Spaying at a young age....

Nope - complications should not be an issue. You can spay an animal as soon as she hits 2lbs, and a male can be neutered at 2lbs AND you can physcially SEE and FEEL two balls. The only reason people want to wait is so they can go through a heat cycle, which brings up the issue that while in heat every un-neutered male within blocks will want to get to her and you risk puppies.

I say go for it!

Emma was spayed at 8 weeks, and does have issues from being spayed so early. Her vulva is not fully developed, so we constantly struggle with yeast infections and bacterial vaginitis. She's incontinent. She grew, in height, until she was almost 3.

Ena was spayed at 11 months, 3 weeks. I would have waited longer, but she was entering her 4th heat cycle, and we'd ALL had enough. The constant in and out would have caused her issues, so I had her spayed.

Given a choice, I'd wait til 18-24 months, personally, but that is based solely on my own bad experience.

Willow wasn't spayed until we got her and she was already between 2-5.  The vet told me when I picked her up that it was a difficult surgery.  And, that they had to give her more pain meds as she woke up.  I would never wait with a female again.  I might with a male.   

 Scarlett will be spayed soon, but she is currently intact and has had one heat. I didn't wait until she'd had a heat on purpose, but I wanted to wait until she was past 8ish months because I was really worried about spay incontinance.  The heat was easy...my males are fixed, but there were no stray or random dogs beating down the door to get to her and I had no trouble keeping her contained. I am completely comfortable with my decision to wait, and I personally would not speuter before 6 months.

I've always adopted adult females..so they have usually already been spayed, or were spayed once I adopted them. The elf was spayed at some point in her younger years. She has no incontinence issues, so she was either lucky or was spayed after 6 months. I do know she was spayed before a year, going by her old owner's vet records. My next pup will probably be a female. I don't like to spay too early, but don't want to go through a heat cycle (yes, I can prevent a litter, but still have no desire for myself or the dog to go through it) so I'll probably spay at the 6ish month mark.

Kim_MacMillan

 However, that said, my personal "minimum" for spaying/neutering would be 6 months (no younger) and for myself and my own dogs, I would wait until at least 18 months-2 years of age, depending on the breed, due to growth plates and maturation of the physical body.

Me too, and for larger dogs who mature slower, even later.  

Golden Tails

Nope - complications should not be an issue. You can spay an animal as soon as she hits 2lbs, and a male can be neutered at 2lbs AND you can physcially SEE and FEEL two balls. The only reason people want to wait is so they can go through a heat cycle, which brings up the issue that while in heat every un-neutered male within blocks will want to get to her and you risk puppies.

I say go for it!

I await flames but here goes:

We have an intact female.  Now, she is NOT my dog and if she were she would be neutered and I have my own reasons for this, but it would NOT be to keep unwanted males away.  There ARE intact males in the area, but they are properly contained and do not come calling.  Keeping your dog properly contained is every owner's responsibility, whether the animal is neutered or not.

I do believe that proper care and containment of each dog is the answer to the so-called population problem, rather than mass-neutering (which appears not be working anyway).

That is not to say "oh you don't have to neuter".  It IS to say that to neuter or not and WHEN to do so should ideally be decided a on a case-by-case basis.  I appreciate many shelters are NOT in an "ideal" situation.  I am speaking directly to the original post.... I would recommend re-thinking the early spay in this case, unless there is a reason for the spay to go ahead at this time.

When Ena was in season, males *did* come looking for her. One dog that stands out in my mind is a beautiful, enormous, bully dog of some type that lives up the road from us about 1/2 a mile. She had one very heavy, long season, and he came during that one.

I just kept her on a leash and stayed with her, honestly. If anyone had been too terribly pushy, the paintball gun would have come out, and Animal Control would have been called to take away the offenders. People do *not* properly contain their dogs in this area, and neutering is.... getting better, but it seems to be all one extreme or the other (tiny neutered babies or NEVER neutered, because it's "cruel";). I can't base decisions on what's best for my dog on what other people do, though. If something had happened, and Ena had been bred, she would have been spayed while pregnant. The world does not need more mixed breed dogs with luxating patella, and Ena didn't need to have any puppies, when she was only a puppy herself.

Chuffy

 

I do believe that proper care and containment of each dog is the answer to the so-called population problem, rather than mass-neutering (which appears not be working anyway).

JackieG

Chuffy

 

I do believe that proper care and containment of each dog is the answer to the so-called population problem, rather than mass-neutering (which appears not be working anyway).

In a perfect world, this would work. 

