When to neuter/spay?

[Rob]

Now i have a female, i'm obviously running the risk of an accidental litter at some point in the future so i need to start thinking about preventing it happening, as the way the house is set out seperating them would be a pain. I'm obviously going to talk to our vet but i thought i'd ask you lot for some advice too as there's alot of conflicting info out there. Whats a good age to get them done? should i do both dogs? i never planned on getting Ice done as there's been no reason to as of yet but circumstances have changed now.

Cheers.

[Hyshqa]

I'd get them both done if it were me. I've heard neutering males mellows them out (it'll stop him going so crazy at unspayed females out and about anyway!), plus it reduces the chance of him getting certain cancers later on in life. It also means you don't have to be so quick at getting your female done - you can get Ice done now and not have to worry. That means you could let your female have her first season if you want and you won't have to worry about unwanted puppies!

[Stargirl]

Glad you brought this one up!

Kodi is six months now and lots have advised to get him neutered . I did however meet a mal owner whose dog put on tons of weight after it, does it really change them that much?

I am thinking of getting another, probably female in the future so from that perspective it would be best if I had him done.

[SarahNukka&Shadow]

Yep agree with Steph, would get Ice fixed within the next couple of months and let your girl have a season or even two before you fix her.

[SarahNukka&Shadow]

Glad you brought this one up!

Kodi is six months now and lots have advised to get him neutered . I did however meet a mal owner whose dog put on tons of weight after it, does it really change them that much?

I am thinking of getting another, probably female in the future so from that perspective it would be best if I had him done.

Fixing a dog calms them down so makes them move about less, this is why people think it makes them fat, actually it doesnt it just means you need to make them move by taking them out and playing with them etc and if your really worried about weight gain maybe feed them a little less.

6 months is young to fix any dog I would wait till hes closer to a year old, this also works in your favour when getting a second dog, waiting till your existing dog is at a good training level and bonded with you before bringing another dog onto the sene.

[Staceybob]

I used to work at a vets, so I will give you the general lingo:

When to Neuter a boy: Boys can be neutered when the testicles have fully dropped. This is normally around 7 months old.

Pros:

• Can in some cases reduce aggression/hyperactivity. This is commonly told but it's actually a minority that do have that effect.
• Can't get Testicular Cancer which is increasingly common.
• Less likely to scent mark around your house.
• No Prostate Problems.
• No Risk of getting a bitch pregnant.
• Can make them less dominant (can reduce humping).

Cons:

• Lack of testosterone can cause a reverse effect. Particularly small dogs have been known to try and be the bigger man because they lack in the dominance of their testicles.
• General Surgery Risks - Risks of General Anaesthetic, Possible infections of the areas.
• They can gain excessive weight.

When to Neuter a girl: Preferably after their first season.

Pros:

• Less likely to suffer from Pyometra which can Kill your dog.
• Can't get Overian Cancer.
• Can't get caught by a male dog / no unplanned puppies.
• No seasons - No Blood to clean up.
• Can stop phantom pregnancies.

Cons:

• It has been known to change a bitches personallity in some cases.
• Can cause drastic weight increase.
• Can cause changes in fur (thickness, texture).
• General Surgery effects - General Anaesthetic risks, possible infections from the surgery.

Theres are not all the pros and cons, but these are the main ones.

The after care in bitches is extremely important. Dogs and bitches generally act like they are over the surgery before they have actually healed. I have seen dogs walk into the vets with sections of their internal body hanging out from them popping their stitches open from running about.

I hope this helps.

Stacey xxx

[Darc-Brittany]

I've read up on the subject a little bit so I will give my input although Staceybob got it bang on.

I didn't want to get my guy fixed, I loved him and his temperament so much that I wanted to have a puppy of his.

He leaked... It's not too common for male dogs to leak excessive amounts but his was bad. After almost 11 months, I got him fixed. Before I moved out of my last place I had to clean everything D: It was gross.

Like Staceybob pointed out, there are more pros than cons so it's always a great idea to get them fixed.

I read that fixing them at certain points in time alters their behaviors in different ways.... Now what book did I read it out of.. *Runs to check* Ugh, it was the Siberian Huskies for Dummies, I believe (I have waaay too many husky books). I can't remember what the different stages were but I'm pretty sure it was suggested that you fix them before a year, might have a little affect on their behavior (most for the better). Fixing them after a year usually doesn't change them too much, from what I read, but that can be a bad thing if they are aggressive in any way because it will not stop that trait if fixed too late.

