When to spay?
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 9:53 am
I want to spay my GSP before her first cycle.
At what age should I have it done?
Thank you.
At what age should I have it done?
Thank you.
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When to spay?
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Re: When to spay?
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 10:03 am
My Brittany bitches came in the first time at 9 months. You REALLY want to spay that early?
Re: When to spay?
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 10:08 am
What do you plan to do with your dog when she is older?
If possible try not to have her spayed until she is physically mature...Though vets will talk about how it helps to stop breast cancer...They do not let you know it is those very hormones that help her body to know when to stop growing
they do not tell you about the higher incidence of other issues in animals that are spayed neutered before they are matured
Elongated femur bones leading to more joint issue
incontinence
Bone cancers
Thyroid Problems
aggression issues
So if you plan on hunting or agility or other more active things to do with your dog wait till about 2 years old if you can.
If possible try not to have her spayed until she is physically mature...Though vets will talk about how it helps to stop breast cancer...They do not let you know it is those very hormones that help her body to know when to stop growing
they do not tell you about the higher incidence of other issues in animals that are spayed neutered before they are matured
Elongated femur bones leading to more joint issue
incontinence
Bone cancers
Thyroid Problems
aggression issues
So if you plan on hunting or agility or other more active things to do with your dog wait till about 2 years old if you can.
Re: When to spay?
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 10:16 am
For development reasons, I agree with two years. It is my opinion that we are urged to spay and neuter so early because most human beings are either too stupid or irresponsible to be accountable for their dogs procreating. We are dealing with a mammal that has hormonal development like any other mammal and terminating that early carries more harm than good if you can tolerate the inconvenience and keep tabs on your dog.
Re: When to spay?
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 11:57 am
I posted this recent UC Davis study in the health section, not too long ago. Please have a look at the results the study found. Also note that even though the beginning states "Neuter", they are using that as an inclusive term for both sexes, to include spaying as well.
http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_det ... 4.facebook
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Ad ... ne.0055937
http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_det ... 4.facebook
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Ad ... ne.0055937
Re: When to spay?
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 3:51 pm
OK then when should a female GSP be spay???!!!
Re: When to spay?
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 5:39 pm
I waited until mine had her first heat cycle. That's what my vet and various people suggested.
Re: When to spay?
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 7:51 pm
NO spay or neuter before at least 14 months of age --- regardless of breed.
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Re: When to spay?
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 8:12 pm
Good information.
I will wait until she is physically mature.
Next question: About what age will she have her first cycle?
I will wait until she is physically mature.
Next question: About what age will she have her first cycle?
Re: When to spay?
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 8:17 pm
Most dogs will have their 1st one around a year, then about every 6 months after thatreba wrote:Good information.
I will wait until she is physically mature.
Next question: About what age will she have her first cycle?
Re: When to spay?
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 11:53 am
It could be later though, ours was about 16 months and comes in once a year. Luckilydeseeker wrote:Most dogs will have their 1st one around a year, then about every 6 months after thatreba wrote:Good information.
I will wait until she is physically mature.
Next question: About what age will she have her first cycle?
we have an intact male that let's us know when she is getting ready to come into heat.Re: When to spay?
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 2:53 pm
Everyone is going to give you a different time and really its all up to personal preference. Blood is a pain but I like to let my dogs mature before getting them fixed (unless its male, which I don't see the point of fixing). I have a female dachshund who just had her first heat at 8 months and bled the entire 3 weeks, it was a nightmare. She will be spayed after her next one since she'll be over a year (she's a mini so I'm sure she's done growing).
Re: When to spay?
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 3:46 pm
I have a female setter who came in the first time at a little over a year. She lives in the house and I had to deal with diapers but it's really not that big a deal. Just remember to take the diaper off before you let her out to pee (I know, duh, but it happened twice at my house). Like mentioned before, the whole thing takes about 3 weeks and you just have to keep her on lock-down until it's over. There is a window in there of a few days around day 10 that is the most critical as far as keeping her away from the boys so be sure that you pay attention to when she come in. I googled "female dog estrus" and got a lot of information as far as what to look for. Every dog is different but in my dog's case her behavior triggered my "checking under the hood" for physical signs (normally a very independant dog and she was very "needy" :roll: ). Good luck!
Re: When to spay?
Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 3:59 pm
When a female comes in season for the first time depends on the dog really.The more athletic they are the older they come in usually,my avatar dog Star was about 33 mos old the first time she had a full heat bleeding & all.
She was in training & FT from the time she was 13 mos old & in shape until being retired completely last spring.She had 2 heats last yr 6 mos apart like normal for the first time.Star is still in better condition then most dogs but just not her
normal FT condition.
I will never neuter or spay a dog unless for a medical condition that requires it.I have said this before dogs are neutered or spayed for the convienience of the owners NOT the dog.
