best time to spay a female...?

[luckypenny]

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 To be honest, I've never felt comfortable with the modern way of having a bitch spayed before the first season and sometimes I wonder whether owners choose this as it saves all the mess associated with having a bitch in season.  I will also be able to enjoy a Cocker with a full coat and all the feathering for that bit longer as this is often lost after spaying - and that's without even mentioning the weight gain issues!
[/quote]

If you have decided that waiting is the best thing for you then that's great, but please don't suggest that others who may have chosen a different route of doing it to "save all the mess". I don't imagine that many owners relish the thought of putting a young dog through an operation, but after discussion with a knowledgeable professional have made an informed decision.
With regard to the coat and the weight issues, I too was concerned. Penny was spayed 4 months ago and so far (fingers crossed) we haven't seen too much change. She actually wieghs slightly less than she did when spayed (probably as she is able to go out on longer walks) and her coat is still soft and silky. She's an orange roan - I'm not sure if that makes any difference to coat changes.
Whatever you decide to do I hope all goes well

[Karma]

I would just like to echo luckypenny's comments here...

I think it's very unfair to suggest that those of us who spay early do so to save the mess of a season. 
It's a very difficult decision to make, and there is a lot of conflicting advice out there.  I wouldn't dream of second guessing the reasons people might wait (I'm sure I could come up with some equally unfair and unjustified "reason") - each and every one of us tries to do the best for our dogs... and while there is no proven best time, as each has its own pros and cons, all any of us can do is try to make the best decision for our dog at that time.

I have never posted that I think someone else should spay early - I have merely explained what we did so that someone else can make their own decision armed with as much info as possible.
I was still researching on the internet the night before Honey was booked for her spay to make sure we were doing the right thing, and I find it frankly insulting that someone can think I did this purely to save a bit of mess.... 

[Guelder Rose]

Please don't read more into what I posted than what was meant - now that Grace is in season I have heard comments from some people that would suggest that they would opt to have the surgery before rather than after - simply to save the inconvenience.   Perhaps I should have thought more carefully about the wording before posting, I certainly did not intend to offend anyone - however, it is a fact that there are dog owners who don't necessarily put their dog's interests first - just as there are dog owners who always put their dog's interests first!

[Guelder Rose]

I would just like to echo luckypenny's comments here...

I think it's very unfair to suggest that those of us who spay early do so to save the mess of a season. 
It's a very difficult decision to make, and there is a lot of conflicting advice out there.  I wouldn't dream of second guessing the reasons people might wait (I'm sure I could come up with some equally unfair and unjustified "reason") - each and every one of us tries to do the best for our dogs... and while there is no proven best time, as each has its own pros and cons, all any of us can do is try to make the best decision for our dog at that time.

I have never posted that I think someone else should spay early - I have merely explained what we did so that someone else can make their own decision armed with as much info as possible.
I was still researching on the internet the night before Honey was booked for her spay to make sure we were doing the right thing, and I find it frankly insulting that someone can think I did this purely to save a bit of mess.... 

Jeez - my post was not directed at 'you' or anyone else on this particular forum - never mind, in future I will make sure to read, re-read, digest, think, consider, etc - before daring to post.

[Jeanette]

That article mentions the urinary incontinence that I mentioned in my previous post.  I'm actually wondering whether to allow Grace to have one more season before spaying, rather than have her spayed after her first season - she would be just under one year old if I do it before the second season and I'm not altogether sure that she would be considered as being fully developed by then.

If you're reasonably comfortable with having her in season, frankly I'd wait till after she is 2 years old. That is my own thinking at this point

I had Indie spayed after her first season but I think its sometimes not a clear cut decision about when to wait to get them spayed - Indie had a phantom pregnancy which I know is very common but I would not have wanted her to go through that again at the next season which was also a factor.  

I'd also have loved to keep her gorgeous coat as she looked beautiful with a full coat    - as it is I hate her clipped coat but didn't base my decision on spaying her on looks and whether she'd put on weight.        

To the OP - 5 months does sound a bit young 

[speedyjaney]

Jessie was spayed at 6 months and suffered from urinary incontinece from 2 yrs old....whilst she didnt get mammory tumors she did get a rare cancer and died aged 6......spaying early doesnt solve all problems!!

However with hindsight we wish we had waited and had her spayed after her 1st season.

Janey

[Colin]

I think it's a decision we all have to come to ourselves, none of us can say definitively what is the best age to have it done. Personally I'd never have a bitch spayed before her first season, I'd rather wait and give her time to mature - I don't understand the rush.   I do think some vets see it as a good money earner though and will often use emotional blackmail on owners - my vet tried to book Misty in to be spayed when I took her for her first visit age 8 weeks even though I'd told him I had no immediate plans to have her done - he even stuffed the card in my pocket 'in case you change your mind'. I also have no faith in the stats that vets use warning of the increased dangers of mammary cancer the longer you leave it. I've heard talk that this study was based on a mere 60 bitches - I've asked 3 different vets if this was true and where they got their stats from and not one of them had the faintest idea, they just expected me to believe it cos they said so and seemed taken aback anyone had the temerity to even ask.    A bigger concern for me would be the risk of pyometra, which was why I had my two girls spayed eventually - it took me until they were aged 6 and 4 though.

