# Early Spay/Neuter



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I think a lot of this article is in line with what I've read. However, the idea of putting puppies under anesthesia TWICE, first for sterilization, and later for an entire spay/neuter doesn't sound like a good idea to me! My guess is, that if you did a study on THAT, you'd find a lot of negatives as well. I'm not sure that people who can't keep their pet from reproducing until it is at least 14 months old are doing their job as dog owners. But if that is a REAL problem, then those dogs SHOULD be neutered early (though not NEARLY as early as in some of these studies... 6-7 months seems to be a happy medium for pet dogs) But I think the vast majority of serious sports people are involved enough with their dogs to keep them from reproducing, no matter whether they are EVER spayed/neutered.

My older male is tall. He fits the physiological description of an early-neutered dog perfectly, although he was neutered at 7 months. (when the problems of early spay/neuter were much less well known) Fortunately (knock on wood) I have not had to deal with any CCL problems, and while not unheard of, they are less common in small breeds. He does have vaccine/allergy problems, and although I certainly can't/won't lay those completely at the door of early neutering, anything that can lessen the chances of those problems is a good thing, in my book. I will never spay/neuter another dog before full maturity.

EARLY SPAY-NEUTER IN THE CANINE ATHLETE, by Chris Zink, DVM, PHd


----------



## April R (Oct 29, 2016)

Thanks Karen for that article.


----------



## Askavi (Nov 5, 2015)

It seems more and more of this kind of information has been made available recently. My breeder was very adamant about not neutering before 10 months old with Raffy, and he was just about 10 1/2 months old when we did it. I likely would have waited another year until he was fully mature, had I been more aware of these health concerns. When I got Sassy, my breeder asked me to wait until she was at least a year old to spay her. I assume she requested I wait longer due to more, and new information about it, such as this article. Since Raffy is already neutered, I may not spay Sassy at all (I will also not breed her) since there's NEVER an occasion for her to get accidentally pregnant. I am realizing now that the push for spay/neutering was less about dog health and more about irresponsible dog owners and unwanted puppies. 

I didn't get my cockapoo spayed until she was 7 years old, and she is very much on the small side (for a cockapoo) at 16.5 lbs. My groomer actually questioned if she was actually a cockapoo because she's so little compared to most. Our previous cockapoo was also a cocker/toy poodle mix spayed at 6 months old. She was about 22 lbs in her prime and definitely a taller dog. My father and his neutered dachshund came to live with us when Shady was 5 years old. After 3 heats, I found the behavior between the two during heat to be unbearably annoying, which is why she was spade at 7 years old. Little did I know that my father, then his dog would pass within a year after that. However, with another male dog in the house and another bitch, it's still probably for the best that Shady is spade.


----------



## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

I would still consider 7 months an early neuter. Anything pre-maturity would be too early for my tastes. A vast majority of dogs I know who have been neutered before 1 year and leggy and butt high (in breeds where that isn't desirable  ). 

I definitely agree that it seems silly to subject a dog to anaesthesia twice. I can tell you Nino has been in close proximity to bitches in season a good handful of times. Still has yet to father a litter  It is all about proper management and general awareness.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Askavi said:


> It seems more and more of this kind of information has been made available recently. My breeder was very adamant about not neutering before 10 months old with Raffy, and he was just about 10 1/2 months old when we did it. I likely would have waited another year until he was fully mature, had I been more aware of these health concerns. When I got Sassy, my breeder asked me to wait until she was at least a year old to spay her. I assume she requested I wait longer due to more, and new information about it, such as this article. Since Raffy is already neutered, I may not spay Sassy at all (I will also not breed her) since there's NEVER an occasion for her to get accidentally pregnant. I am realizing now that the push for spay/neutering was less about dog health and more about irresponsible dog owners and unwanted puppies.
> 
> I didn't get my cockapoo spayed until she was 7 years old, and she is very much on the small side (for a cockapoo) at 16.5 lbs. My groomer actually questioned if she was actually a cockapoo because she's so little compared to most. Our previous cockapoo was also a cocker/toy poodle mix spayed at 6 months old. She was about 22 lbs in her prime and definitely a taller dog. My father and his neutered dachshund came to live with us when Shady was 5 years old. After 3 heats, I found the behavior between the two during heat to be unbearably annoying, which is why she was spade at 7 years old. Little did I know that my father, then his dog would pass within a year after that. However, with another male dog in the house and another bitch, it's still probably for the best that Shady is spade.


Well, you can wait too long to spay a girl too. I'm not sure there is a good reason (health-wise) to neuter a male, but females are at quite serious risk from pyo as they get older, if left intact. I have several friends who have almost lost girls to pyo, and a couple who have lost them. It's not a pleasant way to go. My vet feels that you are fairly safe putting off spaying until they are around six years old. At that point, unless they are a breeding bitch, and you think you are going to have one more litter, they are better off spayed.

Oh, and even an ovariectomy protects them from pyo... they don't necessarily need to have the uterus removed.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

KarMar said:


> I would still consider 7 months an early neuter. Anything pre-maturity would be too early for my tastes. A vast majority of dogs I know who have been neutered before 1 year and leggy and butt high (in breeds where that isn't desirable  ).
> 
> I definitely agree that it seems silly to subject a dog to anaesthesia twice. I can tell you Nino has been in close proximity to bitches in season a good handful of times. Still has yet to father a litter  It is all about proper management and general awareness.


Kodi has tried several times, even though he doesn't have the proper equipment! :laugh:

And I agree, NOWADAYS, I think 7 months is "early" neuter too... but it's NOTHING like the REALLY early spay/neuters some shelters do! They do little, tiny, barely weaned puppies!


----------

