Quote:
Originally Posted by Sashy
Normally dogs get their first heat at ~ 6 months right? Isnt there an argument for spaying before the first heat
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Hi, Sashy --
Lynielime has an excellent article on spay/neutering that she's posted from time to time. The link to the whole article is here:
http://www.oregonvma.org/petowners/spayneuter.asp
...but I've cut & pasted the section on the best time to spay:
"4. How old should my pet be before surgery?
Consult with your veterinarian about the best age for your pet to have this surgery.
In most cases, it is considered safe to alter dogs and cats as early as eight weeks of age.
There may be health risks/concerns specific to certain breeds and sizes of dogs, specifically larger breeds; your veterinarian may advise waiting to perform this surgery until the dog is 6 months to one year or older.
As long as they are healthy enough for surgery, there is generally no upper age limit for pets to be spayed or neutered and, in fact, older pets can benefit from the surgery.
5. Should the female have a heat period or a litter before being spayed?
If your pet is going to be a companion animal rather than a breeding animal, then there are no benefits to allowing her to have a litter or to go through a heat period.
It is actually healthier for your dog or cat never to experience a heat as it lessen’s the animal’s chance of getting mammary cancer and decreases the animal’s stress and risks due to pregnancy and delivery.
Research indicates that dogs spayed prior to their first heat have less than a half of one percent chance of experiencing mammary cancer as compared to an eight percent chance after the second heat.
Cats spayed after their first heat have a seven times greater chance of suffering from mammary cancer than cats spayed prior to their first heat."