Any Vet's or Breeders please answer: Breeding then neutering or just neuter?

Question

First off I am not planning on breeding a dog/cat, I don't even own one but I was talking with a friend of mine about pet ownership and she said she heard ( she wasn't sure from who) that its healthier and best to have a female dog produce one litter and then neuter them rather than neuter without having puppies. I disagreed and said it shouldn't affect the health or happiness of the dog if she was neutered and didn't have a litter. Are there any Vet's or Breeders that know and why or why not? I know about pet overpopulation and am not advocating it I was just wondering about this question so please don't start attacking me or preaching, I just want an honest answer and to dispel this myth if it is one. (Sorry but I asked this of a pet site and got *yelled* at and accused of trying to push 'puppy mill' pregnancies and being part of the pet overpopulation problem', etc. etc.

Answer 1

In my work at the vet's office, I have never seen this to be true. It is healthier if you are not specifically looking to breed a specific breed of dog, you should just have the dog spayed or neutered. I have heard this in the past, but my colleagues have never given any credence to it. I'm sorry to hear that they reacted that way, as this is a perfectly legitimate question, and there is no need to accuse you of such. They were definitely out of line.

Answer 2

This is not going to be a popular answer but...
If the dog is not spayed BEFORE her first heat, then the dog would gain some benefit from having a litter. I have seen research that says a dog's risk of cancer goes up (that means from whatever her base risk is due to genetics and other factors including environment and diet, it goes up) with each of the first three heat cycles. After that, the risk remains the same no matter how many cycles or whether she is spayed after that. However, if she has a litter of puppies, the risk reduces back toward her original risk (this doesn't mean if she has puppies she won't get breast cancer anymore than if she is spayed she will never get breat cancer, it simply means that risk goes down). This is purely from a medical standpoint not a moral "should we allow dogs to have more 'unwanted' puppies" standpoint. Now there are medications that can prevent the heat cycle from occurring that someone could have done to a young dog to decide if the dog is worth breeding (for example a show prospect). The dog could then be spayed at a later time and still benefit from the spaying in regards to cancer if for some reason she is not deemed fit to breed.

I have also seen some research that show that nuetered males are more likely to develop a bad kind of prostate cancer (in other words, IF they develop prostate cancer, then it is more likely to be the more dangerous kind),

Also if you are going to use a dog for althetic sports (agility, frisbee ect), the dog can benefit from been nuetered later. Early nuetering can lead to a smaller lung capacity (narrow rib cage) and longer limbs.

Like I said, this won't be a popular answer but both sides of the spay/nueter issue needs to be addressed. You rarely hear about the other side of this issue. BTW I am not advocating anything other than responsible pet ownership and that means taking ALL the facts into consideration and deciding what is best for your pet.

Answer 3

In case your dogs are fisished champions and you have had all the genetic trying out carried out so you aren't passing on hip displasia or other types of defects then go ahead nad breed your puppies. If in case you have accomplished all of the proper stuff and have a record of folks ready for puppys you are a in charge breeder and are doing the right matters. There's nothing fallacious with trying to breed some satisfactory dogs to have some first-class best helathly pups. I have a rescue canine at all times and volunteer with a rescue as a coach for humans having problems. However I still possess two different puppies who came from breeders and will at all times have at least one "papered pure bred" that i'm showing in subject trials. It's the humans who're asking breed or the relatively effortless questions that should spay their dogs as that you would be able to tell from the questions they have no longer done some thing as opposed to purchase a canine and need to generate profits on pups.

Answer 4

Dogs who are never bred are no different that dogs who are. First of all, sexually altering the dog only brings a healthier outcome for the dog, saving it from many sexually related diseases and problems. If your friend protests that they can not afford the surgery, ASPCA offers discounted proceedures then remind your friend of what could happen if she breeds like a needs C-Section, a litter of pups, maybe 12 and the moma dies, then she is up every 2 hours had feeding and maybe even tube feeding puppies for weeks. Vet care with breeding can be oh so costly. It is all in all easier for an owner to sexually alter the dog. I could go one forever, but I think you get the point. If s/he wants to be a breeders then follow the breeding protocal for the breed usually found in code of ethics of any major breed club of america of at the AKC website.

