spaying

[ericD]

I have a 7 month GSP that I don't plan on breeding, She's my first dog and I'm training her myself, she doesn't come from good gene's, I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a dog and then screw up it's training so I bought a "training dog" I'm not worried if she ever becomes a great hunter, As long a she becomes well trained I will be happy, then maybe buy a second dog from hunting lines. That being said If I spay her do I risk losing some hunting drive thats in her, she's a great pup, loves chasing birds and ground squirrels, and her obedience training is going well, although she is a bit hardheaded and has little retriever instincts, Since I'm already working with a dog thats not bred to hunt I hate to reduce what natural drives she has. Would it hurt her hunting any if I had her spayed? Thanks Eric

[Ditch__Parrot]

It won't hurt her hunting drive at all. Do some research on the subject of early spaying though. There are some pretty strong arguments for waiting until the dog is physically mature before spaying. They concern physical problems that can occur down the road as a result of spaying too early. Nothing to do with drive, but if a dog can't run it can't hunt too well.

[Brittguy]

spaying will not diminish her hunting drive.

[ericD]

Thanks for the input, what is a good age to have her spayed? My vet suggest 6 months, Emmas 7months, Also she still has her dew claws, should I have them removed, It might break the bank if I do.

[dudleysmith]

I would let her have a heat cycle and get physically mature before i did anything. How do you know she comes from non hunting lines?

[ericD]

I bought her from a gal in Washington who owned her ma and bred her with her grandpa's dog so she could keep one pup, neither were hunted, don't know about further up the line though.

[Brittguy]

I have owned several pointers that had dew claws and never had one tear. I know you hear about that but I feel that it is really pretty rare.. Any puppies we raise always have their dew claws removed but I don't believe I would do it to a 7 month pup.

[ecater2218]

Queen is now 4 months old. The breeder did not get all the cells from the right dewclaw removal..........and it started to grow back. It had a very strange appearance. The vet called it a "scur" and removed it on Fri. Feb. 12. It was a hassle at first. Queen cannot get it wet and she wants to chew off all the bandages. I wraped it in a huge ace bandage and now, after 5 days and one vet bandage change, she is at ease with it. I wrapped it in an ace bandage to avoid her wearing the cone. All in all, I made the right decision. In the field, I am surprised she hasn't snagged barbed wire. She is learning. It cost $200. We are going to let her proceed through one season before spaying.

[AzDoggin]

I bought her from a gal in Washington who owned her ma and bred her with her grandpa's dog so she could keep one pup, neither were hunted, don't know about further up the line though.

My Britt was from "nonhunting" stock. Mom and dad were basically just yard pets.

That little bugger hunted like her rear end was on fire. I've not been around another Britt that ran and hunted like she did. She had shorter legs and a goofy puffed up coat on her rump, but I've not observed a dog hunt with more heart than she did.

Train your dog and don't worry about it. She'll hunt for you. It's back in those genes somewhere.

[A/C Guy]

Thanks for the input, what is a good age to have her spayed? My vet suggest 6 months, Emmas 7months, Also she still has her dew claws, should I have them removed, It might break the bank if I do.

You should google spaying and neutering before you make a decision. Studies have shown conclusively that spaying and neutering greatly increase the risks of cancers later in a dog's life. ALso, you should never spay or neuter before the age of 2 as it affects the dog's growth hormones and can cause major joint and bone problems.

http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html

Dogs that have been spayed or neutered well before puberty can frequently be identified by their longer limbs, lighter bone structure, narrow chests and narrow skulls. This abnormal growth frequently results in significant alterations in body proportions and particularly the lengths (and therefore weights) of certain bones relative to others. For example, if the femur has achieved its genetically determined normal length at 8 months when a dog gets spayed or neutered, but the tibia, which normally stops growing at 12 to 14 months of age continues to grow, then an abnormal angle may develop at the stifle. In addition, with the extra growth, the lower leg below the stifle likely becomes heavier (because it is longer), and may cause increased stresses on the cranial cruciate ligament. In addition, sex hormones are critical for achieving peak bone density.(4) These structural and physiological alterations may be the reason why at least one recent study showed that spayed and neutered dogs had a higher incidence of CCL rupture.(5) Another recent study showed that dogs spayed or neutered before 5 1/2 months had a significantly higher incidence of hip dysplasia

[ericD]

Thanks for everyones responses, I'm going to wait to have her spayed till shes older.

[wems2371]

I spayed my first dog at 6 months at my vets suggestion. I will never know whether there is any correlation, although I've read some research about bone growth, but my dog grew like a weed thereafter and suffered from on and off growing pains (panosteitis). I've also read about the possible association with ligament tears and the increase with other cancers, such as bone cancer, with an early spay. Seems like some trade-offs, and to each their own, but I will not spay that early again. In hindsight, it makes sense to me, not to mess with hormones (by spaying) in a growing pup. But then you will also have to monitor your female closely when she comes into heat, so as not to have an unwanted litter. As far as hunting, no problem with desire from my girl. Don't think of this pup as just your "training dog", because she might surprise you with her natural ability and you might surprise yourself with your training skills.

[jt807]

After spaying, how long will it take a mature dog, 2.5 years old, to heal, so she can run normally?

[RayGubernat]

I recently spayed two of my girls. One was six and one was four.

They were spayed and the incisions were lasered shut and stapled over the top of that. I highly recommend the laser seling of the incision. No bleeding, no elizabethan collar and no hassle whatsoever. The younger dog did mess with and pull out a half dozen staples the first day home. That was a Saturday. I brought her back in on Monday and they shot them back in, in a flash. She didn't mess with them again.

When the staples came out they were pretty much ready for normal exercise and a couple of weeks after that, they were doing whatever.

You may be quite certain that they did not lose any of their hunting drive. None of my spayed dogs ever did.

It has been my observation that spayed females tend to get and stay just a little chunky. Nothing earth shattering and they can still run and hunt with the best of them...they just hold onto the weight a little more than intact dogs.

RayG