I know it seems weird because it isn't done there, but the dog came from a Rescue and IMHO, neutering a rescue dog to prevent it breeding is an acceptable reason to spay/neuter early.
I used to work for the vet that serviced our municiple shelter. We spayed/neutered every healthy animal that was adopted as early as 12 weeks. Is is ideal for the dog or cat? No. I don't believe that it is. BUT, I think the chance of the dog ending up pregnant at her first season or getting out and getting hit by a car because he was on the scent of a bitch in heat and of course the problem of animal overpopulation that led us to PTS hundreds of dogs and cats a month at our shelter are bigger issues.

From what I understand, the UK does not have the pet overpopulations problem that we have over here. As another poster has already said, too many people aren't diligent about preventing unwanted pregnancies. Education only goes so far. Animals are dying by the boat load and if Spay/Neuter saves lives, even if done early, its worth it.

Now, I won't do it to my pets, but I'm more responsible than your average pet owner (here) sadly.

Good post! We do have problems in N ireland. There was a big campaign to neuter cats & availibility of kityens this year is much reduced. The little guy we are getting is a 2 hour journey away

One of the things I don't like about many links is they are from sites I know nothing about. Too many people twist data to suit their agenda. At least I know the bias of the the Humane Society. I am afraid the case for early spay/neuter isn't near as strong as they have presented it. Quite often when questions come on when, I suggest going with your vet's recommendation. This is also the AVMA's policy, http://www.avma.org/animal_health/br...r_brochure.asp Again, I know who they are and what their bias might be. You can always find a site backing your viewpoint, but it may or may not be anything anybody should pay any attention to.

The dog guide school puts off spay/neuter until after the puppies return for training after they are a year old. That gives them the option to select any of them as breedign stock. I do know they neutered one male at 6 weeks that was damaged in delivery and could not be used. I really don't remember a problem with intact dogs. Our Raven has now gone 3 weeks since her discharge started and it is gone and the swelling is starting to go down. She was one of the easier females we have had. She remained her usual calm self the whole time.

The assistance dog school makes their breeding selections earlier and has the rest of their puppies fixed by 5 months. Again, I haven't seen any problems.

Neither school sheds much light on the very early spay/neuter question. I can't say I have seen much difference in the 3 puppies we had fixed and the 17 we didn't.

I do like to base my opinions on facts, not my emotional reaction to something. For now, perhaps we need to carefully watch dogs that were spay/neutered very early and see what the long term effects are.

i don't agree with 12 weeks, however i can only go on my own experiences with spaying pre/post season, 4 bitches between 4 and 6 2 done before, 2 done after i have noticed no differnce in behaviour and no health problems, given a choice i will go for before every time, and to add the only one who's coat has gone haywire is one of the ones done after her season

Tupacs I am the same - I worked with a vet who one day had a client in with a litter of 2-3 day old pups wanting me to assist with docking their tails and I refused and walked out - would have done the same with esn too.

Labman, Why do you not like to use your emotional reaction? This is a doglovers forum therefore people expect emotion and you do come across as an automoton

It was not meant to cause offence, it is simply a stance from a Humane society, for whatever reason the fact is the same, if they deemed it cruel , they would not advocate it.

My other link talks of the possible negatives.

I can't imagine many vets over here going ahead with such a procedure at such a young age, but obviously in other Countries rightly or wrongly, it happens .

Might I add that I do not like the idea myself.

IMO that is far too early, I believe that a dog should be able to fully mature in mind and body before being spayed/neutered, also I heard a question the other day, which I believe a good question, if it was a woman who has been sterlised, or some going through the menopause take HRT because of different symptoms that they get, how come with dogs they don't get any treatment after being spayed or neutered?

Now now JB that isn't part of this topic is it .

I'm with this post. I've read lots of 'for' and 'against' reserach and there appears mixed reports from both - but I guess its so difficult to tell what a puppy would have been had it been (or not been) neutered at an early age.

As others have said, gut feeling is that its wrong as their bodies have not yet matured, but there doesn't seem to be definitive data to absolutely prove this.

Balanced against this is the number of unwanted dogs. Yes the rescue should be able to trust the people they let have a rescue pup, but they don't always have the resource to make the thorough checks a breeder would do - nor to follow the pup through its life to make sure that it is neutered at an appropriate time.

It shouldn't have to fall on the rescues to make these kind of decisions, but it does. Faced with the choice of having to neuter a 12 week old pup or the possibility of having to pts the litters it produces over the course of its life because there aren't enough homes, I know which I would prefer to do (unless and until it becomes certain that it is unhealthy to neuter at such a young age).

Then again, I don't think there should be the need for breeders neutering so early (unless and until the benefits are clearly seen to outweigh the potential negatives). Breeders should be able to keep track of every single puppy they have bred and to make sure that the owners do not let the dog have an unplanned/inappropriate litter.

I can only comment on what i have seen with my own dogs but with both my unspayed girls i can see a differnce after each season. Ela has just had her 4th season and she has really matured and filled out, since the season she has become much more confident within herself and will now stand up for herself with my other two dogs.

Raina aslo after her first season has filled out and looks less like a puppy and more like a bitch. I am sure some of this is just 'growing up' but i am sure that hormones play a huge part in this. By spaying so early they are IMHO preventing these dogs from fully maturing.

Hi WW I appreciate it was not meant to cause offence and none was taken.

quoting HSUSA..
I would say HSUSA is taking a stand point on this issue for 'the grater good' in other words which policy will benefit the maximum number of dogs in a country where there is a problem of overpopulation by unwanted pets and eliminating the ability for an animal to reproduce takes precedence over other consideration.

I also appreciate that for many rescues the only way to ensure a dog is not bred from is to have it neutered/spayed before it is re homed because that may be the only way they can be sure the procedure will be carried out.

The subject progressed onto the topic of the safety and advisability of early spaying in general rather than just from the perspective of rescues and for me I would always wait until a bitch had matured sufficiently before having her spayed for the reasons I have outlined in my previous post.

http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php...47#post1988747

One thing I didn't mention, Fudgely says her vet advised having Fudge spayed at 5 month. As many bitches come into season for the first time at 6 months I would be concerned about spaying just before a season unless I really had to (again thinking of rescues here) . Vets I have spoken to have always said it is best to wait to spay until mid way between seasons, not before or during because this may lead to excessive bleeding, also waiting until midway between seasons gives the hormones a chance to settle down.

I guess vets vary in their opinions and some may be over cautious. For me giving a bitch a general anaesthetic and having a major operation is in itself a risk and if there are any steps I can take to minimise that risk I will do it.

Most of us here are not rescues with hundreds of unwanted dogs to worry about where operations may be routine and consequences sad but acceptable in the circumstances, we are pet owners often with puppies we have waited a long time to own and we want the very best for our dogs.