how many heats should i wait before getting my female doberman spayed?

Answer 1

Did you know that half of all the tumors in female dogs are preventable breast tumors? Dogs develop breast cancer because they were not spayed before their first or second heat period. Intact female dogs are highly prone to developing breast tumors. In fact, they are seven times more likely to get breast cancer than a spayed dog. One out of four intact female dogs over 4 years of age will probably develop one or more breast tumors along the mammary gland chains. Half of all tumors are malignant and unfortunately, half to 75% of them will kill the dog by recurrence or spreading (metastasizing) to the lungs within one to two years. German Shepherds, Dobies and Nordic Breeds seem to do poorly, while poodles, terriers and cockers seem to have greater incidence. Sex hormones produced by canine ovaries during their six-month cycle cause a harmful sensitization or pre-programming of the breast tissue. This hormonal influence ultimately causes point mutations in the genes of the breast tissue cells that dictate tumor growth. Progesterone and estrogen are the hormones that cause this “field cancerization” effect. Progesterone therapy may cause breast tumors in dogs. The sex hormone receptors in canine mammary tumors have not been good indicators for therapeutic response due to their very low level of activity. If the tumor has positive estrogen or progesterone receptors, it tends to be benign. An intact female dog may develop a tumor in any one of her ten mammary glands and over half will present with more than one tumor.

Answer 2

You should get her spayed BEFORE she even has a heat cycle.

Spay/neuter at 5-6 months of age does NOT increase the chance of aggression!!!

In over 30 years in the vet field I have NEVER seen ANY dog taht had any other type of cancer because of a spay/neuter...I have however seen many, many intact dogs with mammary cancer, pyometria and other issues. I also have never seen an increase of hip/joint issues because of spay/neuter..these issues are just as prevelant in intact dogs as in altered..the same for incontinence..joint/hip issues are usually a result of genetics or nutritional.

As for vets not telling people not to spay/neuter because of money..that is pure stupidity...a vet would stand to gain a lot more money by not spay/neuter then they ever do from spay/neuter..it is extremely expensive ot treat dogs with cancer, pyometria, etc....
Be ware of those anti-spay/neuter redirect.

Answer 3

Although it's not really necessary for the dog to even go through ONE heat cycle before getting her spayed, if you really want to wait, wait just the ONE heat cycle before spaying her.

Answer 4

I am a firm believer of early spay and neuter... why not now, there is no time like the present! I am a Ragdoll cat breeder and in the ten years I have been breeding, EVERY kitten that has left my home (with the exception of 8, who have been sold to experienced, registered breeders) has arrived to it's new home already altered. We do our kittens at about 8 weeks and do not let them go their new homes until about 12 weeks. We like this as the younger the animal, the quicker it recovers; and our pet customers like this because they don't have to go through the trauma of taking their baby for surgery. I will be purchasing a female English Mastiff early next year and will be having her spayed at about 10 weeks old. My vet agrees her recovery from surgery will be MUCH quicker than an older mastiff. Do it now, you won't regret it!
Best wishes.

Answer 5

None. She doesn't need to go through a heat cycle to be spayed. I've spayed all of mine, but the 1 I wanted to breed, at 6 months old before they ever went through a heat cycle. They all did very well & never had any problems.

Answer 6

ER vet tech is right. Even if you wait until after only one heat cycle her chances of mammary (breast) cancer increase significantly when she is older. If you wait a few heat cycles her chances of pyometra increase. This is a condition where the uterus fills with pus due to having repeated heat cycles and no mating. It can be fatal if not caught in time, and is very painful to the dog, not to mention costly to treat. There is no evidence that supports a single good reason to wait until a heat cycle to spay. It's sort of an old wive's tale! Good luck w/your dobie.

Answer 7

I'll probably get flamed for this, but here goes:

Contrary to popular wisdom, many people are now recommending that you wait until the dog is mature to spay her. Several studies have confirmed that early spay/neuter has many negative effects upon a dog, including a higher incidence of hip and joint problems, increased dog aggression, and higher risk of several devastating cancers later in life. Mammary and ovarian cancer risks are decreased with an early spay, but other cancer risks later in life are heightened. A significant percentage of spayed females develop urinary incontinence as a result of the surgery. Veterinarians are reluctant to let you know these things, because spay/neuter makes up a good percentage of a veterinarian's income, pyometra (a uterine infection that can be fatal if not treated promptly) is common in unspayed females, and many people are not responsible enough to handle an intact dog.

When to spay your girl is a personal choice. If you cannot stand the idea of dealing with a dog in heat and/or cannot keep her separated from ALL male dogs for a month twice a year, go ahead and spay her before her first heat.

If you want your dog to be a performance dog (e.g. higher level obedience, agility, herding, schutzhund, frisbee, etc.) you may want to wait until the growth plates have closed -- usually around 24 months of age. The sex hormones are what close the growth plates, and if the dog is spayed or neutered before maturity, those plates delay closing and the dog may have a higher liklihood of developing displasia, joint problems, and ACL injury do to being taller, which changes the ideal structure of the dog for maximum performance. Most dogs spayed/neutered early also maintain a more high-energy puppy personality instead of settling into the more mature personality of an adult dog. A longer-coated breed will have an different texture to the haircoat when altered. Be aware there are also right and wrong times in the dog's heat cycle to spay. Some times are riskier than others.

There are also risks of anesthesia, particularly with certain breeds such as sighthounds, arctic breeds, some herding breeds, and other lean dogs with little body fat; and a spay procedure is major abdominal surgery. Anyone who has had a number of dogs has lost or almost lost a dog to a spay surgery. One of my girls nearly died during surgery, hemmorraged afterwards, had a difficult recovery at a top-notch veterinary facility. Will I spay future girls who are not breeding quality or who don't fit into a quality breeding program for top-quality show or perforance dogs? Most likely. Will I ever approach the surgery as a minor procedure or do it without a second thought? No.


Also bear in mind that many communities/states are considering the MANDATORY spay/neuter of all dogs. When these bills are being lobbied to pet owners, none of the side effects are mentioned.

I'm not in any way saying that spaying or neutering your pet is wrong and it is probably the right choice for you and your new pup, but please make yourself aware of the risks, and make your decision with ALL the facts, not just the widely circulated "minor surgery/everybody does it/it makes a healthier dog" propoganda.

Answer 8

I am so glad you are taking responsibility for your dog's health. She does not need to come into heat before you have her spayed. Do it now before it is too late. If she is 6 months old, it is time.

Answer 9

None.
Once a dog has her first heat, her odds of getting mammary cancer increases by 50%. And the mammary glands don't get removed in a spay like the uterus and ovaries.

Answer 10

To decrease the risk of mammary cancer later in life, you should spay your dog before her first heat cycle. By doing this, you have also eliminated any possibility of her EVER having an "oops" pregnanacy.