too spay or not to spay

Pros: 1) you don't have to deal with bleeding, 2) you don't have to worry about stray un-neutered dogs impregnating your females, 3) less risk of cancer and other problems with the reproductive system, 4) more stable/consistent temperament (no doggy PMS). Cons: 1) they have to go in for surgery.

I highly recommend getting them fixed, as in my opinion, it will be better and easier for both you and the dogs.

If you aren't going to breed, then you need to spay (BTW, I applaud your choice not to breed your pets - that's best left to responsible breeders who spent the time and energy to go get a mentor and do everything right).  The most important reason is that males will often find very novel ways to get to females in heat, and you don't need the hassle of that, plus the accidental litter that results.  There are few cons, pretty much only the usual risk of surgery, and after all, this is a surgery that is frequently performed and which vets get very good at.  But, to be safe, get the pre-op blood tests done that your vet recommends.  I do that before every surgery, despite the cost.  I would never forgive myself if one of my dogs had a problem because I neglected to do that.

There isn't any good reason not to spay if you have no plans to breed.  Some people will argue that you increase the chance of incontinence later but it's not a given that all spayed females develop spay incontinence.  I've owned quite a few spayed females and I've never regretted the decision to spay them.   My 8 month old female was spayed recently and she was home the same day of the surgery.  She never bothered her stitches and the biggest challenge was keeping her activity level down while she recovered.  If your dogs aren't crate trained, doing that before the surgery would be a good idea.  

I have always spayed my pets so never dealt with a female in heat before I started fostering. Let me tell you, dealing with a female in heat is such a pain!!!! Blood, all the dogs get moody and even neutured males will tie with a female in heat then they are hooked for at least 10 mins. Very annoying.

 While I didn't want to deal with a heat cycle (which made the decision of when to spay easier), reduced risks of mammary cancer, eliminated chance of developing uterine or ovarian cancers and eliminating the possibility of pyometra were my driving decisions ultimately.

 

There can be some benefits to spaying later in very large dogs, but one can read the studies and decide that on their own. Goose was spayed at 7 1/2 months just a few days ago. She's done great and was home an hour after surgery.

The pros have already been listed. The cons (in no particular order): 1. Coat quality may alter. 2. Structure may be affected (the dogs have not finished developing yet and sexual hormones play a part in this.) 3. Temperament may be adversely affected, rather than positively. 4. The op is non-reversible. 5. The operation is major surgery with all the associated risks and discomfort. 6. Metabolism will likely change; you may have to alter the feeding/exercise regime to avoid weight gain. Not exactly cons, but more considerations: - An intact female is not necessarily messy or PMS-y. Many are very clean and lick a lot, so you see little or no blood. I don't consider "mess" as a reason anyway; inconvenience is a weak argument in support of surgery. - A female who is properly contained shouldn't get pregnant anyway. And even if she is spayed she must STILL be properly contained. A dog who gets run over by a bus is just as dead, spayed or not. Surgery is not the only way to prevent puppies, only an added insurance. - Sadly, spaying your pet isn't likely to do very much wrt the high pet population, because as a responsible owner it's unlikely your female will get pregnant anyway, because you will take steps to prevent it. Meanwhile, puppy mills, pet shops and unscrupulous BYBs continue to churn out high volumes of sickly puppies for profit. For years, the message has been Neuter!!! and now in most places, being neutered is the norm.... But shelters are still full to bursting :-( - I think neutering should be a personal decision, made on a case by case basis. Some pets and sime families are definitely better off going down this road. TBH, if I think an owner "should" neuter, what I'm really thinking is: They shouldn't have a dog! (because they seem too irresponsible and/or too ignorant). But you can't exactly tell a person to give away their dog, so you Market the snip as a healthy must-have and hope they take it on board... Because that way, when the dog gets loose (as is pretty much inevitable because of the owners laxity) at least you know they won't be making pups while they are missing. I know my opinion on this one us unpopular. I await lynching.

Chuffy

I await lynching.

 

 

Not from me.  The numbers show that European dog owners are much better at controlling their dogs than U.S.  A much lower percent of dogs are s/n than in U.S., and the percent of animals winding up in shelter or rescue is really much lower.  This points out that we may have to blame ourselves, and not the dogs.  But some large organizations with 4 letter acronyms are seriously invested in s/n  and probably don't want to tell the people that they are irresponsible and need to put in more time supervising their dogs.

Population   Calif      36 000 000,   UK  60 000 000

S/N %         Calif       about 70 %    UK  about 20%

Dog PTS annually in shelters

                   Calif      115,000           UK 7743

Just for the record, Piper was spayed before her first heat.  I didn't want to watch stray dogs gathering on my front yard hoping Piper could come out and play.  Actually, I decided I didn't want to get involved with a litter of pups.  It's a lot of work and expense if you want to do it right, and while Piper comes from excellent field trial lines, I don't trial and didn't see how she could add much to the gene pool.  Her full brother from the same litter has been used at stud several times by trialers who have hunted over him, so the line continues. 

