Spaying ??

[jaycee]

I guess it depends on who you listen to. My vet and "expert" breeders I know say before the first heat. ( talking about females , not males- 2years for males)

The reason vets suggest before the first heat , is that for some reason or other is, that it is much easier to do, and they then charge more to spay an older dog.

[Dakota Creek]

[QUOTE=Sharon;1018175]My vet and "expert" breeders I know say before the first heat. ( talking about females , not males- 2years for males) .....

This had been the predominant thinking but many are now realizing the importance of those hormones to the completion of proper growth structure vs the chances of mammary cancer.

Coincidently this article came thru this morning ..... a study by UC Davis targeted at goldens but labs are mentioned as well and references both spays and neuters - http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites...etrievers.aspx

[duckslayer]

I've had 3 females spayed- not a scientific sample ) and both recovered quickly in a week or so and I noticed no behavioural changes.

( It is always best to spay a female before their first heat. Reduces the chance of mammary cancer. You're doing the right thing to spay before heat 2)

This is out of date thinking and there's lots of new studies out to prove it. Much more harm done spaying early than waiting for a couple cycles then spaying.

When is the last time you talked to these so called experts??? I'm willing to bet their train of thoughts have changed in the last few years.

Dakota nailed it with his last post!!

[terrym]

Interesting article. Thanks for posting. My plan is to spay her at 18 months of age or her second heat. My thinking is by then she should have fully developed "bone wise". Many opinions floating around but my goal is to reduce the risks of ligament injuries. I have been through that and don't want to go there again. My pup is also quite small for the breed standard. She was the runt of the litter. I hope this actually helps as being lighter won't be stressing joints as much? Might just be wishful thinking.

[yellow dog]

In my opinion and many other breeders that have working bloodlines, females typically mature between 18 to 24 months out of working lines(spaying). Males however can take up to 3 years to fully mature physically and mentally. Personally knowing this I would wait to have a male neutered until he is 3 years of age. Big difference between a 2 year old male and a 3 year old male.

[Tim Tufts]

Agreed. The same goes for neutering males. They should be fully mature before the surgery. Speak to your vet or check out Guelph Vet School for advice.

[last5oh_302]

The reason vets suggest before the first heat , is that for some reason or other is, that it is much easier to do, and they then charge more to spay an older dog.

My vet told me its easier when they're pups because the blood vessels are smaller, and he wanted to do it then but I told him I'm waiting until she's 2 years old, no matter how much more it costs (it didn't cost more though, and i asked at the time).
Some people count how many heat cycles before they spay, but it has nothing to do with how many heats. It goes by age. Your dog could have 1, 2, 3 or more heat cycles before the age of 2. It's the dog's age that matters. Also, the spay/surgery shouldn't be done until several months after the last heat cycle. I forget the actual time period.

[welsh]

The cost of spaying after the first heat is higher because the blood vessels are more developed. Early spay reduces the risk of mammary cancer, which is relatively high.

Spaying before the first heat is associated with elevated risks of hip dysplasia and CCL injuries, and of certain cancers. In some breeds that are particularly prone to these cancers (Viszlas, Goldens), early spay is probably a bad idea for cancer risk alone.

Spay/neuter is also associated with several behavioral problems.

The last time I posted the UC Davis research on this, I got shouted down. I guess it depends who posts it.

[Sharon]

[QUOTE=Dakota Creek;1018289]

My vet and "expert" breeders I know say before the first heat. ( talking about females , not males- 2years for males) .....

This had been the predominant thinking but many are now realizing the importance of those hormones to the completion of proper growth structure vs the chances of mammary cancer.

Coincidently this article came thru this morning ..... a study by UC Davis targeted at goldens but labs are mentioned as well and references both spays and neuters - http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites...etrievers.aspx

This is true. The quote(below) that I included in my last post says the same thing.



"Spaying before first heat will reduce chance of mammary cancer by something like 97 Percent. But what is the incidence of mammary cancer anyway? If its 20 percent then that's a pretty good reduction. But if it's 1 or 2 percent then to spay for that reason isn't worth it in my opinion. There are pretty decent studies out that suggest early spaying may contribute to certain cancers. I also think it's ironic that for humans there ads all over the radio touting the health benefits (increased energy, weight loss, vitality, faster healing, etc) of hormone supplementation for both sexes, but we are in such a hurry to take those hormones away from our dogs." quote



PS I stand corrected gentlemen. Thank you

[yellow dog]

The cost of spaying after the first heat is higher because the blood vessels are more developed. Early spay reduces the risk of mammary cancer, which is relatively high.

Spaying before the first heat is associated with elevated risks of hip dysplasia and CCL injuries, and of certain cancers. In some breeds that are particularly prone to these cancers (Viszlas, Goldens), early spay is probably a bad idea for cancer risk alone.

Spay/neuter is also associated with several behavioral problems.

The last time I posted the UC Davis research on this, I got shouted down. I guess it depends who posts it.

In some breeds, not every breed. Consult with your vet.