Who has a girl who has been spayed before first season?

[Beanie]

I have been going around and around in cicles reading the posts about spaying and would like some questions answered if you can help.  our vet has recommended getting Maisy spayed before her first season and I was going to follow this advice, but would like to know

- did your girls temprement change after spaying? did she not mature from puppy as some posts suggest?
- has she had any incontenance problems?
- have you noticed any changes in her coat?

Thank you so much for answering

Nina

[jools]

Hi Nina,

Both Bramble and Poppy were done before their first season.

Their temperament didn't change one bit.

They have never had incontinence.

I have noticed no change in their coat, but my groomer says it no longer comes out easily so she can't hand strip them.

The reason I decided to take my vet's advice and have them speyed before their first season was simple. I did not want to increase their chances of mammary cancer.

Hope this helps, and good luck - whatever you decide.

[Beanie]

Thanks for the prompt reply jools  think I may be getting my knickers in a twist cause I am worried about her going in!! 

fingers crossed she will be ok

[Joules]

Coco was also spayed at 6 months before her first season.

No change in temperament, no incontinence but her coat has gradually become more wooly and curly.  This took about a year to fully change but it is not really a problem and I have no regrets about doing her so early. 

[Mrs T]

23 years ago I had Zoe spayed at nine months, before her first season, because I couldn't take the risk of her and Jasper (13) getting together whilst I was work.   The vet advised it since there was still life in the old dog, if you see what I mean!   I lived on my own and worked full time - getting home at lunch time each day - so couldn't supervise them.  She came through without any problems and lived until one month before her sixteenth birthday.   

[speedyjaney]

Hello,

We had Jessie spayed at 6 months old. As she was still very young at the time its hard to know whether she has remained puppy like cos she was loopy before 
She has seemed to calm down a bit now tho (she is 4 in August!)

Her coat did change and very quickly she became a woolly orange roan 

Jessie is one the very few bitches I have heard of (from COL) who suffers from incontinence directly related to early spaying. She was leaving little wet patches everywhere she sat/layed down but this is controlled very effectively by drugs.

If I was to do it all again I would probably let her have one season (only because I am more informed now) and the incontence thing wouldn't be the deciding factor, it would be maturity levels.

Janey

[Cazzie]

If it was my dog, i would wait until she had her first season. 

[spanielcrazy]

Here in the States it's extremely common for bitches to be spayed before their first season, and in fact shelters and others are doing puppies and kittens as young as 12-14 weeks! The normally recommended age here is between 4-6 months (toy breeds mature earlier)

The incontinance is extremely rare. I don't see any temperment changes with spaying, the few bitches I've spayed were older when it was done so I knew their personalities very well, and the spaying changed nothing at all.

The coat changes are to be expected but it is really no that bad, you just deal with it in a different way. I would not let that be a factor in my decision to spay or not spay. 

[kb]

No changes at all after having Honey speyed at 6 months - she's as grumpy as she ever was - just a joke.

We've had different dog breeds over the years - all speyed before their first season, with no problems

[bluegirl]

My neighbours dog is a lab cross, so quite a bit bigger than a cocker and she was done before her first season and it didn't change her personality or cause incontinence.
The life time risk of mammary cancer is very small if done before the first season and the risk increases with every season had there after. If this is your main concern I would say go ahead.

[joolz]

I have been going around and around in cicles reading the posts about spaying and would like some questions answered if you can help.  our vet has recommended getting Maisy spayed before her first season and I was going to follow this advice, but would like to know

- did your girls temprement change after spaying? did she not mature from puppy as some posts suggest?
- has she had any incontenance problems?
- have you noticed any changes in her coat?

Thank you so much for answering

Nina

Hi Nina
My cocker Chara was spayed before her first season and it didn't affect her badly at all. No incontinence or temperament change. She did have a fine coat, but it wasn't a problem and I always assumed that was just the way she was made, soft and cuddly.
The reason we did it so young was to prevent mammary tumours. Although she died last year at 10 years it was with cushings syndrome which was not related to early spaying.
Best wishes
Jools

[emilyjw]

My oldest dog a lab x terrier type was spayed before her first season. We do sometimes get a little bit of incontinence, usually when she is very tired after a long walk she will urinate without realising it. Though I have been told that this was just as likely to happen even if we had waited until after her first season.  At the moment it is a very occasional thing, so if we think it is likely to happen we make sure she sleeps on her waterproof mat.

If it becomes a problem the vet said she can go on HRT. We have noticed no change in her temprement, she is still a lovely happy girl.

At the end of the day you just have to decide what you think is best. 

[sarah25]

I would also let my dog have a first season before spaying

[Sheryl]

I didn't get a choice.  My vet will not do anything until after the first season.

[mac]

hi,
i have a 17 yr old border collie bitch,  i let her have her first season on the vets advice then she was spayed at around 6 - 7 months.
she now, with age and the fact she was spayed ,has incontinence and has done for about 3 years.  however she has incurin tablets one a day which manage this very well.
i will be getting  cocker bitch to go with my 9 month old cocker boy, soon.  the vet has already said he won't spay the bitch until she has had her first season and won't touch the dog until he is at least oneyear old.