Spaying

Well would like to open up the debate

Do you have your bitch spayed and if so at what age?

Does younger mean they get over it quicker - younger I mean 2-6 years
Does it reduce the chances of pymotrea?
Did it change their personalities?
Would you do it again?

I ask because although I considered (seriously) having a litter from Sal - I have decided against it mostly because I do not have the time to raise a litter what with working full full time/family/Tess to be considered too.
So rather than have this time where they can't go out I thoght of spaying- it isn't a problem the seasons no stray dogs cluttering my doors etc. No neighbours with dogs being sent crazy.

Opinions please. Karen

Star was spayed at a year

We have the problem of stray dogs roaming about so thats what made me decide to get her done.

No change in her though Carole?

I have had a bitch with closed pymotrea and god was it scary she was really ill. She had to be spayed, an the recovery time was longer. My previous staff bitch was routienly spayed at almost 4 (we also had a dog and it got too much) and she was up and about in a day.

I wonder if we think about it too much these days or if we have too much information.

IMO for what it is worth it is best to wait for 3 months after the season at which you would have considered it moral to breed her. With a short coat you should not notice much difference with coat change but they do get a thicker figure like menopausal women, although it takes a few years, incontinent is rare in medium to small dogs and not common in the larger breeds. It has been reported in pups spayed before the first, some say second, season can suffer from an infantile vulva, it does not develop correctly, and this can cause problems as the dog grows the vulva instead of protruding as normal recedes further back into the surrounding flesh.

Think we do think more about things now days, we care more and do not consider our dogs as just another possession and because of this we worry that we are doing our best for them, because we ask questions and are not fobbed off but the simple answer, scientific papers have become available to us via the internet and other means and we realise that it is in the vets interest to neuter all they can, the more they do the more they become quick and easy work that can be slipped in to fill the space available, sure they are not all like that but over the years I have heard some frightful things including letting the nursing staff have a go to keep them happy.

thanks for bringing this up kazz. Once indie has had her first season i was considering getting her spayed, but am still undecided if this is the best thing to do.

i dont plan to breed from her, but i also see it in the way that an operation seems like a drastic thing to do. Especially when u think about ourselves and how an operation for us wud be a big thing.

My vet says after the 2. season and in the middle between 2 seasons.

For some reason bitches seem to cope well with being spayed providing you leave it till they are mature, of course, the removal of such a large amount of the hormonal system must make some difference by they do seem to cope better than the male, well at least in my experience they do, mind you have never done it before they are 4 years and the only dog I did was only 13 months and I have never forgiven myself but then I think I, and he, may have been unfortunate.

Well, Teagan was spayed a week ago, so I don't think theres time to see if there is any chance in her yet! lol

Saffy was spayed at 6 months old. I did look into it for a good month before I decided.

I will admit that having had her done so early has probably made her a more muscly dog, although she does seem to have continued maturing and I havent encoutered any problems since I had it done a year ago.

I think D is coming into her firt season now.
She will be spayed in 3 months time. (Eeek, poor baby).
I don't even think twice about it, even though we had a bad experience with a previous dog/op. My sister has deliberately got a dog for her new pup, because her last bitch was incontinent of urine for her last 6 months (ever seen a dog in Pampers?!)

Life is full of hard decisions - this is just a canine one.

Not much help; just my opinion/decision.