[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]

My vet claims before the first heat.

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]

wait until she stops growing.

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]

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?

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.

 

[WonderPup]

Yeah I figured it was something like an encouragement to spay before any litters could be born. Look at all the people who say "we just want one litter out of her...." LoL, That drives my very opnionated mind CRAZY.

I am not aware of any regulations here in the states that guide what a vet can and cannot charge... 300 bucks would be a tad extreme for mio but if it was a vet that I trusted among several cheaper ones that I didn't trust I would pay it

 

[spoospirit]

We've noticed the trend in our area (VT & MA) to spay as soon as possible. Many are being s/n at four months.

 

[WonderPup]

Look at shelters.. some of them are doing it even younger than 4 months...

Oh I'm hating this... this thread is making me reconsider my already made deicision to hold off on spaying the bean...

 

[KamelotMom]

Oh I'm sorry this is troubling you. It's just been so long since I've had a girl (Lance was 17 when we said goodby & I'm not planning on spaying Guenna) that I'm trying to get a handle on what the current thought is. Everything's changed since Lance was a puppy! Food, vet care, training... Not to mention the dogs themselves... I want (as I'm sure you do too) the best for my kids. I want them to have the best that I can give them & all the experience of everyone here is a great resource I'm glad that I found.

 

[Purple Poodle]

Puppies and kittens can be altered as long as they are over 2 pounds. Most big city shelters alter everything by 8 weeks of age.

Personally I like to have them altered at 4 months. If the vets insists as close to 6 months as they will let me get away with.

I do agree on waiting to neuter on large breed dogs until 6-8 months as they mature a lot slower then smaller breeds.

 

[Harley_chik]

I think it depends on a the breed and sex of the dog. I don't have a poodle yet, but if I get a Standard puppy I will be waiting until the dog is atleast 6 months if not longer. I know on my Rottie forum, many there recommend leaving a male intact until at least 18 months if not longer. When talking about a breed that's prone to othepedic problems, I think it's best to wait until they're fully grown. Fixing them at four months seems a bit scary to me. I don't think all the facts are in on spay/neuter at 6 months and now the want to go even earlier. I do understand why they are doing it as early as possible for shelter animals and I think it's great for cats. All four of my cats were fixed at approximately 6 months. Ultimately it's a personal choice when to spay/neuter. I find it very bothersome that many of the mandatory spay/neuter laws require a altering at 4 months.