Do I Spay A Dog Before Or After Her First Season?

[anthro-nerd]

Vets say before, my sister (dog trainer) says after.

Before, less chance of developing cancers etc.
After, a more hormonally balanced dog.

Do anyone else have any more insight? (Yes this is regarding the new puppy!)

[anthro-nerd]

Does anyone have any experience with this please?

[Peter Pedant]

yeah if you pay the vet five guineas and the dog trainer thruppence ( or a cup of tea and cheese n pickle sarnie)
I would go with the vets advice
anyway - is your sista gonna do the spaying or the vet ?

[seekeerz]

Those of ours that we've spayed, it's always been after the first season and our vets have always been quite ok with this.

Good luck with your new baby :))

[wolf63]

I believe that this is an area where even vets don't agree. Many say before a d many say after. There is no right or wrong. I would go with what the vet says.

[Islay]

We were told by our vets after the first season to ensure that everything is 'working'!
Is your male minus his bits?

[anthro-nerd]

Mmm yes, there is such conflicting advice on the internet, and trusting the vet seems the most logical! PP very true!

Islay, yes he is (poor fella!). But I organise group dogs walks where we have several full males... so it would mean her missing out on those for a while. No risk of puppies when at home though!

[Islay]

Go with the vet - he is after all the one that studed for years - all vets differ but at the end of the day we are talking about 10 weeks.
Get her done sooner so she can enjoy the walks

[bhg481]

Just every now and again a typo crops up that has to be commented on:
Islay //Go with the vet - he is after all the one that studed for years//

I assume you meant to type "studied" - the thought of the vet acting as a stud is quite amusing.

[Islay]

Depends on the vet of course!

[shoota]

My vote goes to when she is 2 years old, 18 months at least.
Until then she is not fully grown and developed and her growth can be stunted and her coat affected.

[Tilly2]

Our vet told us that Tilly could be spayed before her first season. We took her in to have it done and when the vet examined her, he said we were all too late, as she was having her first season. So, we took her home again. :-)

[hereIam]

I would do it after her first season, this is what I have done in the past on a vet's advice.

[anthro-nerd]

I spoke to her previous owners during my lunch break, as they've asked to stay in touch. They said their vet recommended to get it done sooner rather than later, so if I'm honest I'm leaning towards that. Plus she's just settling in, so if we get it all done and out of the way, then she can just focus of growing up and loving life - without males dogs sniffing her bits too much!!

I'm not worried about stunting her growth if I'm honest... terriers don't know they're small! And her purpose in life is to have fun and explore, not to compete.

[pixie374]

We were always told after the first season and had no obvious problems with that. Official advice may have changed by now, of course...as it does :-)

[lankeela]

Definitely do not do before fully grown or you will end up with endless problems caused by lack of hormone development. Of course vets want you to do it sooner so they get your money before you have a chance to move away and they lose out. Behavioural and growth problems plus possible incontinence are all consequences. Yes it could prevent mammary tumours in later life but they would not occur till much later and do not start growing at around six months.

[lankeela]

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/health-risks-of-early-spay-neuter/

[shoota]

What Lanky says...

[Radioman49]

I have a 7 month old female Jack Russell. We were advised to perhaps let her have just one season and then have her done. It's meant to be hormonally better for a female. Dog trainer advised this too. If you have them done prior to the first season, I'm told they can retain a lot of puppy traits and behaviours. Good perhaps to let them get their bodies hormonally balanced first! I know some people including vet's and dog trainers have mixed views.. I hope my comments help.