Opinions on this please..

[Jonmaddock]

Hey Guys,

Ella had her final injections today, so another 2 weeks and we will be starting on our walks, the question that came up at the vets is Ella being Spad,
i want Ella to be spad but i am unsure when is the right time?
the vet told me if she has a season then this could start problems such as behavior ones or other conditions,
she also tho then said if we got her Spad too soon, shes heard it could affect her development? in a sort of puberty in humans kind of way

the things i have heard are:

" let her have a season first"
" she can be done from 6 months-12months, basically before a season begins"
" why wait for her to go through a season"

please can somebody help ? i do not wish to breed Ella, but i am worried that if i get her done too soon it will affect her looks and development

thanks

[JeffD]

Its a difficult one, I have read loads on the subject and I am non the wiser. I have decided that Teal will be at least 1 year old and had at least one season before she has her op, I want to make sure she is fully mature at least physically.

[LinziS]

Both my girls were spayed at 6 months old before they had a season. It really does come down to personal choice though.

[Jonmaddock]

i just cant find a answer as to when is the best time.. i want her to be matured enough.. but if i dont have to put her through it i wont, ill await more replies

thanks

[supergirl]

It is something that is personal choice - there is no right or wrong, even the vets at my practice couldn't agree as to what is best.   I have done it twice now, once at 6 months and before first season with my first dog and again after first season with my 2nd dog.  If I was in the situation again my personal choice would be to wait until after the first season and allow the dog to develop as naturally as possible. 

[Millipede]

I am in the wait until the after the first season camp too. There was not an option to do it earlier with my first cocker (many years ago) and I really think it gives them the opportunity to grow up and mature a bit before it's done. I appreciate however there are many who have done it early with no problems. 

[elaine.e]

I 've only ever had dogs, not bitches, but I went to a very interesting seminar last weekend by holistic vet Nick Thompson http://www.holisticvet.co.uk/ that included a lot of discussion about neutering of dogs and bitches and the various scientific studies that have been done. Nick admitted it's a very confusing subject and said there hasn't been a definitive study done yet. But he was sure that there's enough scientific evidence around to prove that the closure of growth plates is delayed in neutered dogs, especially those neutered very young, and that there's a slightly increased risk of cruciate ligament problems and hip dysplasia in dogs that are neutered young.

His advice is not to neuter until at least 14 months to allow time for growth plates to close, so for many bitches that would be after the first season and before the second.

I made more notes about dogs than bitches but 2 other things come to mind. One is that bitches spayed before their first season have a very low risk of mammary tumours. The risk increases very slightly if the bitch has one season then increases more with each subsequent season. The other is that there's little evidence to support neutering either causing or stopping significant behaviourial problems.

There are plenty of threads on here about neutering. It's one of the most common areas of discussion and ultimately it's a case of doing your research, balancing out the pros and cons and deciding what's best for your dog and your own circumstances.

[*Marie*]

I had my late retriever (male) done at 12 months reason being 1: other dogs were being dominant with him. 2: he was getting randy. With Bracken vet said at his second injection about getting him done at six months, I will get him done at 12 months if there is no problems!

[Biddy]

Hi Elaine I would be interested to know what the vet said regarding male neutering.
Jake is nearly 9 months and at the moment I am not considering getting him castrated until he is at least a year due to growth issues, and I am also concerned about possible increased risk in prostate cancer if he has the op.
Any advice gratefully received.
Also can there be issues with incontinence post castration?
Thanks x

[elaine.e]

Hi Elaine I would be interested to know what the vet said regarding male neutering.
Jake is nearly 9 months and at the moment I am not considering getting him castrated until he is at least a year due to growth issues, and I am also concerned about possible increased risk in prostate cancer if he has the op.
Any advice gratefully received.
Also can there be issues with incontinence post castration?
Thanks x

This is a long read http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/long-term-health-risks-benefits-spay-neuter-dogs/ but I think worth it for anyone weighing up the pros and cons of neutering a dog or bitch because it's not written in scientific jargon. Some of the studies referred to at the end of it include some that I remember Nick Thompson mentioning at the seminar and a lot of the content, such as increased risk of hypothyroidism, orthopedic disorders and adverse reaction to vaccinations in neutered animals, is stuff that he mentioned.

[Biddy]

Thanks Elaine, I'm finding this quiet a hard decision.