To spay or not to spay??

Gemma is 10months old now, and hasnt yet had a season.
She is very small for her age.
Should I wait until she has at least one season before spaying her?
When I was younger our females were all spayed at roughly 6months of age.
Will spaying her have ay affect on her? re. her size and growth?

Our vets are having a 10% off nuetering month this month, which prompted my question, dont get me wrong its not that we would only spay her if we could do it cheaply or anything, just put the thought in my head

FWIW I have all my bitches spayed but not before 18 months when their long bones finished growing and growth plates fused etc.

Unless you have some special environmental issues such as no secure garden, an entire male, or children who can let the bitch out without your knowledge, why the rush?

You may be interested in reading some information on the attached link.

One is on the long term effects on neutering males/females; as you will see although the RELATIVE risk of some health conditions may be decreased through neutering, the RELATIVE risks of others may be increased.

the other link concentrates on early neutering in canine athletes ie before six months.

http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongT...uterInDogs.pdf


http://caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html

My vet told me medically it was better to spay before at 6 months. He said it void the chance of mamary tumors which are only about 90% a no with a later spay.
He said some breeders etc like to wait, as apparently an early spayed dog can grow taller and leaner than one spayed later. I have no idea how much truth there is in this - although my dog is indeed lean

Good luck with your choice Have you asked the vet?

Thanks both. SB I will have a read through the links. Im in no real rush to spay her, we have a secure garden, our males are nuetered and im always at home with them so they wont be let out accidentally or anything.

Iv asked the vets, but as will most their opinion is to nueter at 6 months. I was interested in other opinions

Thanks again x

I wouldn`t spay or neuter till a dog is mature.
I also wouldn`t spay or neuter if there were behavioural issues which might be worsened by hormone changes.

We got our bitch speyed before her first season but i wouldn't recommend anyone else does lol! But we have an intact male who can't be done (underneath scarring and unknown history) and I wanted to leave them together, it was also the vet who advised (wrongly?).

However, she's 4 now and never had a health problem, never been to the vets in her life after that Didn't seem to cause any problems with her growth etc. But she is very immature and puppy like and they do say that speying them too early can mean they are puppy like for ever But we love her and we were only doing what we thought was best.

Next time I personally will wait till after the first season. But I will always get my females speyed, they will always be rescues so part and parcel and I understand why xxx

We adopted Mindy (Puggle) three weeks ago & booked her in to be spayed next Thursday. Hoping that everything goes okay, but she has started her first season today. She is only 8 months old and feeling really sorry for herself!!

The vet advised us to have it done as early as possible, to reduce mammary tumors by 90%. My dads dog had mammary tumors, and Ellie suffered sooo much.

So hopefully, we will book her in again mid season in December. Good luck with your choice

Pereg was spayed on 3 September 2009 just after she was eight months old, having had her first season early. She was actually fully grown as far as skeleton size goes, and weighed 13 kilos, just filling out since then [17 kilos in April this year].

Little One was also spayed after her first season, and she was a lot smaller, only getting to ~5.5 kilos.

Neither had any reaction from the spaying nor did they have any behavioral changes after it was done.

I don't see why it really matters which side of the season you do it. If it effected their health vets should prevent the surgery from happening.
Personally i would get her spayed as i have an intact bitch and i wish i had her spayed as it prevents the chance of some cancers, i would be able to walk her more (lots of entire males in my area) and she seems to get very depressed when she's in season (i'm not saying you're dog will though)

It was ten years ago since Molly was neutered. (doesn't time fly)? I remember my dads dog digging a hole in the bed the day after she was spayed, even with the bucket on her head!!!

Mindy has a really strong personality, has anybody else had any personality mishaps with their little girls after having had the operation??

I don't remember Molly having any problems, but she has been such a good little one, I think I will have problems with Mindy. She is into trouble at the best of times!!!!