Early spay

Oona is getting spayed today. She is 13 weeks old, and 8 pounds. I will admit... I am nervous.

Then again I get nervous with every operation... so not a shocker!

We read the reports and studies, and the pros seem to outweigh what little cons we could find.

They say that young pups lick their stitches less, heal faster and need a smaller incision. They say that growth plate in the long bones tend to grow longer, but only by mm.

I've even read a couple sites from breeders (Great Danes, and GSD) that offer the option of spay/neuter before selling the puppy to a buyer at a reduced rate and then the breeders don't worry about having to check up and make sure the buyer isn't breeding and breaching contract. The buyer in turn doesn't have to pay for a procedure and doesn't become attached if there are any complication during surgery.

Had I been offered I am not sure what my answer would have been. 6 weeks is really young. At 8 weeks when we picked Oona up she was still a shivering little lick monster that was more goo than steel.

Anyway, what do you think? Any breeders out there willing to weigh in? Any new puppy owners with the same decision ahead? or past?

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Comment by LaRissa L. Head on February 22, 2011 at 4:44pm: Cheryl, Not yet. My vet usually calls after her last appt. of the day, so it might be around 7-8pm that she lets me know.

Sure does make for a long day!

Comment by Cheryl Lyons on February 22, 2011 at 4:12pm: any word yet how the little one did?

Comment by LaRissa L. Head on February 22, 2011 at 4:02pm: Thank you Jane for the articles! I really did enjoy reading the views the authors took on the subject.

Just as we look back in history and call some surgical procedures barbaric, I am sure in the future our children will be saying the same thing about spaying/neutering. Lets admit it, the practice hasn't been around for very long.

Peggy- Your point on the sleeping a lot and such is exactly what I am banking on! LOL! We adopted Roslyn when she was 5 years old and had to have her spayed the next week. Little did we know she was in heat! The Vet didn't even realize it until she was open. Boy, was she a handful when we got her home!

Roslyn is Mrs. Marks-a-lot. Heck, she lifts her leg as well!

(I personally think it is hilarious to watch a corgi lift her back leg... as long as it is outside!)

Comment by Peggy Woods on February 22, 2011 at 1:54pm: Bugsy was neutered at 7mos also - same as you Jane. I was starting to call him sir Marks-a-lot!

I know they fix them younger these days, but I personally am a bit squeamish about sedation at such a young age.

I'm sure little Oona will come out of this just fine. At least at her age they still sleep alot & are too small to navigate stairs.

Comment by Jane on February 22, 2011 at 12:53pm: Personally I chose to wait until Luke was 7 months before having him neutered. I would have liked to wait longer, but he was starting to mark quite a bit when we were out and about, and his obedience classes and daycare prefer the dog to be neutered. I'm sure many dogs do just fine being neutered very young, but from what I've read it can cause increased risks of hip dysplasia, ligament tears, and urinary incontinence in females.

These articles may be of interest:
http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html
http://blacksheepcardigans.com/ruff/general/spayneuter-as-close-to-...
http://www.akcchf.org/canine-health/your-dogs-health/determining-th...