Females should have their first heat cycle before they get fixed, until that point they are still maturing and going through changes. They say to give them at least one cycle or two, I read a lot that said two.

Edit: Oh yes, and my guy didn't gain any weight what-so-ever. He stayed exactly the same (I was scared he was going to change). Just be careful to calm them down, no heavy exercising or they could rip the stitches open D: They tell you not to exercise them at all for the first couple of days. Might have to put a cone on them to prevent licking to, ha.

That's my input, it seems like almost everyone is on the same page

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

we got blaze neutered at just after 2 years old - it calmed him down dramatically - which was great as he didnt rly like other dogs - now he isnt overly bothered by them - he doesnt jump up as much anymore either - he has put on weight but he needed to anyway he was a skinny thing - we just watch he doesnt eat tooooooo much and get fat - exercise obviously helps - we got him fixed AFTER skyla had her 1st season - it was easy with them skyla was never ready to stand and always told blaze to back off - we just kept an eye on them constantly - my dad slept downstairs too so he could stop them if he needed too - he is a light sleeper

we used bitch spray and tabs from p@h and also gelsium 30c or summin cant remember how to spell it - for blaze - you can get it from boots in the herbel remedy section worked for us and the gelsium stuff worked for jules n her 2 males when her bitch came into season - she reccomended it too me

we wont be gettin skyla fixed till she is around 2 years old and has lost abit of weight cuz i dont want her getting fat and she eats ALOT lol

ETA: Blaze had to wear a cone - but i reccomend the 1s from p@h as they have padding round the edges - the crappy plastic 1s from the vets wrecked the fur around blazes neck (ripped it out) and if he tried to lick it scratched his stiches - with the padded one it didnt - and it was bigger than the vets 1s too which helped keep his tounge away - he didnt wear it on walks because he couldnt sniff stuff as it got in the way

also he swelled up ALOT - dont worry bout that its normal but looks terrible

also blaze was back to normal that same night - and went on a walk that same night too - because he wouldnt go out to pee in the garden he HAD 2 be walked so i took him out on his own to keep him calm but he was fine and knew what he could and couldnt do and wouldnt push himself until he felt he was ok to do so- they really are too clever

[Chewbacca_&_me]

I recommend having the spay done as soon as the vet is willing. I myself am just waiting to have enough cash to get angels spay done,

so we wont have to deal with another heat that is as wicked as the first, and so we wont end up having any pups. I wanted to do it in

hawaii but the vet said $400 so I decided to wait til we got here to Florida. It is cheaper here at the clinic that only does spay and neuter

surgeries but still more than Ive got. Hopefully very soon I can finally get it done lol.

Normally Id say get them spayed slightly before 6 months of age if the vet will do it, but if older do it as soon as you can.

[sutsibe]

I also am a fan of doing it before the first season, if possible, and if you aren't going to show/breed. If a bitch is spayed before her first season, the likelihood of her getting mammary tumors is virtually nil, after one season, it goes up a little, and after 2 seasons, it goes up pretty dramatically. For those who have had bitches that have gone through several cycles, keep an eye on each teat as you're giving belly-rubs! Tumors will at the start feel like hard little balls/pellets in the tissue - very tiny at the beginning! Like any breast cancer, they can be deadly, if not surgically removed (which can be a pretty involved and expensive surgery)!

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

see now i wanna get skyla done asap - we cant afford it atm n shes due in season in a month

i think shes too heavy atm tho dont want her puttin on any more weight

[sutsibe]

I'm lucky - my vet is good about working with me, and will take payments! They know they'll get their money from me... I still want to get a couple of mine done pretty soon, though... Been catching up on the semi-feral cats around here, first, because they aren't as easily controlled, breeding-wise, as my dogs are!

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

need to find out how much she weighs when she goes for her boosters n see if shes just big built or fat lol

[Rob]

I'll have to call in the vets next week and ask when they prefer to do females then, if its after their first season then it looks like Ice goes first. If its before he may escape until i read up about the health pro's and cons for him as tempremant/behaviour wise he's a very chilled out Husky and then decide from there.

[HuskyCouture]

embry was done a litter over 5 months, didn't have any negative effects on him at all.

zoey will be getting done in 2 weeks when she's also a little over 5 months.

i don't see the point in letting them go through heat, but just my choice.

