fotobridget Posted February 6, 2007 Report Share Posted February 6, 2007 Hi, This is my first post on this forum! I recently rescued a beautiful little BC female (she's now about 12 weeks old and 10 lbs even)from a county humane society. They gave me a certificate for half off of spaying--if done by FEB 20. That would put her at only about 15 weeks. The other BCs I have owned (both male, several years ago) I had neutered at 6 mths and 11 mths. What is an optimum spaying age for females? I am very leary of anesthesia for such a little dog, and she has an icky case of ringworm (from being held in a pen at the shelter with three litters of puppies for a total of 16 dogs in all) that we are treating and I know she just doesn't feel good. Should I just forget the certificate and wait until she is older? If so, when is the best age? ON another question? Does anyone else's puppy/dog want burped when having the hiccups? Or is it just my baby? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coloradogirl Posted February 6, 2007 Report Share Posted February 6, 2007 My vet will spay a pup at 3 mo. old. Humane society will spay at 2 mo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted February 6, 2007 Report Share Posted February 6, 2007 Welcome, and thanks for rescuing! I'd wait until she was 6-7 months old to spay. You should still be able to avoid her first heat cycle doing it at that age. I know plenty of places do it quite early, but if she's got some health issues, I'd choose to wait a few months I personally choose to wait until 18 months to spay/neuter if I have the choice as I've read conflicting reports on spay/neuter affecting mental/pyhsical development. BUT, I'm also able to keep close tabs on my dogs so they're not having/causing unwanted litters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar Posted February 6, 2007 Report Share Posted February 6, 2007 I know lots of people (especially rescues/shelters) are spaying earlier (like 2-3 months, before being adopted). It used to be that 6 months was the traditional age for spaying. Regardless, I wouldn't consider spaying until your pup is healthy. I don't think vets will even agree to do it unless the dog is 100% healthy. (We had to put off Zeeke's neuter for a month or two because of his health issues - and he was a eyar old.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat's Dogs Posted February 6, 2007 Report Share Posted February 6, 2007 You CAN spay very early, but it is strongly recommended to wait until around 6-7 months as Maralynn already said. Most rescues do early spays just to get it done before pups go home, not as much because that is the time it should be done for every dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoku's mum Posted February 6, 2007 Report Share Posted February 6, 2007 Maybe you should talk to the shelter folks, explain your concerns about her health, and have them extend the certificate. As long as you get her done before her first heat, don't know why they would have a problem with it. Good luck, and welcome to the boards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
border_collie_crazy Posted February 6, 2007 Report Share Posted February 6, 2007 I personly prefere to wait till 6-8 months..that is actually how I wound up with Electra lol the breeder belives in early spay/neuter ,I dont, so I wound up with a co-owned show/breeding prospect, this way neither of us would be uncomfortable with the situation lol basilcy I think that if you are uncomfortable with early spay then you should hold off till she is a little older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth G Posted February 6, 2007 Report Share Posted February 6, 2007 I had both my pups fixed at 4 mos but now wish I had waited, as I'm hearing that early spay/neuter can have alot of risks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaisingRiver Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 I waited until 9 months, no heat cycle. It was to wait for healthy growth issues since I knew I was doing agility with River. If you can afford to not use the certificate or there are other alternatives to reduced cost spay in your area (see the other current thread on Spaying for ideas) then I'd recommend waiting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r b m Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 6 months... Incontinence is one of many problems that can happen if you spay too early. A friend of mine adopted a dog and was required to spay too early and it has this condition now. Although it's somewhat treatable, she was crushed. I'd wait, it only makes sense to let your dog grow a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BustopherJones Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 Our vet recommends that the optimum spaying age is usually between 5 and 6 months, although some dogs need to wait until the 7th month. The best bet is to ask your vet, as the optimum age may vary from dog to dog; but 5 to 7 months seems to be pretty much the consensus. Incidentally, if you would like another female BC, DW has one available for adoption; and she is already spayed and housebroken. Of course, Annie and I are not too enthused about the idea... