What Is The Right Age To Spay?

[Guest mayapep]

 

Thank you for that post, that is really one of the best. I agree with you totally and am so concerend about the ramifications as well . I love my 7.5 year old so dearly that I can't stand it, and I have only had her about 4 years, I want her to live forever, I know that is not possible, but I also know she was spayed at 3.5 when I got her. I know that with a puppy it is so important to be thier advocate and do what is best. I know my decision is that if they will not let me take the dog in tacked and trust ( with my vets knowledge and aproval ) that she will be spayed. Thank you again for your post and if I do end up getting the puppy then I will definately continue to post on greytalk!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Here's an interesting general article on the subject. The link was just posted on VETMED. The author is Kim Thornton Campbell, a very respected dog writer. Although she now has King Charles Cavalier Spaniels, her first dog was a retired racing Greyhound named Savannah. This has no relation to the article; it's just a little Greyhound tidbit.

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24597888/

 

Marcia in SC

 

You: Respected by whom?

Me: By me, by at least one other poster here who also posted the link, and by many people in the dog fancy.

 

You: Totally irresponsible IMHO.

 

and

 

NOT spaying/neutering dogs has health risks as well.

 

Me: Would you mind elaborating on how this article is "totally irresponsible"? Your statement is sweeping, so I'm not sure if you mean every sentence is irresponsible or if later neutering is irresponsible or if it's something else.

 

There are a boatload of studies showing that early s/n saves shelter animals' lives. Agreed. There are studies showing no serious side effects from early s/n either, but they're not in Greyhounds, which as most of us would agree, are "A Breed Apart."

 

FWIW, our early neutered pups were both healthy and vigorous until they were 5 and 6 respectively. Then they started to develop serious ailments and were gone at 9 and 10. Some littermates also developed odd health issues in adolescence and middle age, including the growth plate closure problem.

 

OTOH, our adopted racers lived well into their teens. All but one were neutered by about age 3. One was 7 but this was the 80s and there were no rules about this. Our later neutered dogs simply were healthier and lived longer. Luck of the draw or not? I don't know. Maybe there is a study I've missed.

 

You: Seems like it's the group's choice. They won't have any trouble placing the puppy if you don't take it.

 

Me: Obviously it's the group's choice. I also never said they'd have trouble placing the puppy if I didn't take it; clearly there are plenty of people who will. Not sure of the relevance of that comment.

 

In time, folks who have adopted pups will be talking on GT about their health as they age. I'll be very interested in hearing how they do. Maybe they'll have better luck than we did; I dearly hope so. If we get a pup or two again I'd like to wait even longer than I did the last time and see how it goes -- if anyone will trust me to do the right thing and neuter later.

 

[Guest MZH]

Thank you for that post, that is really one of the best. I agree with you totally and am so concerend about the ramifications as well . I love my 7.5 year old so dearly that I can't stand it, and I have only had her about 4 years, I want her to live forever, I know that is not possible, but I also know she was spayed at 3.5 when I got her. I know that with a puppy it is so important to be thier advocate and do what is best. I know my decision is that if they will not let me take the dog in tacked and trust ( with my vets knowledge and aproval ) that she will be spayed. Thank you again for your post and if I do end up getting the puppy then I will definately continue to post on greytalk!!!

 

Thank you. I very much appreciate your saying that.

 

Please keep posting on GT whether or not you get the puppy. There's a lot to be learned here and lots of support when folks need it.

 

Marcia in SC

 

 

[greytlucy]

For what it's worth, I adopted my puppy from a greyhound VET. Many here at GT are now familiar with Dr. Heather Weir in Colorado from the fundraising Claudia has done for her...at the time Dr. Weir didn't yet have the Almost Home for Hounds facility.

 

in any case she had a litter of pups she needed to place and as a vet herself weighed the early spay/neuter vs the risk of placing the pups in homes and having to trust those home to take care of this at a later point. She insisted all to all of us that took a pup from this litter(I believe there were 6-8 pups, so long now I don't remember the exact numb er) that she would do the spay/neuter herself before sending/placing the dog to us.

 

I understand the debate about the early spay/neuter but I also completely understand why rescue groups of all types take this stand. If this issue is this important with you, you're probably better off not adopting through a rescue or adoption group but working with a breeder directly.

[Guest zoolaine]

I am adopting a greyhound puppy who is currently about 6 weeks old. She is at a rescue place that happens to be run by a vet. The vet said she does not spay before 3 months due to possible problems with incontinence. They are letting me take her home at 8 weeks old and advised me to spay her between 3 and 6 months. Think I'll wait until 6 months. She has a sister that I believe is still available for adoption if anyone is interested.

[Guest mayapep]

I am adopting a greyhound puppy who is currently about 6 weeks old. She is at a rescue place that happens to be run by a vet. The vet said she does not spay before 3 months due to possible problems with incontinence. They are letting me take her home at 8 weeks old and advised me to spay her between 3 and 6 months. Think I'll wait until 6 months. She has a sister that I believe is still available for adoption if anyone is interested.

 

They actually said that I could get a note from my vet and that they would put it into my contract and that I could get her spayed at a later time. My friend who has a greyhound puppy told me about a book to get called the ultimate puppy from www.urbanpuppy.com. I got it though. When do you get the puppy and have you had a grey puppy before?