why do they do this??

Question

i have recently gotten a little chihuahua mix puppy. well she is now about 7 months old.
now i need to register her as all dogs have to be registred from the age of 3 months. which i think is good. all dogs should be registered but what i find frustrating is that i can'e get her spayed until she has had her first heat cycle. that's what my vet told me. but so now i am going against the rules as such but it really annoys me. an unspayed female is $70 to register and a spayed female is $20! that is a huge difference. they should let us wait until they female is ready!
i want to register her but i just want to give her the time to mature fully and then register her.
what do u think?

Answer 1

Many vets advise to spay BEFORE the first heat because it is healthier for the dog. It cuts the chances of mammary cancer to about zero.

BTW when she goes into heat her nipples will get bigger, swell and hang down some and they will never shrink down again to their current size. Her private area will do the same thing. Do you want her to look the way she is now? or do you want her to potentially look saggy and baggy?

Answer 2

It's weird that a vet would make you wait until after a dogs first heat cycle, I would definitely look into a different vet. By registering since the pup is a mutt, I assume you mean licensing, some places will let you pay the spayed female fee if you can prove you have an appointment with a vet. $70 is a ton of money to license a dog (wondering where in the world you live) it's only $14 for a non fixed dog here in Western NY, $5 for a fixed dog.

Answer 3

I am not a vet but I have heard differing opinions on the timeliness of spaying dogs. I imagine if you get a second vets opinion, it may be different than the first. In any case, unless you face a huge fine for not registering the dog at 3 months; wait. The $50 difference is an incentive for dog owners to spay or neuter their pets and it's a good thing.

Answer 4

Most good vets reccomend spaying BEFORE the 1st cycle, find a new vet. They will reccomend spaying at about 5 or 6 months, though, as a Chis heat cycle starts later.

Answer 5

I never heard of that,,,,,, I had my dog spayed before her first heat, it is easier on them and the vet said it was the way to go if you are not breeding them of course. I would do as the others say and get another vet.

Answer 6

Find a new vet, one that will take care of things. You don't want to experience even 1 cycle of a dog in heat! Especially a lap dog! Gross! You can get it done, then register her. =)

Answer 7

I'm gonna have to agree with everyone else. Get a different vet. I purchased my puppy from the animal shelter and i only had to wait till she was 4 months old. They had already set the appointment for me to have her fixed before i even left the shelter. I think your vet might be trying to get some commission off of his patients.

Answer 8

That is not true! I do not know where your Vet went to school but this is not taught in Veterinary School. Take your dog to another Vet and make the appointment to have her spayed.

Answer 9

i would definitely call around and see if you can find a vet that will spay sooner. where i am they will do the smaller breeds at 3 lbs and the larger breeds at 5 lbs

Answer 10

find another vet cause I have never heard that you have to wait untill after their first heat cycle to have them spayed . I would find another vet . good luck .