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Author Topic:   Why wait until 6 mos to neuter?
elizavixen
Member

Posts: 160
From:Columbia, SC, USA
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 03-08-2004 09:17 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for elizavixen     Edit/Delete Message
I've decided to get the puppy neutered. He is 5 mos 1 wk now and I called the vet and they said 6 mos or older to neuter. My question is why do they have to be older than 6 mos?

Is it like a growth thing? or a size issue? or what?

I was just thinking about it and wonder whether I should wait longer than six mos or just do it right when he turns six mos. but I don't want to do it too soon if he needs those things for any reason. I don't want to stunt his growth or anything.

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nern

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Posts: 1591
From:NY, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 03-08-2004 09:48 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for nern     Edit/Delete Message
It really depends on your vet. Certain precautions with anesthesia must be taken in very young animals and some vets are not equiped for that. Other vets feel strongly that having it done earlier than 6 months is just too young and prefer to wait until there bodies are a little more mature. Many vets having varying opinions on the best age to spay/neuter. Why not ask your vet what his/her reasons are and then maybe discuss it them?

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nutan
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Registered: Feb 2004

posted 03-08-2004 09:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for nutan     Edit/Delete Message
i think neutering is cruel..let the dogs enjoy their normal life...

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kyles101
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Posts: 227
From:Perth, Western Australia
Registered: May 2003

posted 03-08-2004 11:22 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for kyles101     Edit/Delete Message
shelters sterilise animals as young as 10 weeks of age. i know the shelter near me does kittens at 6 to 8 weeks. unless your pup was this young then i cant see why your vet wants you to wait 3 more weeks to get your pup sterilised? i dont really see too much of a difference in risk between 5 months one week and 6 months.

nutan, define a 'normal' life for us.

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MaryNH
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Posts: 240
From:Campton, NH USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 03-09-2004 05:32 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for MaryNH     Edit/Delete Message
nutan...testicular cancer, dogs fighting over bitches in heat, male dogs running off trying to get to a bitch in and getting hit by care isn't cruel? Then the products of these unplanned matings going to bad homes or shelters to be PTS isn't cruel?

A lot of vets won't neuter dogs early cause studies are now showing early neutering can have adverse effects on a male dog growing properly.

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puggleowner
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Posts: 228
From:Grand Rapids, MI
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 03-09-2004 05:55 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for puggleowner     Edit/Delete Message
Nutan- I'm not even going to waste my time on a response to an ignorant post....

Eliza- I too think it depends on the vet. Our vet encouraged us to get Cameron fixed early, and we had it done when she was about 4 1/2 months I think. I think being young she bounced back more quickly, but that is just my opinion. Then again, Cameron is a girl, so maybe it's different for boy puppies. However, as Nern said, there really isn't that much of a difference between 5 and 6 months I don't think that would adversly affect your puppy. I would get the opinion of a couple other vets and if they say it's fine to fix him now I would definately do it.

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Jamiya
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Posts: 1392
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posted 03-09-2004 06:15 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jamiya     Edit/Delete Message
People talk about issues with sexual maturity and growth, but what I have read is that animals altered early actually get bigger than ones altered later on.

I am a proponent of early spay/neuter. Nala was spayed at the shelter at about 12-14 weeks and she was good as gold the very next day - hyper as usual and didn't display an ounce of pain.

I had a friend adopt a male cat who was also spayed at the shelter at about 3 months old, and he grew into a large, fluffy, lovely, playful kitty.

Thirteen years ago, when vets still thought animals had to be 6 months old, I had my male cat done at 5 months just to make sure we didn't get into issues with spraying - he was fine.

Early spay/neuter is easier on the animal, takes less time, and the animal bleeds less in surgery. The reports I have read have found no adverse side effects to early spay/neuter.


Jamiya

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elizavixen
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Posts: 160
From:Columbia, SC, USA
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 03-09-2004 06:50 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for elizavixen     Edit/Delete Message
Thanks for the replies. I don't mind waiting the 3 wks to get him neutered. It just got me thinking as to why 6 mos. I wasn't sure if it was a health issue or just vet preference.

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Jamiya
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Registered: Sep 2003

posted 03-09-2004 06:58 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jamiya     Edit/Delete Message
I think it's one of those "because that's the way we've always done it" things. In fact, I read once that it was an arbitrary date someone picked out of the air and it stuck.

Here is one of many informative articles on early spay/neuter: http://www.danesonline.com/earlyspayneuter.htm

I believe the 6 months thing came about because they were trying to predict a female's first heat:

"Later we found that if the female dog was spayed before she had a litter, the incidence of mammary tumors was reduced to zero and the recommendation was modified to, "spay her just before her first heat". The client then asked, "When does she come into heat the first time?" And so, the time to spay her became, on the average, "about six months"."


Jamiya

[This message has been edited by Jamiya (edited 03-09-2004).]

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Nik
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Posts: 115
From:UK
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 03-09-2004 07:45 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Nik     Edit/Delete Message
Hi, you're lucky it's 6 months, my vet won't touch mine till he's 9 months.

