I have just booked my pup in to be spayed.  She will be exactly six months when she goes in.  I have many many concerns and have read various stories some good and some bad about after effects, change in personality and behaviour etc.  I dread her having a season and all that entails and I feel that as I do not intend to breed her this is the best option all round.  Any advice positive or negative - would be most appreciated. 

There should be no change in your dog, apart from the fact that she cannot have puppies.

Personally I would not spay a puppy, I would wait until they were at least 12 if not 18 months old, why in such a hurry?

Our spay went without a hitch- the only problem was trying to convince the dog she was ill and had to be quiet! :D I was also worried about any personality change- but nope, mad as ever! However, some people say that a bitch that is aggressive /dog aggressive should not be spayed, because she will be even more aggressive afterwards. I don't know how much truth there is in that. I feel that the health benefits (reduced breast cancer risk, no chance of pyo) outweigh the possible changes in temperament, which I believe are rare.

However, I believe in letting the dog have at least one season before spaying, and am a bit worried about this presumably American trend of neutering puppies. I even came across a vet surgery's site there  which boasted about spaying them around 4 months! Just because they do it in the US doesn't make it a good thing to do. ;)
Is there a health reason behind this (having yours done so young)?

Initially it was the vet who mentioned spaying when i took her for her vaccinations.  He said that unless i intended to breed her later on then he would suggest that i have her spayed.  Also where i live there are a few dogs in the area and when she is in season as she is a small dog (westie) I would be concerned about dogs camping out on my doorstep. 

Unless you have a lot of latchekey dogs (and frankly I would call the dog warden if I had any camped out on my doostep) then it isn't a problem.  You just need to watch her in your garden just in case some dog should be able to jump your fence, and take her out walking on the lead where dogs have no business being loose (basically the town streets).  With a small dog like yours I would carry her part of the way and then walk her, crossing the road if someone with a dog is approaching.  As for the bleeding just cover furniture or carpets where she rests to avod staining.  Most bitches soon learn to keep themselves pretty clean and you tend only to get noticeable loss when they get up from beingf asleep.  After 3 to 4 weeks of keeping her away from all male dogs she can have off lead excersise again.  that is all there is to it.

By taking her in the car (or carrying her as she's small) for part of her walk you'll avoid her leaving a 'treasure trail' to your door! But unless you're used to seeing dogs roaming anyway you're unlikely to be troubled by them laying siege to your house - in many years of having entire bitches I only once had one dog find our house. If you dose her with chlorophyll tablets (available from pet shops) as soon as she starts her season you shouldn't have any problems.

Just make sure you don't leave her unattended outside anywhere (even in your own garden) and there's no need to have any problems. My bitches have never had an unplanned mating - and I got my first one in 1973.

Hope this reassures you a little.
:)

hi i jeangenie
what do the chlorophyll tablets do?
van

Chlorophyll is a natural deodorant - it helps mask natural body odours, whether it's bad breath or pheromones. And it's completely harmless.
:)

Hi, having now asked the question, you will get some replies for and some against, and you may be left even more unsure or even confused about the whole thing.

My two pennorth, for what it's worth is this. I would never have a bitch routinely spayed, I am afraid of the very real anaesthetic risk, and I see routine spaying as unneccessary surgery. I think I'm right in saying though, that the best time to have the operation performed, is midway beween seasons, so not before a puppy has had a season.

Dawn R.

Surgery always carries a risk of complications, for humans as well as dogs, and timing of spaying is important to minimise these. If the bitch's hormones are active (building up to a season, say) then there is increased risk of behavioural problems afterwards. Also when a season is brewing the blood supply to the uterus is greatly increased, and surgery at this time increases the risk of haemorrhage. So it's best, if spaying is to be done as a non-emergency, to wait until midway between seasons.

Can I ask why you're dreading her having a season?

the sex hormones do more than just deal with reproduction they effect the mental and physical developement of the organism.  Ask any woman that has had a hysterectomy before menopause if it has not affected her general well being and mood?

I have found that dogs that I ahve bred and bitches that I know personally that have been spayed before sexual maturity fail to develop mentally as well as physically.  You may of course like a permanent puppy personality and lack of maturity in your adult dog, many people do, especialy those who choose to own small breeds.

Thanx 2 all for your replies so far.  I must say I am a lot clearer re seasons etc.  Will have a good think.  I still have a month.  I knew i could count on you guys!!! :)

Hi Westie pup,

I have a spayed Cairn and known tens of others, none of them have ever had a change of coat texture or thickness.  Some breed's coats seem to be affected by spaying, others not at all.  Besides, if you are not showing her and are having the coat clipped it does not matter one way or the other.

If you have intact dogs in your area you need to be very vigilant when she is in season.  One shy Sheltie who would never even let me go near him, when my bitch was in season I not only could not get him out of my garden, but he would stand next to me and cry.  He was in lust.  You cannot let your bitch out of your sight for a second.

But here's the thing, a season only lasts three weeks. It is an extra burden, but if you choose to delay spaying until she is mature (midway between her first and second season), you need only go through it once.

Stacey

I totally agree with Brainless here, I have little experience in this but my in-laws own a giant schanuzer bitch and had her spayed at 5 and a half months, she is now nearly 3 and has failed to mature mentally since then. She is obvioulsy a big dog and very much a handful as she still acts like a puppy she is difficult to teahc and still has all that puppy excitablility and enthusiasm, not great with a 40kg dog, also her coat never developed and is still very soft.

Sarah

Something to bear in mind but probably not a major isssue is that her coat will almost certainly change.  She w3ill tend to greo a lot more of the fuzzy undercoat and her harsh top coat will soften and be less weather proof.  it will probably make her difficult to keep as tidy between trips to the groomers, adnif they are handstripping ehr at present to preserve a correct coat you may well find this will be diffiuclt to do adn she will need clipping.

I have owned dogs-males and females- for over 20 years, i have had nearly all of them done at 6-7mths. old !
I've had a few older dogs who came to me unspayed which i got done asap.
I have NEVER had any of the problems described above.I'm sure some dogs would get the above problems,but i never seen any of them in my dogs.I was always worried about incontinence which you sometimes hear about in spayed females,but i havnt seen that either.

Some breeders spay and neuter their pups before selling them,to ensure they are not bred from in the future.

As someone else mentioned they spay/neuter pups in the U.S at 6 weeks old,i havnt heard of any negative feedback from it YET. But the i think the only reason they do it so early is to prevent more unwanted pups in the future.

I cant remember the exact figure,but i think they euthanise over 60,000 dogs per year in the U.S just for behavioural problems this isnt taking into account all the unwanted strays etc.  So i think this is their reasoning for spaying so early???

Have you taken the breeders advise? I would agree with what everyone says. My vet won't spay or neuter until they are at least a year old unless its really crucial for health reasons.

My vet advised spaying before her first season.    She was seven months old and I have had no problems......she is now just over two.     At the time I asked for advise on Champdogs and and several breaders and everyone at that time agreed to go with the vets advise.