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna frankland (uk) Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 i have let both my bitches get well grown, brighid is coming up for 2 this summer and will be spayed in may. however, i am lucky with regards to the lack of straying romeos near me, and i can walk late and not meet anyone whilst the girls are in season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSnappy Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 Originally posted by r b m:6 months... Incontinence is one of many problems that can happen if you spay too early. Incontinence is actually a problem that can happen in all spayed females, not just early neuters. Of my four dogs, two were done at 4 months including my agility dog who is going on 7 and still healthy as a horse. I keep hearing that early neuter males grow abnormally tall, so I figure Tweed was destined to be a midget as he is a short dog! Red Dog was two when I neutered him; he is now 10. I don't know when Mr. Woo was neutered as he came that way. We have been doing pediatric neuters in all of our rescues for years and have seen no ill effects in any of them, some of them are now 5 years old and more. And I wish all shelters would do it as well. Most of ours do. Having said that, I would not put a ringworm afflicted puppy under anasthesia and I am sure most vets would not recommend doing so either. I am sure if you spoke with your vet they would happily give you a note for the shelter explaining why the pup should wait to be neutered. ETA: the pediatrics we neuter are running around the minute they get home and recover MUCH faster than the adults we neuter, especially females, who appear to be in some measure of pain for several days. RDM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK dog doc Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 There's actually no proof that spaying too early causes urinary incontinenece. The BF's dog has it and she was spayed at almost 2 years. I've seen it in dogs spayed at all ages, and seen dogs spayed at all ages who never develop it. In female dogs, it nearly always responds well to medication - at least in my hands. (Male dogs can be more challenging, but in them it's typically a different mechanism and unrelated to the neuter.) That said, I *generally* don't personally advise that my clients spay before six months unless they have to (for instance if there's a conrtract, as for certain Animal Control groups, which requires that it be done by a certain time.) Locally, if someone adopts from Animal Control and the vet deems it too early to spay, we can write a letter to AC and tell them that for medical reasons we should wait; AC will accept that, and any discounts will still apply SO LONG AS the dog is spayed by the time we state is medically advisable. You might see if that option exists for you. (As a BTW, it is quite important as population control to be sure that people DO spay/neuter most animals, so there IS a very good reason why shelters want it done young.) If you do have to spay earlier than you would prefer, there MIGHT be some long-term concerns - or there might not. In any individual dog, it's impossible to predict if we'll later wish we'd made a different choice. Spaying prior to puberty CAN alter growth plate closure. Whether or not that will significantly change the skeletal development (as in, change it in some way with negative consequences), no one can know beforehand. Many people prefer to spay or neuter when the dog's skeletal growth is nearly complete, to minimize any changes. (Personally, I also prefer to wait on anesthetizing animals until they're slightly more mature. That may just be me, though. Certinly I used to do MANY pediatric spays and neuters when I lived in CA, and the only one that arrested I suspect died of other causes than anesthesia. But it made me a little cautious.) JMO, of course. Oh, and good for you for rescuing, and I hope you and your dog have MANY happy years together! Welcome to the boards. ETA: Ooops. RDM posted the right info on the spay/neuter before I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSnappy Posted February 7, 2007 Report Share Posted February 7, 2007 The only dog we lost under spay surgery was an adult female. That was heartbreaking, as she was my foster dog. She just didn't wake up and her heart stopped. Rip Catie Belle. But we have neutered hundreds upon hundreds of dogs! The pups have all recovered so ridiculously fast I was amazed. We did have one female puppy that took a day or so, but she was unusual. Recently we tried to have a three month old pup neutered and the new vet we were trying out wouldn't do it. So we went back to our usual vet who told us that they only do pediatrics for us and for the SPCA. RDM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy2006 Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 My vet would not spay at least until 4 mo preferrably 5 mo. won't neuter until 4 mo our male puppy The only dog we lost under spay surgery was an adult female. That was heartbreaking, as she was my foster dog. She just didn't wake up and her heart stopped. Rip Catie Belle. But we have neutered hundreds upon hundreds of dogs! The pups have all recovered so ridiculously fast I was amazed. We did have one female puppy that took a day or so, but she was unusual. Recently we tried to have a three month old pup neutered and the new vet we were trying out wouldn't do it. So we went back to our usual vet who told us that they only do pediatrics for us and for the SPCA. RDM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.