She was in training & FT from the time she was 13 mos old & in shape until being retired completely last spring.She had 2 heats last yr 6 mos apart like normal for the first time.Star is still in better condition then most dogs but just not her
normal FT condition.
I will never neuter or spay a dog unless for a medical condition that requires it.I have said this before dogs are neutered or spayed for the convienience of the owners NOT the dog.
Re: When to spay?
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 9:01 am
Agree Vzk.Vonzeppelinkennels wrote:I will never neuter or spay a dog unless for a medical condition that requires it.I have said this before dogs are neutered or spayed for the convienience of the owners NOT the dog.
That said, it is altogether possible to render a dog sterile without removing critical endocrine glands. Happens in humans all across the country every day. Vasectomy/tubal ligations are much less intrusive and should be less expensive anyway, but for whatever reason the "whack 'em off/cut 'em out" mentality persists in the veterinary community. Slowly, the research is coming out showing the disadvantages of removing critical sex glands - here's one study with Golden Retreivers: http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_det ... o?id=10498
excerpt:
Maybe a vet could address this question: Are the vasectomy/tubal ligation procedures not taught in Vet schools? If not, why do you think they are not?Joint disorders and cancers are of particular interest because neutering removes the male dog’s testes and the female’s ovaries, interrupting production of certain hormones that play key roles in important body processes such as closure of bone growth plates, and regulation of the estrous cycle in female dogs.
The study revealed that, for all five diseases analyzed, the disease rates were significantly higher in both males and females that were neutered either early or late compared with intact (non-neutered) dogs.
Specifically, early neutering was associated with an increase in the occurrence of hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear and lymphosarcoma in males and of cranial cruciate ligament tear in females. Late neutering was associated with the subsequent occurrence of mast cell tumors and hemangiosarcoma in females.
In most areas, the findings of this study were consistent with earlier studies, suggesting similar increases in disease risks. The new study, however, was the first to specifically report an increased risk of late neutering for mast cell tumors and hemangiosarcoma.
Furthermore, the new study showed a surprising 100 percent increase, or doubling, of the incidence of hip dysplasia among early-neutered males. Earlier studies had reported a 17 percent increase among all neutered dogs compared to all non-neutered dogs, indicating the importance of the new study in making gender and age-of-neutering comparisons.
Re: When to spay?
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 9:13 am
We state 2 years before spaying in the instructions we send home with our puppy buyers.
Re: When to spay?
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 11:39 am
I have no idea where you got the 14 month deadline but it isn't what is recommended by any one as far as I know. Maturity is the qualifier as far as I am concerned as that is when the growth hormones are no longer as important and your dog will be far better off as she ages. Personally I don't ever spay a female but I will admit it might be a smart thing to do. But out of I have no idea of how many females I have had one that dies of cancer and she was a bitch that went through a false pregnancy after every heat cycle. other than her they have all lived disease free lives and died of old age.Doc E wrote:NO spay or neuter before at least 14 months of age --- regardless of breed.
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Ezzy
Re: When to spay?
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 3:29 pm
I want to spay because I do not raise dogs. I leave that to the pros and pay my money.
I am out hunting wild birds from September through January. I do not ever want to have a female dog along that comes into heat while I am 1,000 miles from home hunting birds.
My female GSP was born 11/04/12.
Hopefully she will pass her first cycle before September. Then with luck I will have her spay early in 2014.
Thank you. I found all the comments very helpful.
I am out hunting wild birds from September through January. I do not ever want to have a female dog along that comes into heat while I am 1,000 miles from home hunting birds.
My female GSP was born 11/04/12.
Hopefully she will pass her first cycle before September. Then with luck I will have her spay early in 2014.
Thank you. I found all the comments very helpful.
Re: When to spay?
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 5:21 pm
In the ucdavis study the smallest incident of disease was males neutered after a year old. It is also not big enough numbers to draw any real conclusions and did not take into consideration how many of the neutered dogs were allowed to gain weight or the relationship between the dogs.wems2371 wrote:I posted this recent UC Davis study in the health section, not too long ago. Please have a look at the results the study found. Also note that even though the beginning states "Neuter", they are using that as an inclusive term for both sexes, to include spaying as well.
http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_det ... 4.facebook
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Ad ... ne.0055937
How many had other diseases that spaying eliminates. ie: mammory cancer or Pyometra
Take this with a grain of salt and use yours and your vets judgment. I like to do it after a year and our gsp females have the first heat at about 18 months. There are millions of dogs spayed and neutered at six months that live to a happy ripe old age one is whining at me right now because she wants her food. 16 years old runs every day. Cj
Re: When to spay?
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 6:58 pm
It depends on what you do with your dogs. I have been told that if you hunt or trial a dog and condition really hard it is better to wait. If the breed you have is prone to hip problems it is better to wait. If the dog is mainly a pet with sporadic exercise it is not as important.