When should a female dog be spayed?

Question

Hi i was just wondering about everyones views on when a female dog should be spayed? I have a 7 month old staffie she hasnt yet had a season, and is booked into the vets wednesday coming to be spayed, (providing she doesnt come into heat). Since i have booked her in i have been told by several people that she should have at least 1 season first or possibly a litter?
I also have a 8 month old staffie boy who has not yet been done, i am waiting untill he is 12 months old as advised by a local vet. I will keep them apart if she does have her first season, but would it be best to breed them first?
Please note i would not breed mutts, both of my dogs are KC registered, 5 generation pedigree, and health checked. I do not wish to breed but if it is best for my female i would consider it. Please only serious answers, i am only asking for advice, if people have had there dogs spayed before they have come into heat, with no effects guaranted then i will

sorry to everyone who have already answered, due to my own spelling mistake had a lot of irrelevant posts
Thank You

Iaban my dog has had no puppies, and i am not intending to breed her, i was only asking what was the best age, e.t.c to do it, and i have been told many times they should have one litter. I am not stupid i have owned over 7 dogs and this is my first female hence all the questions

Thanks everyone if there is no need for a litter first then she wont have one, i really didnt want to breed them anyway. I did ask two vets one said before season the other said after which is why i was confused as i dont know anyone who has had there female dog "done" before a season, but this would be better for me as i have an entire male dog. Also if she does come into season before wednesday when would i be able to have her sprayed then? (i know she and my male have to be seperated for 3 weeks) Thank You

Sorry for the confusion, i have been advised not to have my male done yet because his testicle hasnt dropped properley, it keeps going up into his stomach when hes messed with, and i have been advised to wait untill hes mature and it stays down to avoid a complicated op where they would have to cut him open to find it

Answer 1

If you're breeding for the sake of "having one litter first before getting her done", then I'd say you have the wrong idea. That is just a myth.

7 months is about the right time for her to be spayed. Some vets will do it even younger. By getting her spayed before the first heat, you are significantly lowering her chances of getting mammary tumour in the future. I'm sure your vet can give you adequate advice on this.

For the males, 8 months is also the right time to get him done. But then, its best to follow the advice of your vet, since your vet is more comfortable doing it at that age.

If you truly want to breed your pets, I'd suggest you wait until they are about 2 years old. That is when they are physically and emotionally mature enough to have puppies. Also, you need to think about how you're gonna provide good homes for all the pups.

Answer 2

You do not need to breed your female, it will not make a difference in her health. Please, do not breed them just because someone told you some old wives tale. I have heard several things on spaying. I have a 100lb female Anatolian Shepherd/Great Pyr and she was spayed at 4 1/2 months old and has no problems at all. I have heard that some giant breed females can have incontinence problems when they are spayed very young. However, since your girl is already 7 months old that isn't an issue. I would spay her and have her done with it. There are always going to be people that say pros and cons. However, I always say do it because why would you want to put your dog through the bleeding, the "I HAVE TO MATE" and the restrictions you would impose on them if you don't have to? As for your male, I don't know why your vet would advise to wait until after one year unless there is a problem. The only time I would think about waiting past to or past the age of 6 months is if there is a size, legal or health reason. For instance giant breed, breeder contract, health condition. Good luck with your fur kids.

***EDIT***
You know it may never drop, that happens sometimes. If that's the case you should DEFINITELY have him neutered.

Answer 3

Firstly your female pup is far too young to be speyed, at only 7 months she is only a baby and still growing and developing. If you are intending to have her speyed, wait until after her first season is completely finished. Give her about 12 weeks and then get her speyed.

It is a myth that a ***** should have at least one litter, they don't. As for your boy, don't just use him once, male dogs can be a pain in the bum once they've been used at stud. You haven't said what relationship they are to each other or even if their pedigrees are compatible.

If your ***** comes into season she will be ok with the dog for upto about 9 days, after that point and for up to 5 days in the middle of her season she will be receptive to a dog(any dog!!) best thing is to remove temptation and kennel one or other of them until about day 20 of her season.

Your vet should be able to advise suitable kennels.

Answer 4

Letting a dog have a litter or a season before being spayed is a myth. I'm very surprised indeed that any vet would even suggest it in this day and age.