Answer 5

It is better for the health of the female dog to have her spayed before she even goes into heat.
Each and every heat she has raises her risk of mamary cancer an unbeleivable rate. You also risk her getting something called a pyometra. It is a life threatening uterine infection. Many dogs die from this.
If she is spayed before she has a heat it lowers her cancer risk and she will not ever get a pyometra.
She does not need to have puppys to be a good dog or have a good attitude. Each time you breed the dog you risk her life. She is better off spayed with out ever having pups.

Answer 6

in the adventure that your canines are fisished champions and examine were given had each of the genetic checking out finished so that you're literally not passing on hip displasia or different sorts of defects then flow ahead nad breed your canines. once you've finished each of the right stuff and performance a itemizing of folk waiting for puppys you're a responsible breeder and are doing the right issues. there is no longer something incorrect with desirous to reproduce some high quality canines to have some marvelous high quality helathly domestic dogs. I have a rescue canines in any respect circumstances and volunteer with a rescue as a coach for human beings having complications. yet I nevertheless personal 2 different canines who got here from breeders and could continually have a minimum of one "papered organic bred" that i'm exhibiting in field trials. that's the human beings who're asking the thanks to reproduce or the really worry-free questions that ought to spay their canines as you are able to tell from the questions they have not finished something except purchase a canines and intend to make money on domestic dogs.

Answer 7

Well, the pet overpopulation problem is a serious one. And healthwise, it won't hurt a b**** at all to never give birth. The breeding can be traumatic anyway, and often the birth has medical complications of its own. If you're not intending to breed and show on a serious basis, just let her be spayed and she'll be a happy healthy dog.

Answer 8

It is not "healthier" for a female to produce one litter. Pregnancy and nursing puppies robs the mama of vital nutrients, and is very hard on her. It an also kill her.

Not to mention, the puppies and their puppies will most likely wind up being euthanized due to lack of homes and responsible ownership.

Getting her spayed early prevents cancers and also can help avoid aggression issues.

I'm sorry you got "yelled" at, but please understand that "one litter" means thousands of puppies down the road...because those puppies will reproduce. Please have your friend visit http://www.friendsofanimals.org and get her dog spayed/neutered more affordably, buy purchasing a certificate through them to use at her local vet.

It is much "healthier" for her, and will save her pups from death row down the road!!!

http://www.libertydogtraining.com

Answer 9

if you spay them early enough, its better for their health, every heat cycle increases the risk of certain cancers. i've had 3 dogs that i remember in my lifetime. the first was spayed before her first heat, and she lived until 16 when a genetic disease finally caused her to have to be put down. my second dog went thru her first heat (only because we thought she was younger than she must have been) but was spayed shortly after, she is now 15, completely blind and has kidney issues, i doubt it has anything to do with her going thru a heat, but it makes me wonder. my new pup was spayed at 4 months old, but the vet (and the shelter i got her from) wanted to do it at 8 weeks old. she's completely happy and never knew it happened (except now she doesnt hump things)

we had a dog when i was really little. it was never spayed because it was AKC registered and the pup of a show dog. it was my mother's sister's dog, but she couldnt take care of it so my mom took it. that dog had false pregnancies all the time and eventually had 2 strokes in one night and had to be put to sleep. she was only about 6 years old.

Answer 10

you do not need to allow the female to have a litter before spaying (neutering/castration is male).
we usually recommend the animal is spayed before the first season at around 6 months old or after the first season.
each practice differ on the spaying policy so ring and find out what your individual practice recommends.
at my practice we say to spay at 6 months or between seasons.

qualified veterinary nurse UK