Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by LaRissa L. Head on July 13, 2011 at 2:19pm

Lots of mixed opinions out there on this matter. I did a lot of research and decide to listen to a lot of advice, but in the end it was a 50/50 split from the professionals. I ended up going with the early spay, but after everything I read that is what I felt was best.
I think you are probably better just reading as much information as possible, then following your gut feeling.

Good luck, it's a hard decision to make.

 

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Permalink Reply by Rachael & Waffle on July 13, 2011 at 3:51pm

From what I understand, there are quite a few risks of neutering before maturity.  I would say do it after 1 year. 

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Permalink Reply by Yuki & Ellie on July 13, 2011 at 4:12pm

I'd say go with your instinct.  If you're not comfortable with neutering at this point, then just wait.  I had Yuki neutered at 7 months (per my Veterinarian's recommendation) and everything went as well as we thought it would. 

 

Just don't expect a neuter to work miracles.  If your pup is already lifting his leg, then he certainly won't stop simply because you've removed his testicles.  Yuki didn't start lifting his leg until 9 months (which was two months after his neuter!), so it won't necessarily prevent that behavior.

 

If you choose to wait on the neuter, be sure you keep an eye on him so that he doesn't go making unexpected litters of puppies!  ;)

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Permalink Reply by Jane on July 13, 2011 at 6:20pm

If he's not having any issues I would wait until he's a year. I wanted to wait with Luke, but he started to lift his leg on just about everything and his classes and daycare prefered that he be neutered by the age of six months. I ended up breaking down and just having it done when he was a little over 7 months old and he did fine.

 

Read the link Rachael posted, and here are a few more:

http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html

http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/11/11/1434.full

http://www.akcchf.org/canine-health/your-dogs-health/determining-th...

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Permalink Reply by Paul, Greg and Jake on July 13, 2011 at 6:47pm

thanks for the reply. Similar issues --- I'm in Sacramento and there's actually one 1 out of about 6 local daycare facilities that will take an un-neutered dog. All the rest have neutering as a requirement. This creates a bit of logistics but thankfully I only need daycare a couple times a month.

The caveat -- I can leave him with day-boarding where he's not with others and in a pen -- but for any of the doggies play daycare it's neutered. 

 

I have an appointment scheduled next week with his Vet who says he's ready and looks like I"ll keep that appointment.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Michael & Bailey on July 13, 2011 at 6:59pm

I just had my Bailey neutered yesterday.  He is now walking around with his elizabethan collar on trying to play with his toys but having a bit of a hard time with it.  He is 6.5 months old and 19.6 pounds.

 

We were told by the breeder anytime after 18 weeks should be ok but our vet preferred to wait until 6 months of age. 

 

Bailey does lift his leg but not "on things" per se.  It seems as though he lifts to avoid spraying his front paws.  I call it a micro-lift (his legs are too short to do a regular lift).

 

I think that it is best to neuter earlier rather than later.  I read on the risks of neutering and the only one that was related to the age at which you neuter was a increased risk for osteosarcoma.  I am in the biomedical industry so I take VERY little stock in "risk assessments" - something could be a "risk" if it occurs once in 300 cases.  I would say trust your vet - he/she is the person you pay to maintain the health of your baby.

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Permalink Reply by Paul, Greg and Jake on July 13, 2011 at 9:23pm

thanks .. sounds like our little guys are about the same -- my will be 27 weeks but will be snipped next week just sh of his 7 month. He's barely 19lbs now and from what we've experienced a bit growth-slow as even our rabies had to be deferred until week 20. I guess the vet felt his adult teeth hadn't grown in sufficiently --- but all is good now.

 

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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on July 14, 2011 at 12:45am

6 months to a year is fine. Most of the research that shows neutering too young can cause many health problems in the future are referring to neutering under 6 months (like when rescues spay/neuter at 8 weeks). When to neuter isn't as big of a health issue as when to spay. I would go with anytime after 6 months. I neutered Frank early because he began showing mounting behavior. He did it once at the dog park and got neutered the next day! Lol. Generally it becomes more of a behavior thing. Once a lot of these behaviors begin they are very hard to stop.

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Permalink Reply by Aber, Ragnar and Kelso on July 26, 2011 at 12:20am

Because Aber has had spinal issues and I had him done at 6 months, we decided to wait until at least a year for Rags and Kelso to let them grow completely.  Unfortunately, thanks to the mold problem in our last house, K-dog developed demodectic mange and the neuter had to be put off until his treatment was finished.  We've had a bit of aggression issues, and Kelso has been the aggressor, so it seemed it might compound the problem to get Ragnar done first.  Apparently there is no real medical reason to have a male dog neutered, so it comes down to behavioral issues.  Even with the problems, I feel better knowing we waited.

They are booked in for 8/8--their days with testosterone are numbered!

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Permalink Reply by Paul, Greg and Jake on July 26, 2011 at 10:57am

Thanks for the reply -- my little Jake is now snipped, chipped and clipped. We had him neutered last week, microchiped and his toenails cliipped (as he's not a fan of that .. )

 

it's been 7 days and we got him back 5 days ago as the vet kept him 2 nights for observation. He's regaining his energy but he's very much a low energy poochie right now. 

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Permalink Reply by Jane on July 26, 2011 at 12:56pm

Holy cow they kept him two days? Did everything go okay?

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Permalink Reply by Paul, Greg and Jake on July 26, 2011 at 1:13pm

Funny .. others have said the same!

They actually told me in advance they keep dogs for 2 nights for observation which I thought was odd. The cost for all including overnight and microchipping was $255

A local VCA my parents go to charge $375 for all but theirs is same-day service. Any overnight boarding/observation is extra.

 

I was actually OK with the 2-days knowing he'd be under vet supervision and took some pressures off me. .

 

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