Back again with more questions...LOL
I have been looking in to getting our new 7 month old pupy neutered...originally we were told by the people we rehomed her from that they would get vouchers from the council pound (where they adopted her from) but after many unreturned phone calls and emails to the old owners who seem to have vanished it seems this aint going to happen...
Anyway...I am now looking into getting this done oursleves...but need some opinions...
I have been given conflicting advice from vets about whether to wait till fater her first season or not...some say definitely wait, some say definitely get her done before...The main reason I have been given by vets for waiting is that neautering before her first season can lead to incontinence in later life....But I know there are also health benefits to getting her doen before her first season.And also the thought of not being able to walk her for 3-4 weeks when she is in season is freaking me out a bit - think she will get so fed up bless her....and we have a male puppy next door that likes to try to dig his way under the fence already so scared how he may react if I let her in the garden when she is in season....
BUT I dont want to get her doen too soon if it will cause problms for her later on...
So what do you think ?? any opinions?
Also regarding where to get her done the cheapest quote I've had is from Spires in Chesterfield at £94. Anyone used them ? Are they OK? Have had other qoutes ranging from £120 to £175, so have othe roptions if Spires is rubbish, but as I had planned on this cost being covered (as owners assured us it would be...grr..) I need to find the best value option, but only if they will give her good care...

So would love any views on when to get her done, and whether Spires is any good
TIA :)

If you pm me I will see if I can get you some discount/vouchers pm me your telephone number and we can have a chat
seadog

I waited, I'm glad I waited for the emotional development (and that's the reason behaviourists would give).

However, my bitch was neutered at 2 years of age. By 2.5 years of age she'd developped incontinence. I was told this could have happened anyway but most likely a result of the spay.

Tbh, incontinence is not a huge issue and it's very easy to live with. Takara has medication (ok so it clearly tastes foul but it does the job) and just has two doses a day and it keeps her dry. It's likely that over the years she'll need to up it to three doses and by the time she's an old old lady it may not work at all but she developped it very early.

Incontinence really isn't a huge deal and I really wouldn't let it affect your decision because it's not necessarily due to early neutering.

Studies show the risk is increased with early neutering but these studies are based on early neutering - not 7 months - more like 7 weeks.

There are risks to doing it both ways so really it's just what you're most comfortable with imo.

Personally I'd wait until at least her first season is over, for her to at least begin to mature

oh thanks for the replies! I suppose it does make sense to wait .... will she get really fed up cooped up for 4 weeks??? What can I do to make it easier for her?? she is 7 months now so suppose she could be in season any time soon anyway...then I can get her done couple of months after I think can't I?
Seadog I have pm'd you my phone no, thanks :)

Thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being a responsible and caring owner, and wanting your girlie to be "doctored".

It's SO much better for them, and for their health, not to have to face certain cancers, pyometra, and the risks of whelping. (and the added shoulder-pat of not adding to the already ridiculous anounts of unwanted and abandoned animals)

My vet, when I consulted them over Destruct-o-pup's spay, said that a spay can be done from six months, (destruct-o-pup was 6.5/ 7 mos) which I decided was the better option than waiting till after her season:-

I definitely, definitely, definitely did not want her to breed/ fall for pups accidentally. Rather than being on tenterhooks, waiting for the "show" of her coming into season, and being frantic about her getting caught "in-pup" I pre-empted all that by having her done before hand.

If she is to come in season before she is "done", you will have to wait till halfway between the seasons (about 10-12 weeks,) for everything to "go-back", before she can have the op.

On the other hand PT, if she has been in season (this only really applies if she's had a couple of seasons to be fair - as they can be irregular) you know that you're spaying in the middle when the hormones are most settled as opposed to the possiblity of cutting them off when her hormones are becoming unsteady in prep for her first season.

And it's practically impossible to have an accidental litter these days to be honest... ok so you don't want to have to go through it - but it is possible to abort litters.