 

 

 

Chuffy

2. Structure may be affected (the dogs have not finished developing yet and sexual hormones play a part in this.)

The main reason I wait and have my dogs spayed or neutered at 18 months old if I can.  But, definately...if there are no plans for a breeding...no reason not to spay.

No lynching from me either.

 I have two spayed females, that I chose to spay when they were about a year old. I also have an intact male who has been used as a stud dog, and at seven years of age will not be neutered unless a medical needs says so. My next male will also not be neutered unless medically required.

I am 100% in support of shelters and rescues spay/neutering their animals. I am 100% in support of catch/speuter/release of stray and feral cats. I am 100% in support of low-cost speuter clinics for those who need the assistance and want their pets *fixed* (I laught at that term....as though they were somehow broken beforehand).  For those dogs with hormone-driven aggression, I am the first person to recommend that they neuter their dog (I say neuter, because it's rarely females who aggress due to hormones), or if I feel a dog is at risk of an unwanted litter, than I will definitely recommend castration, for the dog's (and the puppies';) sake.

But I also do believe that there are a lot of misconceptions and falsehoods shared about spay/neutering. I do think it needs to be more well-thought out than done *just because*. It is *not* the solution to overpopulation. It is the band-aid, the cover-up for the real problem of a lack of education. Education is the real solution, because for 99% of "Oops" litters are a result of pet owners are not:
a) containing their dogs
b) supervising their dogs
c) training their dogs
d) understanding their dogs as dogs.

That really is the issue here. And it is those same issues that are the host of all other behaviour problems that our dogs experience, and it's those issues that are sending dogs to shelters, rescues, and doggy heaven. And yes, it's those same issues that are causing dogs to get pregnant. Neutering will not prevent aggression, prevent marking, or prevent wandering and escaping - it's not a quick fix! I say that because I see numerous people who really believe, really believe, that neutering should have *fixed* these issues.

I don't ever tell somone that they *should* or *shouldn't* do something. What people should do is make an educated decision. Educated decision to spay, and/or educated decision not to spay.  Ignorance on either side is what continues to doom our dogs' futures.

One additional reason I think that pet owners should opt for spay/neuter most of the time is that intact dogs are often unwelcome at social play groups or dog day care.  If you intend for your dog to be social, or to hang out with friends, then it's probably easier to have the snip or the pluck.

It might interest you to read some of the studies out there on bone cancer and spaying/neutering. Apparently an unaltered dog does not come up with this as often as a spayed/neutered one (and the earlier the s/n is done the higher the incidence).

I have given this a lot of thought, especially since I do own a breed most assuredly prone, to bone cancer. So do you, OP...in fact one could say it is a bit rampant in your breed. I might just hold off...at least another year...if it were me. Providing you can responsibly manage your girls.

 

If you spay, I would wait until the dog is physically mature, which depending on breed may mean dealing with a few heat cycles first.  The other thing that might effect my decision would be health problems common in the breed and whether a major surgery and/or changes in hormones have any effect.  I am not familiar with Boxers. 

In general, I'm not comfortable with the "you must spay or you're an irresponsible owner who will most assuredly produce unwanted litters" culture here in North America.  I find myself more in line with European attitudes and practices (not surprising since my dogs come from European breeders and lines).  My males are intact and will remain that way.  They live together and are not aggressive, they do not roam even if someone leaves the gate open, they are not uncontrollable around bitches in heat, and they are not marking everything in sight.  I don't really like dealing with intact males AND females (especially with a large, powerful breed that can eat through a wall and tie through a crate if it comes to that) so rather than choosing to spay or not to spay females I've chosen not to own females.

Chuffy

TBH, if I think an owner "should" neuter, what I'm really thinking is: They shouldn't have a dog! (because they seem too irresponsible and/or too ignorant).

 

That's a very broad brush your using, Chuffy.  I guess you've never had a dog escape accidentally?   I think it's entirely possible to prevent an unwanted litter but I also know responsible dog owners who have had a dog escape long enough to be bred. Around here, with our never ending stray/unwanted dog population, I'll continue to preach spay/neuter and without any assumptions about the owners' intelligence. 

Along the lines of what Gina was saying, you might want to read this article (I remembered AgileGSD, I think, posting it awhile ago)

http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/mar10/100301g.asp

Granted it is regarding Rottweilers, but it is something you might want to look into regarding Boxers.

FWIW, I own an intact male, with no plans of breeding him and also no plans of neutering him. My first vet tried his best to convince us to neuter him...when we took first took him in at 10 or so weeks! I found a new vet. My reasons for not neutering were that I really saw no good reason TO neuter him and that I wanted him to grow and develop properly and to the best of his ability. I also own a spayed female....I really knew little about dogs when she was spayed, to be honest. With females, I don't know that I would want to deal with heat cycles - and that may be the inconvenience excuse - but I *think* I would spay my female dog again, should I ever have another.