Puppy age, in heat, and spaying?

Question

Hi, I have a 4 month old puppy, who I plan to have spayed. When should I expect her to go into heat? I mean, what is the usual age?
Also, when should I have her spayed? Before or after she goes into heat? (I don't have any males around that are loose to worry about.) I know of one chi pup who had calmed down bigtime once she "became a woman," so I'm wondering if I should let mine go through her first heat before I get her fixed. Is this calm down usual in females, or is this wishful thinking with mine?

Thanks for your answers!

Answer 1

Spaying is usually done between 4 to 6 months of age before the dog comes into heat, will decrease their chances of developing breast cancer to almost zero.

Heat cycles will very by breed, though generally medium to small breeds will go into heat at 8 months to a 1 year

Some of the larger breeds around 18 months of age.

The calming down may just have been a coincidence, I have a 9 1/2 year old spayed female who still has not calmed down , most people who meet her first the first time will often ask me her age figuring she is around 8 or 9 months old
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If a female dog is spayed before her first heat cycle, her risk of developing breast cancer is only 0.05%. If she is spayed after having only one heat cycle, her risk of breast cancer jumps to 8%. If she is spayed after her second heat cycle, that risk becomes 26%... that's more than 1 in 4! Spaying a dog after her third heat cycle may reduce the risk of mammary carcinoma (breast cancer) but not appreciably. The take-home message: intact female dogs are 50 times more likely to get breast cancer than a dog spayed prior to her first heat cycle. Ogilvie, Moore. Managing the Veterinary Cancer Patient: a practice manual. 1995

Answer 2

NOW!!! There is no earthly reason to wait for one or twenty one heats. Pups never calm down until they've grown out of the puppy stuff, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with seasons. Never heard such a story, it must have been a coincidence. If you want to risk unwanted pups, though (you'd be amazed how sneaky males can be in getting to a bit ch in season, it's their driving instinct after all), that's up to you but it's irresponsible.

Nonsense that you have to wait until a puppy is six months, vets will spay a puppy at 8 weeks. Mine came from the RSPCA at 9 weeks and neutering is compulsory when you get a pup from there. She was absolutely fine within a day of the op. Where does the six month thing come from? Ask the vet. I should think it is being confused with six months being the LATEST safe time to spay. It would be very risky to wait until six months, I would think, because that is the time when many females are likely to come into season.

Answer 3

You can get her spayed when she is 6 months old. I personally would have her spayed before she goes into her first heat but if she does go into heat, you will have to wait until she is done and then have her spayed. Every dog is different, while your friends dog may have calmed down some with her being spayed after her 1st heat, yours may not do the same.

Sexual maturity and dog estrus varies depending on the breed and individual. For the females the range is as wide as nine – fifteen months. Usually a female dog will go under canine estrus (heat) for cycle of about three week period, two times a year and this is the time in which a female is able to breed. One of the changes that happens to a female dog during this estrus period is that they lose blood and this, in average lasts ten days. If your female dog is in heat, make sure to keep her under close observation because she can attract male dogs, even from great distances.

Answer 4

A dog should be spayed at 6 months of age.Some shelters spay at 8 weeks of age, but the common time to spay is at 6 months.The smaller dogs usually go into heat anywhere from 6-9 months of age and large dogs around 6 months.There is no reason to let her have 1 heat cycle; in fact it is better for her if you spay her before she goes into heat.Spaying her at 6 months is best for her .

Answer 5

I would have her spayed before her first heat. You can usually expect the first heat between 6 months and 1 year old. Most vets don't like to spay before 6 months but you could always talk to your vet and see what age they will spay at.

Answer 6

You should definitely get her spayed before her first heat cycle. This will lower her chances of infections of the uterus and other diseases. The average age to have a dog spayed is around 6 months, but some vets recommend earlier some later. Dogs usually experience their first heat cycle between 8 months and a year, however it does vary between dogs so it could happen earlier or later. Ask your vet when he/she prefers to spay. Hope this helps!

Answer 7

Please make an appointment now. There's no reason to wait and every reason not to. If you wait until after her first heat her risks for mammary cancer go from 1% to 8%. Wait for a second heat cycle and her risks go up to 28%.