that has some dysplasia in the hips and is 20 lbs overweight or Mr. Jones brings in her Morki-Poo, who's patellas have never stayed in its pateller grove, I am not blaming spaying a dog too early when their cruciate tears.I think spaying after the first heat for people that have no desire to breed a hunting breed is a good time, but this is just one guys opinion.

[ezzy333]

Ray, you read my mind right to the very word. I may not take offense at what they tell us to do but it just is another example of people in our government who become automatically more intelligent than the rest of us just from getting elected to a government position. Makes me wonder why we need schooling when intelligence and learning is all controlled by being elected.

Ezzy

these are my thoughts exactly.

I don't know what the government has to with spaying. While Ray,ezzy,Klewis and most on the forum are likely responsible owners, many are not there is a major problem with over population of dogs and cats and the more of them that are spayed the better and the sooner the better...........Cj

In our county we pay 40 dollars for a years license if the dog is not neutered and only 15 if it is. That rate schedule was set by our government.

Ezzy

[Petra]

When my female had her first acl tear I did my research and read an article done by a vet at the MN vet school that noticed an increase in hip displasia with the increase in early spay and neutering but found a larger increase in ACL tears due to what dog dr mentioned was the increase in the long bones growth ( Femur ) which decreases the angle in the rear legs. Also, I take my dogs to run in a large dog park that also has a large natural grass area where we have found birds my intact male (5 years old ) no fights and no signs of aggression the only dogs that we have had issues with has been a neutered male that attacked my female with no provocation. My experience has been that the aggressive dogs are mentally unstable ( for all sorts of reasons ) and has little to do with their sex organs, having said that I do understand that if a female is in heat all males in the area will have issues. I have had many vets tell me that they are changing their automatic 6 mo spaying and discussing the issues with the owners , breed, working dog , responsibility of owners , and having the owners take a responsible decision in the process instead of across the board 6 mo. of age , and no questions asked. There is a lot to be considered when making this decision.

[shocker35]

Peter (and anyone else that may know). How do you go about finding a vet that is experienced in the sporting dog breeds? Do I just call each office and just ask if they have experience and how much experience they have? Fortunately I live in MI and from what I can see of a lot of people owning working dogs there should be enough in my area that I could find a decent vet.

[bobman]

A long read but informative....


