How Old Should A Puppy Be

[fritofeet]

How old should a puppy be when you have them spayed?

 

My vet says you can spay as soon as 5 months, and my little voice says that isn't right.

 

After my last vet fiasco, I'm a little gun shy-so GT opinions mean a lot.

 

Thanks.

 

[seeh2o]

I have to agree, 5 months seems too soon. All my vets have said exactly at 6 months. One vet said told me that if you don't know their birth date you go by when they start losing their baby teeth. He said they start losing their teeth at 6 months.

[Guest laceyj]

I think the standard is 6 months. The reason being is that by then they are fully developed and close to sexually mature, weight is also a consideration. I think it's more dangerous to do it early on a small breed versus a larger breed.

 

 

[Guest BasilMom]

I adopted a Greythound puppy in November and she was spayed at 10 weeks. My Vet prefers a later age but understood because of the adoption process it was done at that time. She tells me West coast of U.S. compared to the East leans toward earlier spay/neuter. I know ASPCA does as early as 8 weeks. One good thing about early spay/neuter is they recover very fast with less complications because they are young. Good Luck.

[Guest greybookends]

Ginny was spayed at 6 months.

[Scooby172]

My puppy Bella was spayed at six months, no difficulties she recovered easily.

Linda, Valor, Keeva and Bella

[retiredracers]

Elphie was spayed at 4 months... no ill effects that I have seen. She recovered wonderfully and I believe is a very healthy 21 month old.

 

BTW, I worked at a spay/neuter clinic for 3 years and we routinely did puppies and kittens as early as 8 weeks old (they had to be at least 2 pounds)! They were the BEST surgeries EVER!!! Those little girls and guys were up eating and playing an hour after the surgery. You couldn't tell they had even had surgery.

 

 

[Guest savvyprchick]

Elphie was spayed at 4 months... no ill effects that I have seen. She recovered wonderfully and I believe is a very healthy 21 month old.

 

BTW, I worked at a spay/neuter clinic for 3 years and we routinely did puppies and kittens as early as 8 weeks old (they had to be at least 2 pounds)! They were the BEST surgeries EVER!!! Those little girls and guys were up eating and playing an hour after the surgery. You couldn't tell they had even had surgery.

 

That's exactly what the breeder for our soon-to-come Great Pyrenees puppy is doing... he'll be neutered before he comes home with us! I have been a little skeptical, but this made me feel a bit better.

[Guest trevdog]

6 months for Dallas too. I have a friend that waited until her grey was 13 months old to spay, she was fine too and not as gangly looking as my girl still is.

[Jiffer]

For females, I think the standard practice is to have it done before they sexually mature (ie: go into heat for the first time). I can't say for larger breeds, but we had our shih-tzu done at six months and she's a healthy and happy 11 year old.

[Hubcitypam]

Ideally it should be 6 months, but I don't think that a month would be that much difference. Breeder friends that I trust implicity say one should wait until 6 months if at all possible as the hormones affect growth plates and other factors.

 

 

[Guest Ola]

The idea behind the 6 month mark is to avoid having the pup go into heat. After the first heat the chance of mammary cancer in female dogs goes from 0.5% to 8%, if I recall correctly, and it goes up the more heat cycles the dog goes through. And once the pup goes into heat, most vets will want to wait until after it's over to avoid doing a more risky surgery.

[BootsyCollins]

One of my neighbors was told by her vet to wait until after the first heat...I thought that was pretty old fashioned. I remember our dogs (male and female) getting fixed right around a year old or just before.

[fritofeet]

I have to agree, 5 months seems too soon. All my vets have said exactly at 6 months. One vet said told me that if you don't know their birth date you go by when they start losing their baby teeth. He said they start losing their teeth at 6 months.

 

 

She's in the middle of losing all her puppy teeth and she's only 4 months old. He said we could do her spay as soon as 3 weeks from now. I did tell him we would probably wait longer than that, but they will call and remind me. (like I would forget... )

This is a fairly new vet to me, and I'm not super impressed with them. BUT....ALL 3 pups LOVE them and going there, where the old office was a struggle to get them in the door.