I've just rang them again and asked why it's so and they said (again) that the dog will be fully grown then so any earlier *could* cause stunted growth and *things*.

They then asked if there was a reason I wanted him doing now so I told them I was going on hols with my brother and he just will not stop humping his dog. The holiday could become a nightmare if we're forever telling Floob to stop-it, which leads me onto another question...

How long after them being neautured can you tell any difference in their behaviour? I'm not expecting miracles or anything, infact I can't see it making any difference, but I'm hoping like mad it does calm him down a little.

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lanena322
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Posts: 69
From:Cidra, Puerto Rico
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 03-09-2004 08:46 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for lanena322     Edit/Delete Message
my local shelter spays as early as 10wks for puppies, i think it is just a preference. My vet says wait until shes 4 months.

I was looking into spaying my Golden Retriever puupy once I get her home since I am against unwanted litters. But I have decided not to spay her, I want to compete in obedience with her and lots of other things. Also I have read on many Golden sites that spaying can harm her, mess up her growth, bones etc. I am not going to have her roaming the streets she will be an inside dog and will be a competitor and possibly mother so I see no reason to spay her

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Jamiya
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posted 03-09-2004 08:53 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jamiya     Edit/Delete Message
Can you post some links to sites that tell about problems associated with early spay/neuter? Every site I looked at cited studies where there were no detrimnetal effects, and actually said that early spay/neuter promotes growth rather than stunting it. I would be interested in reading the opposite viewpoint.


Jamiya

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susan_cude@hotmail.com
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Posts: 813
From:Santa Maria, Ca.
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 03-09-2004 09:01 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for susan_cude@hotmail.com     Edit/Delete Message
Hi! Before we all jump all over Nutan, I have wondered about that also. I beleive in getting your pets altered, mine are. But! what about the joy of sex for the animals? I've often thought how sad it is that they can't have that in their lives unless they are a breeding dog. I'm just curious! don't bite my head off!

Hmmmmm. Susan

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MaryNH
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Posts: 240
From:Campton, NH USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 03-09-2004 10:08 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for MaryNH     Edit/Delete Message
I don't think animals find joy in sex...it's strictly about reproducing for them. Can't imagine a female dog enjoys being "tied" to the male or a female cat enjoying "sex" when the male cat has a barb on the end of his penis. It's strictly about reproducing with animals...no emotional bonds at all

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susan_cude@hotmail.com
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Posts: 813
From:Santa Maria, Ca.
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 03-09-2004 10:28 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for susan_cude@hotmail.com     Edit/Delete Message
Your right! Mary, I started to think about that after I posted that last question. It doesn't look to be too much fun for the female.

Susan

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MistressKela
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Posts: 275
From:My IQ is higher than yours, I guarantee it.
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 03-09-2004 10:43 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for MistressKela     Edit/Delete Message
Of course its not emotional...its about...well its sex. Its an instinct and I think in a way..unfixed animals do have a drive or desire to release.
I would much rather not have to fix my animals BUT since it does lower the chance of certain kinds of cancer and since I know that the sad truth of it is that other pet owners are not always responsible...I will do it. I guess I think of it as a small price to pay for a life of "luxury" with me. Free pets and food and health care and shelter and lots of love and care all their life.
That was in reply to Nutan as to why I choose to fix my animals. Sorry I dont have any knowledge about the age thing. I'm personally not going to fix my chihuahua until he is fully mature as he is so small the procedure is risky (hes 2 pounds). I'm going to wait a little longer and find someone with a lot of experience with teacup and toy sized dogs.

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Nik
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Posts: 115
From:UK
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 03-09-2004 01:28 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Nik     Edit/Delete Message
Jamiya - I've yet to find info on it stunting growth too, the only people who still stick to it are my vets apparently.
I did ring them back and stressed how people had told me they got theirs neutured alot earlier than 9 months and they're fine (they're not to know you all live thousands of miles away) so she asked me why the rush. I explained about the holiday so they've agreed to do him at 8.5 months... woopee do!
I keep saying 'snip snip' to him and making scissor fingers to him, he thinks it's a good thing. Bless.
Roll on April 19th.

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nern

Moderator

Posts: 1591
From:NY, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 03-09-2004 02:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for nern     Edit/Delete Message
Various studies on early spay/neuter can be found on Pub Med ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=Search&DB=PubMed ).
I've also read that rather than stunting the growth..it causes the dog to grow a little bit taller. The only stunted growth that I am aware of caused by early spay/neuter is a juvinille penis which has not yet been found to cause any long term problems as far as I am aware.

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elizavixen
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Posts: 160
From:Columbia, SC, USA
Registered: Dec 2003

posted 03-09-2004 07:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for elizavixen     Edit/Delete Message
Well, this just got more confusing. It is not very realistic for me to wait until he is fully grown as he is a Saint Bernard and will not be fully grown until around 3 yrs.
I want it done soon b/c I have an unspayed female whom I do NOT want puppies with.
Also I have noticed that he is getting, how shall i say, full of himself. I don't need a 150 lb dog who is full of himself.

I've never had a neutered dog before so I don't really know anything from experience.

But anyways, thanks for all the replies. There is lots to think about.

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