# To spay or not spay



## Den&Barb (Dec 6, 2013)

Ginger was scheduled for spay surgery on Friday but now we are having second thoughts. We never were completely convinced it was better for her to do this and after watching Dr. Becker's video on "The Truth About Spaying and Neutering" we are definitely canceling the surgery for now, at least. Sure would like to hear other opinions, (based on facts, preferably).


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## Deacon Blues (Nov 22, 2013)

Thank you for posting this; I am in the midst of researching this for my pup in the Seattle area and it has been extremely disheartening. After a dozen phone calls Friday and Saturday I was only able to locate one veterinary facility that can even do an laproscopic ovariectomy - much less a canine tubal ligation.

The veterinarians that I talked to were very frank; they do what they learned in vet school.


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## RitaandRiley (Feb 27, 2012)

My thoughts are; you can always DO it, you can't UNDO it. Has anyone checked with vet schools?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I would not want to deal with an intact dog forever. However, I WOULD delay neuter/spay until after their first birthday, and for the girls, I'd want an ovarectomy, even if I had to pay more for the (simpler) procedure.


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## Dalston (Jan 22, 2014)

I am so glad I found this thread. As we had to sign a desexing contract with the breeder when we got Dalston and our Vet and most people here in Australia recommended to us neutering him at 5-6 months old. It doesn't feel right for me. There is even a discount in the lifelong registration with the council for neutered dogs, and you have to register them at 6 months...
After this thread I made the decision to wait until he is 12months old and fully grown. 
I can't see a disadvantage of waiting that little bit longer, just in case it's true that there are health risks.
It's always hard to make the right decisions but I think we feel more comfortable personally to wait a little longer.
Thanks everyone for sharing!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Dalston said:


> I am so glad I found this thread. As we had to sign a desexing contract with the breeder when we got Dalston and our Vet and most people here in Australia recommended to us neutering him at 5-6 months old. It doesn't feel right for me. There is even a discount in the lifelong registration with the council for neutered dogs, and you have to register them at 6 months...
> After this thread I made the decision to wait until he is 12months old and fully grown.
> I can't see a disadvantage of waiting that little bit longer, just in case it's true that there are health risks.
> It's always hard to make the right decisions but I think we feel more comfortable personally to wait a little longer.
> Thanks everyone for sharing!


I WOULD talk to your breeder though. I think most caring breeders would be happy to know you are that concerned about your puppy's long term health, and would support later neutering IF THEY ARE ASSURED that you will make sure that no unplanned pregnancies result!


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

Den&Barb said:


> Ginger was scheduled for spay surgery on Friday but now we are having second thoughts. We never were completely convinced it was better for her to do this and after watching Dr. Becker's video on "The Truth About Spaying and Neutering" we are definitely canceling the surgery for now, at least. Sure would like to hear other opinions, (based on facts, preferably).
> Dr. Becker: The Truth About Spaying and Neutering - YouTube


Hi, Den&Barb. Have a look at the thread "Neutering/Zeutering", there's long debate there that you might find useful?


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## Miss Rosa (Jan 22, 2014)

*Spay or neuter is better in my opinion.*

I understand it can be hard to have your pet spayed or neutered, but unless you're are planning to breed them, in my opinion it is better for them to be spayed or neutered. Especially before they mature. I think this helps calm down an animal. For females it is better for them so hopefully you don't have to worry about unexpected booboos and the males tend to not stray as much. Many times if you get a rescued pet they are fixed and chipped. I have found it they have a good disposition it's even better.


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

Miss Rosa said:


> I understand it can be hard to have your pet spayed or neutered, but unless you're are planning to breed them, in my opinion it is better for them to be spayed or neutered. Especially before they mature. I think this helps calm down an animal. For females it is better for them so hopefully you don't have to worry about unexpected booboos and the males tend to not stray as much. Many times if you get a rescued pet they are fixed and chipped. I have found it they have a good disposition it's even better.


What's important is to look at the evidence and evaluate what is best from that; there's some interesting recent data that suggests that a bitch should not be spayed until after her 6th birthday; I haven't checked it out properly, but I think someone posted something about it on this forum. Maybe it was me! Anyway, we need to look at statistics rather than go on instinct; it's difficult, because there is a lot of conflicting stuff out there, and vets don't necessarily keep up with cutting-edge science. Much of the current thinking is driven by rescue centres who understandably neuter all dogs that come to them as a matter of course. And it would certainly be important for anyone unable or unwilling to manage seasons in bitches, or dogs' roaming tendencies. A very big subject with a minefield to navigate.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

My personal opinion, after doing much research, is to wait until the dog is a little older grown to spay, for us..we waited til Gucci was around 2-2.5 years old. The hormones are essential to bone growth and organ development, and the data that I was running into, is that by waiting til' after she had a few heats, I would decrease her risk of various bone disorders or deformities, arthritis and a few other things. I will say that taking care of a dog in heat is no fun and a lot of work, you really have to watch them all the time to make sure there aren't any accidental pregnancies, but also, the data I was reading was saying the longer you wait…the chances of various cancers increases, especially reproductive cancers.

A downside, The spay was harder on her as far as recovery than it would've been had we done it when she was a puppy, she was in a lot of pain, but my girl does not do pain well, she's a bit of a drama queen with even gas pains.

I'm glad she is now spayed and we don't have to deal with the cycles, and I feel good that I waited until she was older and more developed. I sort of paralleled it to doing a hysterectomy on a 12 year old human and how that would effect her becoming a woman and the essential hormones that assist in your body development. There is also some statistics out there that suggest that early spay/neuter can increase the chance of allergies and autoimmune disorders. She doesn't have any food allergies or sensitivities, just sneezes quite a bit when the pollen is very high ..just like I do 

Kara


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