Spay and Neuter?

Question

It is getting to be time where the 3 Miniature Schnauzer pups need to be neutered & spayed. They need homes soon, in the next 2 months or so, because of our family vacation. Believe me, I do not want to "get rid" of them so soon, I love them. But, it would not be accepted at our cabin, as we have 3 Schnauzers of our own.

Anyway, they are almost 4 months old; the earliest our vet will spay/neuter. Do you agree or is it too early? I know there are possible health risks and it is controversial. I am not sure of the age where it is OK and safe; I know 6-7 months is recommended.

We would LOVE to do this before they get new homes, but we can add to the contract that the MUST be fixed at 7 months or they will be severely fined. I trust my vet and know he would not put them in danger...but I need advice.

Thank you!

I wanted to add (after reading through my question) that:
I am not a breeder or an owner that wants to get rid of her puppies.
We are a rescue group that fosters Miniature Schnauzers.
Sorry if there was confusion. I can't edit it and it sounds like I want to get rid of them.

I thought I would add their size:
The two males are around 10-11 lbs.
The female is 8 lbs.

Answer 1

I have read things both ways, anything from you can spay/neuter at 3 months to people saying that you should wait till the dog is done developing- right around 2 years. The only solid conclusion that I have drawn is that there is NO conclusive study that shows that getting them spayed/neutered early is bad for them. Honestly, if I were you, I would go ahead and get them fixed because keeping up with and enforcing contracts can be complicated and you definitely don't want them breeding. I got my guy neutered at 6 months and he is doing fine :)

Answer 2

In this particular situation I don't think it matters what my personal beliefs are. I also don't think it should matter what your personal beliefs are either. Spay/neuter has become pretty safe compared to 10 years ago and many vets are willing to spay/neuter at 2 months or 2lbs, whichever comes first. If your vet is willing to perform the surgery now I would schedule the appointment as soon as possible.

It is my firm belief that ANY rescue should do the responsible thing and not let any of their dogs go to new homes before being spayed/neutered. Yes, you could put it in the contract that they are required to get the dog fixed, but actually enforcing that part of the contract can be very difficult and even costly for you. What if the female comes into heat before she gets spayed and gets pregnant, either accidentally or intentionally? What if the new family moves and doesn't leave a forwarding address? It's just safer and easier for EVERYONE involved if you take care of the surgery before the pups go to their new homes. That way you know for sure that they will not be contributing to the pet overpopulation problem. Plus, at 4 months old they are starting to get past that adorable puppy stage that most people are suckers for and into the obnoxious puppy stage where many dogs loose their homes for lack of patience on the owner's part...getting them fixed before they go to their new homes will make them easier to place.

Answer 3

Some vets will spay or neuter when the animal is two pounds, others wait until six months. But if you have the dog spayed or neutered before the adult hormones kick in they will always remain a puppy. They never grow up. They get bigger but still have a puppy tempermanent. Another thing is having a male neutered before one year old increases the rish of a crusia tendon tearing. 75% off all dogs with this type of injrury were neutered before a year old.

I agree it needs to be done but I recomment waiting until they mature

Answer 4

4-5 months should be fine, if that is what your vet says. Many shelters are starting to spay/neuter even younger than that. Honestly, 7 months is a bit long to wait. I would do it no later than 6 months.

Answer 5

Listen to your vet. They have been to school for many years and know a lot more than most that will answer you here. The males can probably go a bit longer, but the sooner will stop the aggressiveness. My vet. said the female should be spayed before her first heat as a 100% protection from breast cancer.

Answer 6

You don't have homes for them yet? It is 20 times harder to find an excellent home for a nearly adult dog than it is for a puppy.

The spay/neuter addition to the contract is a good idea. Usually how this works is that the dog breeders do not allow the new owners to register their new dogs until they are spayed/neutered. Do you really want to put out an additional $100-300 per puppy for the procedure? I mean, its great if you do, but I wouldn't have the money for it...

Good luck! :D

And find those puppies homes!

After reading your additional details, sorry for assuming you were a breeder. :D

Answer 7

Where I work, we do them anytime between 4 and 6 months. I haven't seen any problems in the younger ones. The biggest issue is size, animals under 5 lbs are harder to keep warm during surgery. It's pretty easy to use a warm water blanket and monitor their body temp though. In your situation, I think earlier is better. They won't know or care that they're related if the females go into heat.

Answer 8

Well, in California it's law to have your dog or cat fixed over the age of four months.

I'd ask your vet about the risks involved with having a 4 month dog fixed over a 6 month old being fixed.

Personally, I've never fixed my dogs or cats before they were 6 months old.

Answer 9

it would be fine...and even preferable for the females. i personally do not like to have males neutered until about 6 months or so, so they can develop "male" tendencies.
Go ahead and neuter them at 4 months and thank you!

Answer 10

no they will not be in danger. the shelter I volunteer for fixed all the animals at two mounts old. they will be fine, and its better to do it early than later, as they can develop bad habits, like spraying.