Dogs can be spayed from 5 months of age. It's actually important to get it done before the first heat, as this gives the highest chance of avoiding mammary cancer when older (75%). This chance reduces with each heat she has, so I hope you manage to get her done before she goes into heat! You will also be saving her from ovarian and cervical cancer as well as pyometra - something 1 in 10 unspayed b itches get.

Also surprised a vet said wait until the boy is 12 months before he is castrated! They too can be done from 5 months, and it's best done earlier, before the unwanted sexual behaviour begins - this is easier to prevent rather than try to stop once it's started. You'll also be saving him from prostate and testicular cancer when older.

I know you've already decided to get them done, but wanted to add my two cents worth!

Chalice

EDIT: Oh, forgot about that bit.... yes, neutering does slow down the metabolism, but it does not affect growth rate. It may make an animal more prone to overweight, but this is perfectly controllable with a sensible diet.

Answer 5

I have ALWAYS had my dogs rather male or femal done before 6 mnths I don't know why a vet would say wait on the male as he can go get females pregnant now and can cause him to wonder as tehy can smell a femal upto 5 miles away.
It's an old wives tail about waiting for teh female this is often why there is so many unwanted pups

Answer 6

Please wait until after her 1st season, give her time to grow up physically and mentally. There is a slight increase in her chances of mamary cancer (which is a small chance anyway), but there is also an increased chance she will suffer from spay incontinence if you have her done before her 1st season.
Apart from anything else, spaying should be done mid-way between seasons to minimise the chance of complications & if she hasn't had a season yet, you don't know that she's not about to come in.
There are a number of long term effects of early spaying which are only now being investigated:
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf

Answer 7

My little Staffie girl was spayed at 6 months old, so it should be OK do have your little dog done now. Your Staffie boy can also be done at 6 months, I don't know why your vet told you to wait.
Do not breed your dogs, it's not necessary and you'd probably spend the rest of your life worrying about what the owners are doing with the puppies! I know I would. Not everyone cares as much about Staffies as we do.

Answer 8

gah i was in the process of respondng to your last when you pulled it, now i have to write it all over again lol

a bit-ch shouldnt be bred before her first season of her second year (so her 5th season) this way you are to be sure that she is physically strong enough to cope with the strain on her body.

as for spaying, i myself was asking only this question the other day, i have a 3 months old puppy that i am going to get spayed and i was asking when.
my vet said 6 months before the first season, BUT from what i have read, and been told (and what teh general suggestions are) is to wait until the bit-ch has had her first season.
if you spay before their first season, teh dogs are more prone to putting weight on, because their body hasnt started developing "adult" hormones, the body still thinks it is in "puppy growth" mode and the dogs pile the weight on (my german shep was spayed at 6 months and we have trouble keeping the weight off her so that explains her problems)
so i am now planning on spaying my pup as soon as she had finished her first season.

i wouldnt risk giving her her first litter, mainly because 4 seasons of trying to keep a whole bit-ch and a whole male seperate would be VERY hard work, (my friend just had a dog jump out of a second story window to get to the bit-ch that was in the garden below)

and to put it another way, staffs and pit type dogs have a VERY bad reputation at the moment (i know staffs arent included in the thing of "pit types" but every puts them there anyway) at the moment, shelters are over run with staffs because of this, even though you would be breeding pedigree dogs, you are still basically only adding to the problem, with the reputation these wonderful dogs have at the minute, i wouldnt breed them.

maybe cancel the vets appointment you have now, and wait until after your bit-ch's first season to get her spayed. thats what im doing with my pup

Answer 9

it is a myth that a b**** should have a season before they are spayed. it is easier to have her done now than waiting. it will be a nightmare if you do let her have a season to keep her separated from the male. i had litter brother and sister and she had a season just before she was due to be spayed and it was a right nightmare keeping them separated as he would try always to get at her even though they were in separate kennels and dog runs.

Answer 10

There's no reason to wait. Take it from a vet school:

"Excuse Number Seven: It's better to have one litter first.
There is no medical evidence that having a litter is good for your pet. In fact, the evidence indicates that females spayed before their first heat and males neutered before reaching sexual maturity are healthier. Check with your veterinarian about your own animals."