We keep getting told that we should spey bitches or they will get mammary cancer, I am now curious.  How many of you have had entire bitches, did they get mammary cancer and what did they die of (and what ages) - can this thread be just facts, no discussion please?

I will start

Keri - mammary cancer aged 10, pts 11
Jet - eye (spread) cancer 11, pts 11
Indi - lymphosarcoma and pts - 6
Fennel - mammary/lung cancer - pts 6

Yes I posted this a while ago:

I have five Norwegian Elkhound bitches ranging from 2 to 13 1/2 years, all are entire or were entire to between 5 and 7 years of age.

Only one has thus far had a mammary tumour, the eldest at age five had a pea size lump removed which was tested and found to be Carcinoma, I had her spayed as she had already had two litters.  At age 8 1/2 a pea size lump regrew in the exact same site, and a partial mastectomy (rear two glands on that side) was performed.  She is now 13 1/2. 

Her daughter is mammary lump free at 10 3/4 (spayed at 7),

Her Grandaughter is now 8, spayed last year after her third litter, and is Lump free.

Great Grandaughter is 6 years odl, and lump free, as is great great grandaugter at 2 years old.  The last two are entire, the youngest yet to be bred from.

Just contacted a friend in the breed who has been breeding since 1953.  Before she started spaying her bitches after their last litter she found that around half of the Elkhound bitches and her fathers Labradors developed tumours in OLD AGE, how many of these were benign and how manmy were aggresive wasn't known or testd for they wre removed if the bitches were up to surgery or left if not.

Since she has been spaying her bitches she hasn't ahd any with Mammary tumours probably in the last 20 plus years.

This would seem to contradict the survey I read of a few years ago that suggested that later spaying (after second ort third season) had no beneficial effect in reducing the incidence of Mammary tumours.

OK - here's mine, but they are usually spayed around 6-7 yrs
Jenny  - pts 16yrs ?pancreatic cancer (3 litters)
Polly - pts 14yrs - heart failure ( 1 litter)
Lucy - pts 16 1/2 yrs - basically just extreme old age & restricted mobility (3 litters)
Katie - pts 16 yrs - as Lucy (spayed after 1st season - no litters)

Up to now, never had a bitch with a mammary tumour (touching all the wood I can find ) & can only ever remember one bitch in the breed who did (doesn't mean there aren't more, of course)

Bonnie, currently aged 13, speyed at 10 while undergoing surgery for lumps in the area - turned out to be cyst tissue.......

Pomeranians, 90 % have lived to 16, all entire, all having either one or two litters in their lifetime.  No mammary tumours, just died of old age!

Dilita, Spanish Water Dog.  12.  Had pyometra and cured on antibiotics.  Did have mammary lumps but were not cancerous.  PTS at 12 because she was already blind in one eye, went blind in the other and then suddenly went deaf and she just couldn't cope with the loss of total site and deafness within 3 months of each other.  She just didn't know what to do even in the back garden she would just throw herself to ground.  She had 3 litters in her life time and was still entire.

Lydia her daughter is now 12, has had 3 litters, has a few mammary lumps but once again not cancerous.  Never had a days illness, she still goes water training and dives out of the boat, under the water etc, and walked for about 5 miles the other day.

I've had 11 bitches that lived to over 10 years, not counting the under 10's I have now and not counting one bitch that died under 10 yrs in an accident and one that died under10 yrs from a brain tumour. Neither of the two bitches that died under 10 yrs had mammary cancer, nor do any of the 4 under 10 yrs old entire bitches I have at present.

Two of the 11 bitches that lived to 10+ were neutered aged 10 and 12 due to pyometra. One of those had two litters, the other had one litter. The rest were entire at the time of death. None of them had mammary cancer.

My only personal experience with mammary cancer was my father's entire BC bitch. She developed mammary cancer aged 14 and was PTS age 15.