It's also not so difficult to simply avoid the boys! I managed it for two seasons - even with my dad looking after her occasionally!

On the other hand PT, if she has been in season (this only really applies if she's had a couple of seasons to be fair - as they can be irregular) you know that you're spaying in the middle when the hormones are most settled as opposed to the possiblity of cutting them off when her hormones are becoming unsteady in prep for her first season.

And it's practically impossible to have an accidental litter these days to be honest... ok so you don't want to have to go through it - but it is possible to abort litters.

It's also not so difficult to simply avoid the boys! I managed it for two seasons - even with my dad looking after her occasionally!

I can see your point, there, lotti. hormonal dogs ! Aaarrrggghh! lol! Perish the thought ! :hihi:

Destruct-o-pup also had a hernia that needed reducing, (as I found out) so having her "done", and the vet reducing the hernia, at the same time, and only having to submit her to the one lot of anaesthetic for the two procedures, was a good option for me.

She has recovered well, a year on, with no seeming after effects. and I have the security of knowing she can't get in pup, and won't get any of the "nasties".

I suppose it's what suits the individual.

None of my bitches over the years ever had a season (other than two) they were all spayed at 6 months, never had a single problem and none were or are incontinent even in old age.

Of the two bitches that had a season, well one was spayed after her first season and on that very first season she had a phantom pregnancy, she also began to scent mark the dog beds...she still does and she's now over 15.

The other bitch was 11 when I got her, her seasons were very distressing for her (and us :rolleyes:) particularly my neutered male who was tormented to death until he resorted to snapping at her, she also had breast cancer and believe me I never want to see a dog go through what she did again.

So yes I would spay again at 6 months with no hesitation what so ever, so long as the bitch is matured enough and healthy.

thanks for the further replies. Moonbird when you say "as long as the bitch is matured enough" what exactly do you mean? (not being funny - just not very knowledgable on doggies yet LOL ) Do you mean behaviourly? If so how exactly do you know when a dog is behaviourly mature? (feeling a bit inexperienced here...never had a dog before can you tell!!) Do you mean in terms of general giddiness...or what exactly?
I would say she is a fiarly calm puppy. She is playful and can get a bit giddy/overexcited after lots of playing...but also loves snuggling peacefully on the sofa...
Then again she is now barking at her reflection in the window frantically (this really freaks her out bless her!!)....so anyway what I am trying to say is how do I know when or if she is behaviourly mature?? Will this change a lot over the coming months and after her season...

thanks for the further replies. Moonbird when you say "as long as the bitch is matured enough" what exactly do you mean? (not being funny - just not very knowledgable on doggies yet LOL ) Do you mean behaviourly? If so how exactly do you know when a dog is behaviourly mature? (feeling a bit inexperienced here...never had a dog before can you tell!!) Do you mean in terms of general giddiness...or what exactly?
I would say she is a fiarly calm puppy. She is playful and can get a bit giddy/overexcited after lots of playing...but also loves snuggling peacefully on the sofa...
Then again she is now barking at her reflection in the window frantically (this really freaks her out bless her!!)....so anyway what I am trying to say is how do I know when or if she is behaviourly mature?? Will this change a lot over the coming months and after her season...
:hihi: No I mean matured enough physically, especially her little lady bits :blush: the vet will be able to tell you if she is so no need to worry there.
Mine didn't really change after spaying at all, they tend to calm down a fair bit after about 3 years...hopefully :hihi:

Yep - as moonbird says, no puppy will mature behaviourally. I saw marked differences in Takara after her two seasons - but on the other hand, the phantoms that followed were traumatic (they certainly weren't the worst false pregnancies any dog has ever had - they were pretty mild but she HATED dogs coming near her when she was having them!)