Basis for Position on Mandatory Spay-Neuter in the Canine and Feline
The American College of Theriogenologists (ACT) is the certifying college for veterinarians board certified in
reproduction (specialists) and the Society for Theriogenology (SFT) is an organization of veterinarians with a
special interest in reproduction in veterinary medicine. The ACT and SFT believe that companion animals
not intended for breeding should be spayed or neutered; however, both organizations believe that the
decision to spay or neuter a pet must be made on a case by case basis, taking into consideration the
pet’s age, breed, sex, intended use, household environment and temperament. The use of generalized
rules concerning gonadectomy (removal of the ovaries or testes) is not in the best interest of the health
or well-being of the pets or their owners. Each of the following considerations must be assessed for each
individual animal and household.
1) Health concerns
a. Research has shown that there can be positive effects of the sex steroid hormones. The sex
steroids are hormones produced by the ovaries and testes, and are only present in intact males
and females. Gonadectomy at any age deprives the body of the positive health effects of these
hormones. Although in most cases, the benefits of spay-neuter outweigh the benefits of
exposure to the sex steroids, this is not true in all cases. Since gonadectomy prior to puberty or
sexual maturity may make the risks of some diseases higher in certain breeds or individuals, the
option to leave an animal intact must be available to the pet owner.
i. Advantages of remaining intact:
1. There is a decreased incidence of hemangiosarcoma in intact bitches and
dogs.
2. There is a decreased incidence of osteosarcoma in intact male and female
dogs.
3. There is a decreased risk of transitional cell carcinoma in intact dogs and
bitches.
4. There is a decreased risk of prostatic adenocarcinoma in intact male dogs
compared to gonadectomized male dogs.
5. There is a decreased incidence of obesity in intact male and female dogs and
cats, which may be due at least partly to increased metabolic rate.
6. There is a decreased incidence of urinary incontinence in intact bitches
(equivocal if bitches are spayed after 5 months but before their first heat).
7. There may be a reduced incidence of urinary tract infection in intact bitches.
8. There may be a reduced incidence of feline lower urinary tract disease
(FLUTD) in intact male and female cats which may be partly due to decreased
obesity in these animals.
9. There may be a reduced incidence of autoimmune thyroiditis and
hypothyroidism in intact male and female dogs.
10. There is a decreased incidence of diabetes mellitus in intact female cats and a
possibly reduced incidence in diabetes mellitus in intact male dogs.
11. There is a reduced incidence of cranial cruciate rupture in intact male and
female dogs.
12. There may be a reduced incidence of hip dysplasia in male and female dogs
that are not gonadectomized before 5 months of age.
13. There may be an increased incidence of capital physeal fractures in castrated
male cats that may be partially due to increased weight gain in gonadectomized
males.
b. Research has shown that there are a number of detrimental effects of the sex steroid
hormones. Spaying and neutering will remove these hormones and thus lower the risk of these
conditions.
i. Advantages of being spayed or castrated:
The Boards of Directors of the Society
for Theriogenology and the American
College of Theriogenologists
Montgomery, AL
1. There is an increased risk of mammary, testicular, and ovarian neoplasia in
intact male and female dogs and cats.
a. There is an increased risk of mammary cancer with each subsequent
cycle and the benefit of spaying does not disappear until the animal
reaches old age.
i. Mammary cancer is one of the most common types of
neoplasia in small animals.
1. Mammary neoplasia is malignant 60% of the time in
dogs and 90% of the time in cats.
b. The incidence and mortality risk for ovarian cancer are very low
c. The incidence for testicular cancer is more common but malignancy
and mortality are very low.
2. There is an increased risk of pyometra in both intact female dogs and cats and
this risk increases with increasing age.
3. There is an increased risk of prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatic
cysts and squamous metaplasia of the prostate in intact male dogs.
4. There is a decreased incidence of perineal and inguinal hernia and perineal
adenoma in neutered male dogs.
c. Based on the research available, it is clear there are a number of health benefits of the
sex steroid hormones and that this benefit varies with age, sex, and breed. Therefore,
although spay-neuter is the responsible choice for most pets, it is in the best interest of
each individual patient for its veterinarian to assess the risks and benefits of
gonadectomy and to advise his/her clients on what is appropriate for each individual pet
