# Spaying age?



## nanatotwo (Dec 21, 2008)

Hello again,
I am struggling a bit with my decision as to when to spay Piper. Some say, wait till after her first heat then other are saying do it before then. I've heard both sides of the argruement and see both sides so I really don't know what to do, so I came here to ask 
Thanks.


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

I understand what you're going through. That's exactly where I was when it was time to decide when to have Tori done. She was spayed at 9, almost 10 mos., old. She hadn't had her 1st heat but, I was trying to get as close to it as possible without having to deal with her going through it. After talking with several of the breeders here (Tori's breeder included) and weighing their input, it helped me make the decision I did. 

Good luck w/your decision. I know it's not easy.


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## nanatotwo (Dec 21, 2008)

Leslie could you tell me more as to how/why you chose to do it the way you did.....your reasoning?
Thanks, I'm looking forward to hearing what others have to say.


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## AgilityHav (Aug 20, 2007)

Personally, when our pet puppies go home we require that they are spayed by 9 months. This is generally before their first season. We show and breed our girls so they are not spayed, and let me tell you, if you don't have to deal with a season, that’s great! From talking with every vet I know, there is no real benefit to the dog to wait until after they have had a season to spay them. It will be more comfortable for the both of you! The poor girls, when they are in season, you can tell they have "pms" they are grouchier, and seem crampy at times. Its also kind of messy, so if you don't have to deal with it, I wouldn’t. As long as you feel it is safe for her to go under anesthesia, I would do it around 9 months.

Natasha


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Smarty was not spayed until after her first heat and her 1st birthday. Galen, our rescue, at 5 months. My DD's pound puppy was done at 6 weeks! All are fine at the ages now, but we have no idea what the future will hold for them.

Talk to your vet or research on line to find your comfort time. Good Luck


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## nanatotwo (Dec 21, 2008)

Well hmmmm, I guess 9 months sounds good. Is there a way of knowing she is getting close? My vet said she could come in anytime after 5 months? As for the anesthesia worries, that will always be with me ( and Piper ) till she is home safe and sound.
There is just no definitive answer here so I'll try and get it done before her first season. I really don't want the mess to be honest.
Thanks everyone.


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

I had both of my girls done at 6 months. I had heard that they could come into heat as early as six months and I didn't want to have to deal with a dog in heat. With our first Hav, we had a vacation planned and I didn't want her to come into heat while we were traveling with her. I had our second Hav spayed at about the same age for pretty much the same reasons. They both did fine and continue to be fine. If I had it to do over again, I might wait a little longer but I'd do it before they were a year old, regardless.


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## onemoreokie (Jul 21, 2009)

Chloe just got spayed yesterday at 22 weeks (5 1/2 mo) per the vets recomendation.
She was a little out of it last night but today is acting like nothing happened. She is back to her crazy ways and only has 2 sutures. The incision is extremely small.
They also got all her ear hair cleaned out and clipped those nails while she was anesthetized. 

I was a little worried but I'm glad all the puppy shots and this are finished.


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

This is taken from a report titled: _Long-Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay / Neuter in Dogs by Laura J. Sanborn, M.S._

I'd be happy to share the entire 12 page report with anyone who is interested.

_Dog owners in America are frequently advised to spay/neuter their dogs for health reasons. A number of 
health benefits are cited, yet evidence is usually not cited to support the alleged health benefits.

When discussing the health impacts of spay/neuter, health risks are often not mentioned. At times, some 
risks are mentioned, but the most severe risks usually are not.

This article is an attempt to summarize the long-term health risks and benefits associated with spay/neuter 
in dogs that can be found in the veterinary medical literature. This article will not discuss the impact of 
spay/neuter on population control, or the impact of spay/neuter on behavior.

Nearly all of the health risks and benefits summarized in this article are findings from retrospective 
epidemiological research studies of dogs, which examine potential associations by looking backwards in 
time. A few are from prospective research studies, which examine potential associations by looking forward 
in time._

_For female dogs, [she discusses males, too, but for this thread I only included females] the situation is more complex. The number of health benefits associated with spaying may 
exceed the associated health problems in some (not all) cases. On balance, whether spaying improves the 
odds of overall good health or degrades them probably depends on the age of the female dog and the 
relative risk of various diseases in the different breeds.

On the positive side, spaying female dogs 
• if done before 2.5 years of age, greatly reduces the risk of mammary tumors, the most common 
malignant tumors in female dogs 
• nearly eliminates the risk of pyometra, which otherwise would affect about 23% of intact female 
dogs; pyometra kills about 1% of intact female dogs 
• reduces the risk of perianal fistulas 
• removes the very small risk (≤0.5%) from uterine, cervical, and ovarian tumors

On the negative side, spaying female dogs 
• if done before 1 year of age, significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer); this is a 
common cancer in larger breeds with a poor prognosis 
• increases the risk of splenic hemangiosarcoma by a factor of 2.2 and cardiac hemangiosarcoma by 
a factor of >5; this is a common cancer and major cause of death in some breeds 
• triples the risk of hypothyroidism 
• increases the risk of obesity by a factor of 1.6-2, a common health problem in dogs with many 
associated health problems 
• causes urinary "spay incontinence" in 4-20% of female dogs 
• increases the risk of persistent or recurring urinary tract infections by a factor of 3-4 
• increases the risk of recessed vulva, vaginal dermatitis, and vaginitis, especially for female dogs 
spayed before puberty 
• doubles the small risk (<1%) of urinary tract tumors 
• increases the risk of orthopedic disorders 
• increases the risk of adverse reactions to vaccinations_

_*One thing is clear - much of the spay/neuter information that is available to the public is unbalanced and 
contains claims that are exaggerated or unsupported by evidence.*_


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## AKathy (Mar 15, 2008)

Stella was spayed at 6 months per our vet's recommendation. She did great.


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## AgilityHav (Aug 20, 2007)

Just keep in mind that there are alot of people who are on differnt sides of the early spay/nueter laws that will bend reality to serve their means. This appears to be the case in that article, as those numbers for some of the side affects seem *extremly* off base. The number of vets who support spaying young dogs would be *much* less than it is if these problems were as common as this person claims(and keep in mind that is a M.S. after the name, not a DVM.........)


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