[Guelder Rose]

I think it's a decision we all have to come to ourselves, none of us can say definitively what is the best age to have it done. Personally I'd never have a bitch spayed before her first season, I'd rather wait and give her time to mature - I don't understand the rush.   I do think some vets see it as a good money earner though and will often use emotional blackmail on owners - my vet tried to book Misty in to be spayed when I took her for her first visit age 8 weeks even though I'd told him I had no immediate plans to have her done - he even stuffed the card in my pocket 'in case you change your mind'. I also have no faith in the stats that vets use warning of the increased dangers of mammary cancer the longer you leave it. I've heard talk that this study was based on a mere 60 bitches - I've asked 3 different vets if this was true and where they got their stats from and not one of them had the faintest idea, they just expected me to believe it cos they said so and seemed taken aback anyone had the temerity to even ask.    A bigger concern for me would be the risk of pyometra, which was why I had my two girls spayed eventually - it took me until they were aged 6 and 4 though.

Reading some of the replies I now wonder why my main thoughts were just 'before or after her first season' - but I realise that this is simply because the vets discuss spaying on this basis.  Unless you are going to breed, they all seem to fall into the 'before or after the first season' camp.  I had never really considered leaving it longer but I've already changed my mind and decided to wait until after her second season - now I'm inclined to think that as long as she doesn't suffer from phantom pregnancies then I may just wait that bit longer.  The only issue I will have is that Grace has retained two of her puppy teeth and these were going to be removed when she was spayed - however, I'm guessing that the removal of two teeth will be a very quick procedure with a very quick recovery?

[Sarah1985]

Ive decided to have my bitch sprayed at 6 months. She has a umbillica hernia and the vets suggested that if we were getting her sprayed to wait until then to get it sorted. But they did say they'd like to get it sorted sooner rather than later.

Also I have a male dog who, although neutored, still has all the desires of an intact male.  And i dont think its fair for him to have an in season bitch in the house and equally I dont want her to be mounted every few mins. They have a great relationship at the min and Id be worried that his sexual intentions may not be welcome and become a source of tension. 

Ive heard of it causing incontenance, however I know of bitchs sprayed after their first and second seasons and still suffering with it. So i dont think its as clear cut that waiting till after their first season will stop it. If they going to get it they prob will. I also know bitches who stuggled with phantom pregnancys which have resulted in longer term behavioural problems.

It also happens that she turns 6 months when im off work for a site shut down. So it means Ill be around to manage walking my oldest male seperately so he can off lead walks while she can have her own leaded walks. Plus ill be around during the day to make sure shes not in any destress and isnt licking or chewing her stitches.

Theres no clear cut right or wrong answer so sometimes you have to do whats right for you and your family situation. Theres medical, social and convenince reasons for us to get her done at 6 months so thats what we're planning on doing

[Karma]

Although I was too young at the time understand what was going on, I know the Cavvie we had growing up required an emergency spay due to Pyometria... she was very ill and I know the impact of this was that my parent's got their next dog spayed before her first season... and these were the same parent's who waiting until my first dog had 2 litters (of crossbreed puppies  ) before spaying.  I can't remember exactly how old Amber was, but I know she was still young - probably about 2 at the time.

It's a serious, life-threatening condition....    And one I know Honey will never get.

As I've said before, it's a difficult decision, and one each person needs to make for their own dog... take consideration of all the circumstances, and all the pros and cons...

[black taz]

Kira will be spayed at just over 6 months (to fit in with some leave from work to look after her). 

My collie cross was spayed at 6 months (she was an RSPCA pup so we were contracted to have her done at 6 months), and until the last month hardly had a days illness in her life.

[waggytails]

I did not have Millie spayed, then when she was around 11 yrs old she got pyometra.  We were lucky in a way it was open pyometra and i spotted it quick as she had been suffering from a sever bought of diarrhea.  She made a full recovery and lived until she was just a month short of her 15th Birthday.  When we got Hattie i decided i did not want to take that risk, but i felt i wanted her to have her 1st season.  So she was spayed 3 months after her 1st season.  It was just my personal choice and if i had more knowledge when we got Millie i would have had her done early to.

[september]

Roxy was spayed 3 months after her first season, I left her til then on advice from some more knowlegeable dog people, their opinion being that waititng til after the first season means their hormones have had time to kick in and they are more mature and developed!

Luckily being half and half Roxy hasn't got a lot of coat and it hasn't changed at all since spaying.  However it is now very very diffiult to keep weight off her and she piles it on during winter when I can't walk her as far and she can't play ball everyday, despite having her food intake rationed.