at each stage of its life.
2) Behavioral concerns
a. Research has shown that there are positive effects of the sex steroid hormones on behavior.
i. Advantages of remaining intact:
1. There is a decrease in shyness and hiding behavior in intact male and female
cats.
2. There may be less aggression towards people and animals in intact bitches.
3. There may be a decreased incidence of cognitive dysfunction in intact male and
female dogs.
b. Research has shown that there are negative effects of the sex steroid hormones on behavior.
i. Advantages of being spayed or castrated:
1. Inter-dog aggression may be due to competition for available territory or
availability of cycling animals.
2. Urine spraying and inter-animal aggression is increased in intact male cats.
3. There is a decreased risk of wandering and being hit by a car in neutered
animals.
3) Provision of quality medical care
a. It is not in the animals’ best interest to have the legislature dictate the time or need for surgical
treatment.
i. This does not allow for medical decisions based on the individual animal’s needs, its
owners’ needs or the needs of the household.
1. Animals with medical conditions that may result in complications during
anesthesia or surgery (i.e. heart murmurs, bleeding disorders).
2. Providing appropriate aftercare for surgical patients may not be feasible in
some home situations.
b. Restricting and reducing the pool of purebred animals will greatly hinder medical research of
conditions that are particular to specific breeds, slowing down advances in medical and surgical
knowledge. This may in turn impact the research available concerning health conditions
common to both animals and people.
4) Public Health concerns
a. Making spay/neuter mandatory for licensure may make the public more hesitant to seek
veterinary assistance because they are afraid of fines and legal repercussions as a result of
failing to spay or neuter their pets by the prescribed time. By avoiding veterinary care for their
pets, animals will be at increased risk of inadequate routine vaccination (including rabies) and
inadequate deworming programs which may in turn result in increased transmission of disease
to the public.
The ACT and SFT make the following recommendations to continue moving toward effective methods of
reducing the number of abandoned, unwanted and euthanized dogs and cats in the US and other countries
where similar problems exist.
a. Provide increased jurisdictional control to the AVMA Governmental Relations division, Animal
Welfare Committee, and the APHIS-Animal Care division.
b. Ensure suppliers to pet stores are providing adequate care for breeding stock and offspring.
c. Support programs to expand the public awareness of pet overpopulation, acceptable breeding
standards, and responsibilities of pet ownership. Provide the public a means to access assistance
with concerns of pet health, ownership, behavior and management issues.
d. Work with state and local rescue and humane societies to assemble accurate data on causes for
relinquishment of dogs and cats to enable these organizations, federal and local governments, and
veterinary organizations to address the fundamental causes of abandonment.
e. Provide low cost spay/neuter facilities for economically disadvantaged persons and communities.
f. Continue to work on reduction of feral cat populations.
g. Establish programs to ensure access of breeders to proper reproductive care and counseling.
h. Provide local or federal governmental assistance to registered rescue organizations to facilitate
placement of unwanted pets.
The ACT and SFT do not believe that mandatory spay/neuter programs will significantly reduce the pet
overpopulation problems, since most animals that are abandoned are relinquished because of behavior, health,
economic and life changing conditions and not due to their reproductive status. In fact, in some European Union
countries where gonadectomy is illegal unless deemed medically necessary (such as Norway) there are no
significant problems with pet overpopulation, indicating that the pet overpopulation problem that exists in the
United States is due to cultural differences on the importance of pets, the responsibility of pet owners, and the
ability of the government and national agencies to properly educate the public. Although both organizations
believe that most companion animals should be spayed or neutered, the ACT and SFT also strongly believe that
it is not in the best interest of the animals to produce legislation regarding medical treatments, Therefore, both
organizations oppose mandatory spay/neuter programs.
There are hundreds of references which provide scientific information on the effects of spay and neuter in both
dogs and cats. We chose to provide the reader with a selected list of them. This reference list was compiled by
Dr. Peggy Root-Kustritz, DACT.
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[cjhills]

