KamelotMom

OK it's poll time folks...

What is the current thinking on when to spay your puppy? Before or after her first season?

starkeeper

Apparently it heads off a variety of future cancers.

Some poodle people who do agility and want a performance dog wait for the dog to be between 1-2 years so their bones will fully form/develop.

I was going to spay my seven month old this week but she got a second UTI (urinary tract infection) and a couple poodle people suggested I let her go into heat in hopes that it may help her develop more and possibly help avoid recurring UTIs.

I am not sure how it will work but I did decide to try it.

HTH

poodleit

wait until she stops growing.

jbsmomto1

When do they stop growing? Roo is a mini....Our vet wants to do it right at 6 months, they charge more for a dog that has already had a cycle. Is there a reason not to do it at 6 months?

Harley_chik

I agree with this.

kathyd

There was some discussion about this very subject recently. Check this thread: http://poodleforum.com/showthread.php?t=1253

From what I've been told, spaying before the first heat is recommended. I have heard some people recommend waiting until growth stops for neutering males, though.

HappyPoodle

I don't have my poodle yet...Not til the middle of May, but my breeder strongly suggests waiting til she is 16 wks old.

Pamela

Ginger was 6 months - I feel bad that she developed a leaking problem due to being neutered. she has to take hormones now.

WonderPup

Did the vet give you a reason that the charge is more if the spay is done after the first heat cycle? Thats a little odd I think?

It's perfectly safe to spay as early as four months, some vet even do it earlier, but of course you need to use your judgement. My vet told me I could spay Saleen at any time on her very first visit - she is now 17 weeks old.
I don't see a problem waiting until after they are finished growing either and one heat cycle certainly isn't going to doom them to cancer or anything. If it's cheaper to do it at 6 months I probably would, unless I could find a vet who was maybe a little more reasonable in the way they charge for that. My clinic does it by weight, heavier dog need more drugs and more effort to move and such, thus they are more expensive. The only time my vet charges more than the norm for that dog's weight is if she is in heat or pregnate.

jbsmomto1

Yeah I thought it was odd as well, but decided in my own mind that if she charges more for a pup that's already been thru heat, it would discourage breeding at any age, "do it before their first heat and pay less" and encourage people to spay before they actually procreate. However the people I know that WILL s/n WILL do it when the pup is old enough (6 months), if they don't do it then, they are never gonna..lots of idiots in this town, who serioulsy do look at $$$$ when getting a pup, how much they can make. Sick.

Sadly vets in Canada are able to charge whatever they want for whatever you need done, they are not regulated. Some vets charge 175 for a s/n while my vet charges $300....but she's great and has been dealing with my Quincy for teh past 5 years so I trust her.