I've never had a bitch entire for her whole life (though my mother had an unspayed spaniel who died at age 14, but I don't know what of - pretty immaterial at that age, especially that long ago!).

Rosie - died aged 8 following surgery (for spaying, ironically)
Bella - spayed aged 1 - died aged 13 of liver cancer
Polly - spayed aged 1 - PTS aged 15 due to general frailty and old age
Clover -  spayed aged 8 - still alive aged 13, healthy
Beattie - spayed aged 5 - still alive aged 10, healthy

Mars was 14 3/4 PTS due to old age. She had one litter and was spayed when she was 4 yrs old.

Min who was one month off 15 was PTS due to old age. She had mammary tumors whichdevelop a few months before she went. She had no litters and was spayed when she was 1 1/2 yrs old.

I've kept 12 Rough Collies bitches, all entire, over 23+ years.
1 Nasal tumour at 12 years.
Others all died of old age or are still going strong, except Didgy, who died after Rimadyl, aged 6.

I keep in touch will all my puppies, with the exception of 8.  Most in pet homes are speyed but none of the entire ones have had mammary tumours.

Hi,
Heather mini wire daxie not spayed, mammary tumours benign aged 12 and full of beans
6 other bitches ranging from 5 to 9 none spayed and none with any health issues....touch wood!!

Boxer bitch who is now 7 1/2 yo.
She was spayed and had 3 of her mammary glands removed due to lumps this year in June/July.
Found mammary lumps in Feb of this year, so she would have been 6 3/4 yo.
She had one litter when she was 3 years old.

The Scottie that we had when I was very small died of mammary cancer. She had been one of my aunt's breeding bitches. I don't know how old she was or whether she had been spayed later in life :)

Daisy

Daisy pts aged 14 mouth tumour, had pyometra at 11 spayed.
Nella pts 12, splenic tumour, entire
Pru died 15, entire, cushings syndrome
Blue 14, still alive, spayed at 11, with pyometra, and had a mammary tumour, stripped at time of spaying.
Willa her sister 14, still alive entire seems perfectly healthy no lumps at present time.

All had had puppies.

Hope this helps

Bridie, one litter at age 3 years, died of complications of pyometra at 8 years having been spayed as an emergency. No mammary lumps.
Holly, died entire at 14 never had a litter.
Jay, died entire at 13 never had a litter.
Dawn R.

Penny entire,pts aged twelve back legs gave in and tummy bleed due to medication,no mammary tumours.
Bess entire,pts aged fifteen years,had mammary tumours removed age ten and tumour removed on leg aged fourteen,she gave up eating in the end ,vet did not know why.

Sheila.

Sorry forgot to say.

Penny had one litter of six pups.
Bess had no litters

Sassie spayed at 18mths lymph node cancer pts 8yr old

It might vary according to breed as well, since some breeds do naturally live longer.

My bitches however :

Judy spayed at 1 year died at 10.5 years
Sally the 1st not spayed died about 9 years
Nelly not spayed died at 12 years
Peggy not spayed died at 15.5 years
Sally the 2nd spayed at 13 years lived to 16 .5 years
Lucinda not spayed lived to 11.5 years
Rosebud spayed at 9 years and still going now 10.5 years.

The only one who had a mammary lump removed which turned out to be non cancerous was Judy. None of the others have had any form of mammary problem.

As others are including their living bitches I will add my older girls:

Hazard - nearly 12, spayed at 8, had unnecessary mammary strip, small lump was benign
Ko-bra - 7, entire
Maverick - 5 entire

And my older girls:
Jan -spayed after 1st season - 13yrs. Apart from nearly dying at 15 mths from a parvo-like illnes, has always been fit & healthy.
Rosie - spayed at about 6, 1 litter - fit & young at 12 yrs

Jerusalem/rottweiler - spayed at 6yrs, PTS at 13yrs due to mobility/senility problems. No lumps or bumps ever.

Angela