 

 

Thanks guys, I feel better.

[Hubcitypam]

I found this on a vet site..sounds like wht your vet may be thinking.

I have examined a great many puppies and kittens. I have never seen an instance where I felt that a puppy or kitten needed to be neutered before sexual maturity was imminent. I developed a way to decide the best time to neuter pets - I am sure many veterinarians made the same observations. Just before a pet reaches sexual maturity, permanent, upper canine teeth (fangs) replaced the ones they had as puppies or kittens. When these permanent teeth first erupt, every pet I have ever examined was still immature and showed no sexual traits. But very soon after these new teeth reached their final length, sex hormones begin to rise. That is when I set an upcoming appointment to spay the pet within 14 days.

[Guest greyt2love]

Chloe was spayed when I got her at 4 months old. She has the tall, gangly, skinny build that I've been told is typical of an early spay. She is healthy, active and happy, so it certainly didn't hurt her ! My Yorkie puppy was spayed right after Christmas at 5 months. My vet said "before" the first heat to avoid health issues - cancer - later. Since I have a brother and sister pair, I did NOT want to take a chance on her coming into heat unspayed !! She is running around like nothing was ever done and I have peace of mind !

Edited January 23, 2008 by greyt2love

[Guest Hannah]

Holly was done at 5.5 months (baby teeth started to fall out around 16 weeks) partly because we had not much idea what she was so erred on earlier rather than later.

 

my vet preferrs to spay before the first season so in smaller dogs thats about 5 months medium about 6 months and large to giant 7 or 8 months.

 

I must agree that spaying younger seems to have a much quicker recovery. Holly was back bouncing (literally) as soon as the anasthetic had cleared her system.

[Guest LynnM]

Big can o' worms for some folks. I know what I prefer for my own dogs, and I know what is standard recommended practice.

 

Any time after about 8-10 weeks is appropriate, medically, in that the dog is large enough to withstand the procedure and will lead a normal pet life.

 

6 months is the fairly standard answer at most veterinary practices.

 

If the dog is to have any sort of performance career (in any event, but especially running events), IMO, it's best to wait until the dog is completely mature, which in a slow-to-grow-up breed like greyhounds is around 2 years old (many bitches don't even come into season until they're past 2, and both sexes, but males especially, haven't reached their peak weight and muscle until then).

 

I personally keep all males. I prefer to wait until the dog is fully mature unless there is a behavior or medical problem that necessitates neutering earlier. Bitches present a more complicated picture, in that it is MUCH more difficult to manage an intact bitch, and there are many more health risks and complications associated with a bitch having her parts as she ages. My own preference is to spay when the dog is mature, around 2 years old, but there *is* the risk of the dog coming into season before then (though many don't). If the owner is unable to manage her while in season, then she should be spayed at a younger age.

 

Clear as mud?

 

Lynn

 

Ideally it should be 6 months, but I don't think that a month would be that much difference. Breeder friends that I trust implicity say one should wait until 6 months if at all possible as the hormones affect growth plates and other factors.

 

Except that in greyhounds and other long boned breeds, the growth plates don't close until around 1 year old if not later. Greyhounds are NOTORIOUSLY slow to mature. Many bitches don't have their first season until after 2 years old, and neither bitches nor dogs acheive their peak weight until then.

 

For pet dogs, it's a pretty moot point. The dog will live a normal life, either way.

 

Lynn

[Guest DoofBert]

OK, I jjust lived through this with Tania...after receiving various input from members of GT, my group, experienced sighthound breeders.... she was going to be spayed, but we needed to decide on when.......we had Tania done at 10.5 months.... we waited for her 'long bones' to mature. I think we'd have been ok to wait a little longer, too.

 

Our vet confirmed that Gh bitches normally don't come into heat till after 12 month...(we had no sign of any heat)

 

If the spay/neuter comes too soon, the hound may be lankier in appearance.

 

 

[Guest Mom2Gr8dawgs]

We did lots of reading, and asked the same question her on GT. We decided to wait until Raven turned 1, so her spay was done just a day or two after her first birthday.

