# What age to Spay???



## Ali79 (Mar 30, 2011)

Our vet recommends spaying before the first season as says that can be even more beneficial regarding certain cancers! Beau will be 6 months on 16 August and we are at obedience classes until the 9 August so don't want to do it before then. We would also like to take Beau to the All About Dogs event at our local showground on the 20 August as my daughter is desperate to enter Beau in the prettiest bitch contest and so if she has it done on the 16th she wont be able to go! I would like to have her spayed on Monday 22 August when all of these things are over but am I risking her having her first season if I leave it until then? I am the most indecisive person I know so thought I would ask all of you for your opinions - thank you


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## Annes ziva (Jul 7, 2011)

How confusing my Ziva is 10 weeks old and my vet advised to wait until 3 months after her first season or we could risk incontence in later life... with an entire male dog in the house this will be very difficult for us!


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## jaimia (May 19, 2011)

when Flossy had her 2nd jab the vet told us to have her sprayed before her first season around 5 to 6 months old x


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## Mrs Stevo (May 2, 2011)

I completely forgot to ask when Holly had her jabs so I will be interested to know what peopl think


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## weez74 (Feb 9, 2011)

There are two schools of thought. Pre-season spayers point to reduced risk of cancer and elimination of the possibility of pregnancy in first season, post-seasoners point to reduced risk of age incontinence. I couldn't decide which was best, but our vet was very pre-season and felt the link with incontinence wasn't sufficiently proven (and it is treatable anyway). To be honest, if we'd had a post-season vet I would have gone along with that too, as I couldn't find any info that swayed me one way over another!


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## raywendy18 (Apr 26, 2011)

Pippa had her 2nd jab today and the vet was really helpful (AND had a dishy south africian accent ) He said before she has her first season because it reduces the risks of a particular type of cancer at around 6 months. He said the incontinence thing only affects 'fat' dogs so if you keep you dog health it is fine. - Hope this helps, it is so tricky as everyone has different opinions eg. a friend saw a different vet in the same practice & he said to wait for first season!!??? I'll go with South african guy - an excuse to see him again perhaps !!


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

we got lady spayed at about 2 weeks after she turned 6 months....before her first season which is what our vet recommended


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## Ali79 (Mar 30, 2011)

lady amanda said:


> we got lady spayed at about 2 weeks after she turned 6 months....before her first season which is what our vet recommended


Soooo if Beau is 6 months and 6 days do you think this should be ok?


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## weez74 (Feb 9, 2011)

Somewhere on here is a thread showing when everyone's dogs; first seasons were. If I remember rightly, the first was about 7 months and most were quite a bit later than that. We delayed Rosie's for a week after she turned six months because we were taking her away with us the weekend after she was due in. The vet was absolutely fine with it and I am so glad I did because she was still suffering from a really bad tummy upset from the meds by the weekend following.


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## Ali79 (Mar 30, 2011)

weez74 said:


> Somewhere on here is a thread showing when everyone's dogs; first seasons were. If I remember rightly, the first was about 7 months and most were quite a bit later than that. We delayed Rosie's for a week after she turned six months because we were taking her away with us the weekend after she was due in. The vet was absolutely fine with it and I am so glad I did because she was still suffering from a really bad tummy upset from the meds by the weekend following.


Thank you Louise. I would ideally like her done before her first season as overall probably better for her but if I could delay the 6 month mark for 6 days it would be great as could then take her to obedience and the showground show. It would also mean that it is coming to the end of the 6th form holidays so not much going on and can stay in with her rather than friends asking us out with her.


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

weez74 said:


> There are two schools of thought. Pre-season spayers point to reduced risk of cancer and elimination of the possibility of pregnancy in first season, post-seasoners point to reduced risk of age incontinence. I couldn't decide which was best, but our vet was very pre-season and felt the link with incontinence wasn't sufficiently proven (and it is treatable anyway). To be honest, if we'd had a post-season vet I would have gone along with that too, as I couldn't find any info that swayed me one way over another!


I agree with Louise. I agonised and researched but there is nothing compelling which favours either pre or post which is why some vets are pre and some are post I suppose. My vet was a 'post-seasoner' so that's what I did but if she had said pre I've have gone with that. So just do what fits in and you are comfortable with.


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## Ali79 (Mar 30, 2011)

embee said:


> I agree with Louise. I agonised and researched but there is nothing compelling which favours either pre or post which is why some vets are pre and some are post I suppose. My vet was a 'post-seasoner' so that's what I did but if she had said pre I've have gone with that. So just do what fits in and you are comfortable with.


Thank you Mandy. I would prefer pre season and in an ideal world I would have a definite date as to when this is  I know a lot of people have said around 6 months and the vets nurse said 6 months 6 days would probably be ok but in the end it is our decision. I know we would love for Beau to finish obedience and attend the All About Dogs Show before having it done but am worried that I may regret this in the future


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

all of my girls were done 6 months old. Gypsy and Inca are both 5years old (well Invas 5 in september) so fan no signe of incontinance.
this what out vet advized. 

my mums cockers were done after their first season, and both suffered from mamery cancer, Tico was real bad, the vets said to leave the lumps as cutting into them could cause the cancer the spred quicker. it was horibal as she bled from them quite a bit. 

so when the vet said spaying before season should stop this we jumped at it, so only time will tell. both my mums dogs lives to about 12 Tico was PTS first because of strokes or fits i cant quite remember other than finding her in her crat unable to stand up. Mitzi was pts a week or two later as she was pining so bad her health declined so fast. (11 weeks age difference between them like my Gypsy and Inca so Mitzi had never been on her own)


some bitches have been know to be 18 months old before having their first season. so you could probably hold off till the end of Aughst before getting her done.


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## Ali79 (Mar 30, 2011)

Thanks Kendal - I am with you on the pre season as my Mum had a dog that had to have surgery due to cancer and eventually died at a young age as hadn't been spayed early enough so my daughter and I were both worried about when to have Beau done as I am not too concerned about the incontinence as have heard this can be treated if a problem. The nurse said 6 days over the 6 months shouldn't be a problem too


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## flounder_1 (May 12, 2011)

Lolly is booked in to be spayed when she is 5.5 months old. My vet is very pro pre season spaying which suits me as I then won't have the worry of the mess and confinement of a season. 
My vet has a dog at the mo whose owners decided to wait until after first season but then mis-timed the next season and then had a phantom pregnancy.


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## strof51 (Sep 26, 2009)

Our Vet is pro before the first season, Poppy was spayed at 6 months and I will be having Rosie done when she reaches 6 months. We had our last dog spayed at 6 months and she lived to just short of her 18 birthday, a grand old lady.


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## jaimia (May 19, 2011)

wow 18 what a great age x


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

Oh gosh, Millie is 6 month old next week. I'd better get on the case. Ah the thought of putting her through an op really doesn't appeal.

I'm going to try the baby vest after surgery rather than the Elizabethan collar


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