This make sme think of the story about the woman with a lovely voice who wants to be a professional singer, but she only has audiences of half a dozen people in small pubs and clubs.  She thinks to herself, "Well, if I had an audience of 6,000 people I would sing my best, I would really give it my all..... what is the point in that sort of effort for just 6 people?"  Perhaps if she sang AS IF she had that audience of 6000 instead of 6, she would GET that audience of 6000.  Make sense?

Shrugging and saying "this is not an ideal situation so it won't work" is not a way to work TOWARDS that ideal situation.

As far as I know (and I will research this and check) - no shelters here in the UK s/n so early and our stray problem is not nearly so bad, although it certainly used to be.  So there must be a way of achieving that end w/o neutering any and all pet dogs, from 8 weeks up.

This "Neuter!!" crusade-type approach really seems more of a stop gap measure to me.... and one akin to attempting to plug a very leaky dam with no more than your thumb.  It's better than nothing, but nowhere near good enough.  I believe mass-education, rather than mass-neutering, is the answer, and each should decide what's best for their dog on an individual basis rather than using blanket-rules.  

Chuffy

JackieG

Chuffy

 

I do believe that proper care and containment of each dog is the answer to the so-called population problem, rather than mass-neutering (which appears not be working anyway).

In a perfect world, this would work. 

 

 

EXACTLY - but this isn't a perfect world and people breed nonchalantly and leave males intact becuse they "don't want to take his manhood away" or "it's just not right" People see bitches as 'money makers' have a litter, sell them and have another litter so on and so fourth.  I didn't say that leaving your female un-spayed will bring every intact male to your door step, what I said was allowing her to go through a heat before spay lead to the POSSIBILITY of a male caller and unwanted puppies.

Golden Tails

Chuffy

JackieG

Chuffy

 

I do believe that proper care and containment of each dog is the answer to the so-called population problem, rather than mass-neutering (which appears not be working anyway).

In a perfect world, this would work. 

 

 

EXACTLY - but this isn't a perfect world and people breed nonchalantly and leave males intact becuse they "don't want to take his manhood away" or "it's just not right" People see bitches as 'money makers' have a litter, sell them and have another litter so on and so fourth.

The thing is, it's not just intact males that are the problem.  Or even intact females.  Let's face it, logistically, the males can be as intact as you like - IF you can contain them properly.  It doesn't matter that they are intact if they are not allowed contact with bitches that are in heat.  It is those people who are sloppy about it, or breed deliberately, carelessly and ignorantly, that are the true problem.  JUST leaving a dog intact is not the main problem.

I have a neutered dog.  He got out a couple of weeks ago.  He could have run into a road and caused an accident.  People could have died.  That would have been FAR worse than him fathering a few litters of puppies.  I screwed up, and I am just lucky that there were no severe consequences.

Health issues aside - assuming we are talking purely about population control - it doesn't matter if one neuters or not, provided they care for, and contain, their pets properly, which they ought to do ANYWAY.

Golden Tails

I didn't say that leaving your female un-spayed will bring every intact male to your door step, what I said was allowing her to go through a heat before spay lead to the POSSIBILITY of a male caller and unwanted puppies.

Yes, that's true.  But still, I would not put any dog of mine through major surgery just for increased POSSIBILITY of the inconvenience of a few unwanted callers once or twice a year.  It would take more than that for me to go through with it, personally.

All I am saying is that neutering is not ESSENTIAL to being a responsible owner - and I think Kitty has been criticised.... and unfairly, IMO.

And also? It *is* entirely possible to spay a pregnant bitch. If it comes down to it, that can be done. It isn't ideal, but if you slip up THAT big, you can do it.

I totally agree with Chuffy. Containment is the issue. Control is the issue. Pushing neutering as the only option will never solve things, because some religions prohibit body part removal. Some people are against surgery, or just have attachments to dog testicles. *IF* they can contain their testicles, there won't be unwanted puppies (or babies, but that's a whole seperate issue....).

The shelter I work for has been known to send in preg cats and dogs and they come back spayed. Spaying is not JUST for unwanted litters (however that is about %95 of it) but neutering males cuts down agression tremendusly!  And, eliminates the chances of prostate cancer (which is a much bigger procrdure than a simple spay or neuter)

Thats all I'm going to say on this subject - otherwise I'll explode and say things I might regret.

~I'm off to another thread =)

Interesting thread, i was just thinking about when i should have Jo spayed. I was thinking about 6 mos because i would hate for her to have a heat. My breeder said either before heat or 3 mos after heat, and to talk to my vet about it.