Spaying. Before or after 1st season??

Hi all,

Im just wondering how many of you believe you should wait until a bitch has had her first season before spaying her and how many of you believe, waiting until after her 1st makes no difference what so ever?

I have no experience either way so would be grateful for your opinions

i havent voted as i dont know either which is best but would like to know!

I say after, gives her body time to mature and settle after her first season.

I voted for after the first season only as there is some controversy over early (pre-first heat) spay related incontinence.
However spaying before the first heat cycle vastly reduces the chance of the dog developing mammary tumours and some other cancers.

The US has a terrible rate of stray dogs and cats that are euthanized every year just in the city and county shelters (between 6-9 million a year depending on whos statisitcs you read) which is mostly due to irresponsible owners not spaying and neutering their pets. The shelters there now will spay and neuter them as young as 8 weeks old.

I voted for before first season, but only from my own experience. Saffy was spayed at 6 months, mainly due to us owning an intact male. We have never encountered any adverse effects other than a tendency to put on weight, but this is easily controlled.

Star was spayed at about 1 year old before her first season. Ive not had any problems at all with her being spayed before a season. Still got plenty of energy and weight has stayed under control.

Hi Kristina I think to some extent it will depend on your Vet, many like to do it no sooner than three months from the start of the first season ..that is mid way between seasons when the hormones are at their least active, though many Vets are now choosing to do it before the first season.

For hormone reasons it is not a good idea to do it just before a first season and you can't be sure when that is so you are looking at 4/5 months old.

The breed may also be taken into consideration, larger breeds mature later, some have later seasons and some breeds are more prone to mammary tumors.

I think you need to talk to your vet, that is what I will do next time ...

Mollie and Tara were spayed before their first season, Gypsy after her first season, and can honestly say there is no difference in them at all...

yes I would wait, untill First season.... thats what Ive always Done....Not sure What we are Going to do with meg, Yet.... She Is Dule Registered...With papers...the breader Asked me to keep the line Going...and Yet somone Told me I should have her Spayed now....so like you i,ll be intrested.
Julie

My vets say they like to spay before the first season if you dont intend to breed because it reduces the risk of cancers etc so much. Also they say it makes no difference to the behaviour of the dog and that its basically a personal preference as to whether or not i wait for her first season. As i have no experience i was just curious as to everyone else's personal preference and opinions.

In an ideal world i would just LOVE to have a litter of pups but i know that time, work and money will not allow it for the next couple of years and by then we will be thinking seriously about having kids and to be honest I dont think i could cope with a newborn baby and several little newborn furbabies! Plus i would probably get way too attached and want to keep them all!!!! So for everyone (including my other dog who has been castrated anyway - it will drive him mad when she has a season ) i will have to get her done.