[Sighthounds4me]

Big can o' worms for some folks. I know what I prefer for my own dogs, and I know what is standard recommended practice.

 

Any time after about 8-10 weeks is appropriate, medically, in that the dog is large enough to withstand the procedure and will lead a normal pet life.

 

6 months is the fairly standard answer at most veterinary practices.

 

If the dog is to have any sort of performance career (in any event, but especially running events), IMO, it's best to wait until the dog is completely mature, which in a slow-to-grow-up breed like greyhounds is around 2 years old (many bitches don't even come into season until they're past 2, and both sexes, but males especially, haven't reached their peak weight and muscle until then).

 

I personally keep all males. I prefer to wait until the dog is fully mature unless there is a behavior or medical problem that necessitates neutering earlier. Bitches present a more complicated picture, in that it is MUCH more difficult to manage an intact bitch, and there are many more health risks and complications associated with a bitch having her parts as she ages. My own preference is to spay when the dog is mature, around 2 years old, but there *is* the risk of the dog coming into season before then (though many don't). If the owner is unable to manage her while in season, then she should be spayed at a younger age.

 

Clear as mud?

 

Lynn

 

Ideally it should be 6 months, but I don't think that a month would be that much difference. Breeder friends that I trust implicity say one should wait until 6 months if at all possible as the hormones affect growth plates and other factors.

 

Except that in greyhounds and other long boned breeds, the growth plates don't close until around 1 year old if not later. Greyhounds are NOTORIOUSLY slow to mature. Many bitches don't have their first season until after 2 years old, and neither bitches nor dogs acheive their peak weight until then.

 

For pet dogs, it's a pretty moot point. The dog will live a normal life, either way.

 

Lynn

 

My thoughts exactly...

[onrushpam]

Like LynnM, I prefer to wait until the dog is fully mature. We've raised quite a few greyhound puppies and have never had a female come in season before 24 months. So, I always recommend waiting until the dog is past 1 year old.

 

I've seen quite a few greyhounds spayed/neutered at a very young age. They tend to be taller and thinner... weedy looking.

 

But, we run our dogs in amateur performance events. We want them to be optimully fit and well-muscled. Early spay/neuter doesn't seem to make any difference in terms of life quality/health for a dog that won't be competing in athletic events.

 

Just my .02...

[Aerosmom]

I am waiting with Roo. I made an appointment for late March, which is around 10 months. It is reassuring to hear from those who have raised greyhound pups that they don't come into heat until well past one year. I know that the mom of Roo's littermate Daisy asked this very question a few months back and although opinions varied, it seems like it doesn't hurt to wait. All I know is that I am going to be a nervous wreck when little Roo is under anesthesia.

[retiredracers]

Like LynnM, I prefer to wait until the dog is fully mature. We've raised quite a few greyhound puppies and have never had a female come in season before 24 months. So, I always recommend waiting until the dog is past 1 year old.

 

I've seen quite a few greyhounds spayed/neutered at a very young age. They tend to be taller and thinner... weedy looking.

 

But, we run our dogs in amateur performance events. We want them to be optimully fit and well-muscled. Early spay/neuter doesn't seem to make any difference in terms of life quality/health for a dog that won't be competing in athletic events.

 

Just my .02...

 

I see what you mean about some of them looking tall and weedy but I have to tell you... You could NEVER call Elphie weedy. She is definitely tall with long legs but she has the muscle packed on her. She was spayed at 4 months. She could easily do lure coursing or something like that because she is very well muscled (just not as "cut" as racers, if that makes sense).

 

And personally for me, I don't want to risk an earlier heat cycle by waiting until they're older. There are always exceptions to the norm and I wouldn't want to risk it.

 

 

 

 

[Aerosmom]

And personally for me, I don't want to risk an earlier heat cycle by waiting until they're older. There are always exceptions to the norm and I wouldn't want to risk it.

 

Gulp....has anyone personally experienced or heard of exceptions to the norm? I'm hoping 10 months is okay....