I am looking for advice on when is the best time to spay. There seems to be so much conflicting information on the benefits and risks of spaying before the first season or waiting until the dog is older. I am very confused! I think my vet recommends spaying before the first season due to reduced risk of mammary cancer and pyometria, but this seems to be a blanket suggestion from most vets and I am aware in larger breed dogs they can take more time to mature. (Our pup is 4 and a half months old currently).

Can anyone give me any advice on this or tell me of their experiences?

Many thanks.

I've never spayed my bitches before their first season. Two bitches were spayed 4 months after the start of their first seasons (lived to be 13 and 15 years old with no health problems); one was spayed at 7 years after having 2 litters (lived to 14 years) and the third was spayed at 5 years (still living - she'll be 14 in February). None of them had any problems with mammary tumours or pyometra.

I am very confused! I think my vet recommends spaying before the first season due to reduced risk of mammary cancer and pyometria, but this seems to be a blanket suggestion from most vets and I am aware in larger breed dogs they can take more time to mature.

My uncle just retired as a senior partner at a vet practice and they researched this to try to work out what advice was best for their clients.

He said there is very little in it.  The risks of cancer progressively increase with each season and therefore the increased risks involved in waiting for the first season are not that greater.  However the risks of incontinence through surgery in an immature bitch was determined to be a greater concern and their decision was therefore they decided to refuse to spay any bitch before her first season unless there were exceptional circumstances to require earlier surgery.

However he says after looking in depth into the research there really was very little in it, but he must have felt in his heart there was because he really would never spay a bitch before her first season. He's from the good old days, the old school James Herriot type vet. So more traditional but in a practice that likes to stay up to date.

My vet advises spaying after the first season so that the bitch is more mature. My GR and BC were both spayed after the first and are now 10 years and no problems except a less pleasing coat, my older Sheltie was spayed after the second season, no health problems just weight gain and her coat is a bugger to keep looking good, mind you it was only done 6 months ago so maybe things will settle down.

Personally I would wait until she is mature before having her spayed...

I spayed (c-section spay) my bitch at around 4-5 years old but I also bred from here and she is still healthy at 10 yrs old- so far the only thing she suffered from was a head tilt due to a toothache which is now all cleared up thanks to pulling the tooth and antibiotics :-)

My other 2 which I spayed at just 5 month T-Bone (female), Dozer (Male) and I have noticed their parts have not grown like their mother (now spayed) or father (still intact), they still look like they were 5 month old puppies... Personally if I new what I no now I would have let them mature first. Yes I would spay my bitches cause if I am not breeding from them then I do not want to deal with heats. If you no there is a chance she may become pregnant then that Is the only way I would spay early.

Thank you everyone. I think having listened to everyone's comments and from what reading I've done myself I might prefer to wait until at least after the first season to have her spayed. My main worry is about allowing her to mature properly, but of course if there had been a major health reason to spay earlier I would have done that.

Actually I'm not sure if she is coming into season already. Is that possible so young? She has been licking at herself a lot over the past 2 days and she smells really 'doggy' which she doesn't usually. There's just something different and that is the only thing I think it could be. I might take her to the vet to see - any suggestions?

Depending on breed seasons can start as early as 6 months, though many baby bitches get Vaginitis a slight infection that normally clears up once they have a season, and this will cause her to lick.

Our puppy will be spayed next week.  She will be nine and  a half months, and had her first season just before she was six months (lasted three weeks).  I wanted her to mature before the op, but as we have a 2 yr old entire male, wanted to make sure she was spayed before her second season.

The reason we waited until half way through her second cycle, was to ensure that she didn't have a phantom pregnancy, which the vet recommended (after another vet wanted to spay her at 5 months!). 

I'm feeling very nervous for her, though, but I'm sure she will be Ok (poor baby).

If it wasn't for owning your male I would wait another season for proper maturity, good luck next week..