After reading all this, still comes down to a personal decision.
One issue is the change in society. Most older people are familiar with animal breeding. Most people now are not and they have no idea how to deal with intact animals. The health issues on either side are largely conjecture and with the exception of Pyometra, unwanted pregnancies and a few other sex related problems nothing is for sure. In today's society most people are far better off with spayed dogs. Probably the health issues are a toss up. As with a lot of things in life, It is a matter of convenience and may not always be in the best interest of the dog, but that is the real world. The fact is the dog will have some health problem sooner or later. I generally recommend spaying to my clients. I would wait a bit longer on males now probably 18 months.
To the Op the choice is up to you and your vet. Give it your best shot and don't look back there is no right or wrong decision. Good Luck..............Cj

[dog dr]

As always, Mr. Gubernat hit the nail on the head. Excellent post!

[Sharon]

Lots of interesting read here. Sometimes though it boils down to " maybe neutering will/ or won't help , but let 's try it rather than get rid of the dog." I have a 7 month old terrier , who has just reached "puberty" and is marking wherever possible. He's confined to the tiled kitchen but still................. I realize neutering may not solve the whole problem, but for me it's worth a try. I know .... it's a terrier.

"It wasn 't me."

[jbwardfamily]

Many folks say based on what they've read , to wait for 2 years for a male's bone structure growth to be complete. I have a new pup and my vet wants him spayed in January ; pup will be 8 months old. She's says it has nothing to do with bone growth . I have confidence in her - was Dean at the Ontario Vet College. So I don't know what to say ..........................

50% of all Vets (including Deans) graduated in the bottom half of their class.
It's obvious that your Vet does not keep up with current research information.

That's one of the dumbest comments I have ever read. 50% of all graduates finished in the bottom half of their class. Hopefully you were being feseciuos. No one accidentally graduates from Vet school. It's easier to get through human med school.

[CDN_Cocker]

Lots of interesting read here. Sometimes though it boils down to " maybe neutering will/ or won't help , but let 's try it rather than get rid of the dog." I have a 7 month old terrier , who has just reached "puberty" and is marking wherever possible. He's confined to the tiled kitchen but still................. I realize neutering may not solve the whole problem, but for me it's worth a try. I know .... it's a terrier.

"It wasn 't me."

Jake will be a year old in less than a month and still pees like a girl. No sign of puberty coming for him. He's my immature little airhead lol

[CDN_Cocker]

If you do not intend to let her have a heat cycle then 6 months is when you should do it. I would wait till 2 years though if it was my dog.

[jbwardfamily]

Thanks everyone for the constructive advice. I'll follow my vets advice.

[NLsetter]

Having a 10 year old Gordon Setter( spayed at 6 months old) with some significant orthopedic problems I would caution on a early spade. My current young male will be left intact and if I have another female at some point she will have 1-2 heat cycles before spay.

[jbwardfamily]

Having a 10 year old Gordon Setter( spayed at 6 months old) with some significant orthopedic problems I would caution on a early spade. My current young male will be left intact and if I have another female at some point she will have 1-2 heat cycles before spay.

Sorry to hear about your setter. What would make you think that the ortho problems have anything to do with the spaying? I am not doubting it, I would just like to know.

[NLsetter]

Having a 10 year old Gordon Setter( spayed at 6 months old) with some significant orthopedic problems I would caution on a early spade. My current young male will be left intact and if I have another female at some point she will have 1-2 heat cycles before spay.

Sorry to hear about your setter. What would make you think that the ortho problems have anything to do with the spaying? I am not doubting it, I would just like to know.

Know of 5 litter mates, 2 males still intact no issues and 3 females, only one female wasnt spayed before heat cycle and had a couple litters and she also has no issues but mine female and the other two that were spayed before first heat have ortho issues. Not saying 100% this is the total cause but....

[jbwardfamily]

In that case it would be hard not to think that the spaying was at least a factor. Thanks for that.

[wems2371]

This is a 2013 study of 759 Golden Retrievers, done by UC Davis, that you might want to read also. Please note that "neuter" is a non-gender term used for both males and females. The 2nd link is the more comprehensive findings, with tables and explanations.

http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_det ... o?id=10498

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Ad ... ne.0055937

BTW, I am someone that spayed a 6 month old shorthair. While I can prove no absolute connection, she had growing pains (panostitis) for months afterwards, is taller and ganglier than her littermates--even the males, and has a partial CCL/ligament tear at 6 years old. Unless you have an intact male in the house, it's fairly easy to manage a female in heat. What I wouldn't give to simply have a do-over and a chance at a different outcome...

[Karen]

I'm with you Wems. I'd LOVE a do-over with my first Brittany, who was neutered at 4 1/2 months old. I had no idea how well bred he was, and how my life would change in the couple of years from when we purchased Courage to when he was 2 yrs old. I COULD have afforded to train & field trial him by the time he was 2 yrs old, but after he was neutered, it was pretty pointless to do so. In retrospect, he had SUCH potential!

Courage passed a few weeks ago at 13 1/2 yrs old and I STILL regret neutering him when I did.