Most tend to mature around the 3 year mark I think... labradors maybe not :lol:

I have read this thread with interest as although our pup is only young and nowhere near a season, we definatly want her spayed as soon as is deemed a suitable time. I was always of the opinion to let them have one season and then wait three months as Plain Talker said for everything to "go down"

I have read this thread with interest as although our pup is only young and nowhere near a season, we definatly want her spayed as soon as is deemed a suitable time. I was always of the opinion to let them have one season and then wait three months as Plain Talker said for everything to "go down"

I have 2 girlie dogs,one spayed at 12 months old ( came into season just as she was about to be spayed so had to wait a few months ) the other spayed at 10 yrs due to a Pyo ( always put off having her done cos though it was a big op to put her through.... silly me ) I have just found out a few weeks ago that she has breast cancer :( Her prognosis is poor, today I found another lump, feels very much like the other one, the vet thinks so too. If she had been spayed younger, she may have avoided this.

:hihi: No I mean matured enough physically, especially her little lady bits :blush: the vet will be able to tell you if she is so no need to worry there.
Mine didn't really change after spaying at all, they tend to calm down a fair bit after about 3 years...hopefully :hihi:

DOh oh I see LOL Told you I was a bit inexperienced...so it depends on her lady bits...
But there is a feeling that speying before her first season may arrest her emotional /behavioural development at a sort of puppy stage forever ... is that right ? (or have I not understood that right either LOL) :hihi:

Some behaviourists/dog trainers are of this opinion. When I say it, it's from speaking to others as I don't have enough experience to say my own feelings. I've only ever had one bitch to spay and she was 2 when she was done. She did really grow up during her seasons and although she still has 'puppy moments' she generally is pretty grown up and not only a good communicator, she's very good with puppies - in that she tolerates them well but she doesn't act like a puppy herself with them, more a sort of parental/authoritive figure where if they're jumping around she'll stick her nose in the air and ignore them until they settle and then she'll show them some attention!

The thing is, she could've been exactly the same spayed at 6 months - I don't know! It's just the feeling of other trainers and behaviourists and to me, it does make sense as I saw mine mature as her hormones changed.

So yep - you've understood it just right, it's just that it's very hard to decide if it's worth the gamble! Takara did mature a lot with her seasons, but she also had false pregnancies.

I think, if I were to do it again, I'd probably do the same but feed her raspberry leaf tablets during her seasons.

The chance of mammory tumours are significantly reduced with earlier spaying though.

DOh oh I see LOL Told you I was a bit inexperienced...so it depends on her lady bits...
But there is a feeling that speying before her first season may arrest her emotional /behavioural development at a sort of puppy stage forever ... is that right ? (or have I not understood that right either LOL) :hihi:

Some people say this but I really don't know what they base it on because how can you tell what the dogs personality would have been anyway in the case of either scenario? but no past dogs didn't stay puppyish forever as such.

My present bitches are puppyish, but at under 2 they still are effectively puppies, the bitch that I had spayed after a season was the same at that sort of age and actually she remained quite a giddy dog up till being quite old :rolleyes:

I think that it makes a difference if there is only one dog, I should think that she will behave more maturely than if she was in a multi dog household as they tend to egg each other on and you do get a lot more doggy behaviour.

What it boils down to in my opinion is doing what suits you in the end, if you feel that you can cope with a season then do so it won't hurt, but it can be really hard going especially if you live in a place where there are a lot of dogs, or if the bitch becomes really hormonal as my oldie did.

thanks lottie and moonbird
we may not be a multi dog household but we are a multi child household and the DC seem to do a fair bit of egging her on LOL. I think my 18 month old and Bella are at a similar stage mentally and they seem to be making great partners in crime:hihi:. My toddler has even started rolling over on his back on the floor to have his tummy tickled....sure he now thinks he's a puppy :loopy:LOL
Still keep swinging backwards and forwards on this one. I do think it would be hard to cope with her season....will ponder some more...(although best not take too long about it or the decision may be taken out of my hands LOL:hihi:)