[lyra]

I honestly think it's a bit of a cultural thing. In the U.S. it's VERY common for both dogs and bitches to be done at six months. Males can be done even younger, depending on the vet, and I've heard of some places offering spay/neuter as early as 8 weeks.

From what I've read on the forum, it seems a lot more common in the UK to wait for a heat cycle to pass.

If you're not going to breed or show, I don't really see the point in waiting. I haven't found any compelling arguments for waiting to spay, but it is a personal preference.

We had Lyra done at about 5 1/2 months, and now at 8 months, she's as skinny and active as ever.

[Staceybob]

I personally wouldn't have a bitch done until they were at least over 6 months old. I don't agree with after just 5 months old because it's a large operation to put a small/young dog under, but then I've seen young dogs die from having it done so that could be why.

Stacey xxx

[elenamarie]

Anyone ever heard of growth plates failing to close when a female is spayed too early? The vet said this--yes, the vet I'm gonna kill--and I wonder how accurate it is. He recommends waiting until Sarah is close to a year.

[Staceybob]

I know that spaying dogs too earlier can cause development problems, but I'm not sure of the plates you mentioned.

Stacey xxx

[instant-classic]

My vet (Buckley house in Nottingham) point blank refused to neuter until Sky was at least 12 months old she also said they would prefer to wait until 18 months, i happened to ask one of the other vets there the same question he said 12 months is the youngest he would do it. Not sure if thats just surgery policy or there honest opinion but they have always given good advise before and with other breeds and don't seem to be all about the money, you know we recommend pills pills surgery injections pills.

[elenamarie]

I know that spaying dogs too earlier can cause development problems, but I'm not sure of the plates you mentioned.

Stacey xxx

Assuming it's the same anatomical idea as humans, the growth plates at the end of each bone allow for bone growth through adolescence. When adult size is reached, the plates "close" and the rapidly dividing cells are replaced with normal bone cells. He said that removing hormones from the dog before those plates close can allow the bones to keep growing past what they otherwise would, resulting in a larger dog than she otherwise would be genetically.

[Rob]

Assuming it's the same anatomical idea as humans, the growth plates at the end of each bone allow for bone growth through adolescence. When adult size is reached, the plates "close" and the rapidly dividing cells are replaced with normal bone cells. He said that removing hormones from the dog before those plates close can allow the bones to keep growing past what they otherwise would, resulting in a larger dog than she otherwise would be genetically.

I read about this the other day.................

" A study by Salmeri et al in 1991 (Salmeri et al JAVMA 1991;198:1193-1203) found that bitches spayed at 7 weeks were significantly taller than those spayed at 7 months, and that those spayed at at 7 months had significantly delayed closure of the growth plates than those not spayed (or presumably spayed after the growth plates had closed). The sex hormones close the growth plates, so the bones of dogs or bitches neutered or spayed before puberty continue to grow. This growth frequently results in a dog that does not have the same body proportions as he/she was genetically meant to. For example, if the femur is normal length at 8 months when a dog gets spayed or neutered, but the tibia, which normally stops growing at 12 to 14 months of age continues to grow, then an abnormal angle may develop at the stifle. In addition, with the extra growth, the lower leg below the stifle becomes heavier (because it is longer), causing increased stresses on the cranial cruciate ligament. This is confirmed by a recent study showing that spayed and neutered dogs have a higher incidence of CCL rupture (Slauterbeck JR, Pankratz K, Xu KT, Bozeman SC, Hardy DM. Canine ovariohysterectomy and orchiectomy increases the prevalence of ACL injury. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2004 Dec;(429):301-5)."

It seems no matter what age you decide to have either sex done there's alot of pro's and cons, my brother-in-law has 2 female labs, one just over 2 years old the other is around 3 months old, the older one was spayed after her first season on advice from the vet, , when they took the 2nd pup for her shots the very same vet advised spaying her before her first season. If the vets can't make their minds up how are we supposed to know the best time to have it done.

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

im going by my prefence - blaze was done just after 2 yrs old - skyla will be done the same

[Storm Angel n Auroras Mum]

I have to get Storm neutered now as he is going to stay with Keath in June and don't want him getting into trouble!!!!!!!

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

yeh but u have atleast 4 months b4 u REALLY need to get it done if u dont wanna get it done toooo soon