# Spaying Question!!



## LJones5 (Apr 5, 2012)

Hi everyone,

We have a 9 1/2 month old V named Penny... the light of our lives! 

First, just wondering for some input on when your V's started going into heat?? Are there any "warning signs" it's going to happen soon? When did some of you spay your V's?

Second, we're planning on spaying her at a year old per the breeder's recommendation. I never thought twice about spaying her, I know it needs to be done.... but as it's getting closer I'm starting to feel really guilty and also nervous about it. Can anyone speak to if this changes their personalities, or anything like that? I know she's a nut sometimes but she's OUR nut and I don't want anything about her to change!! 

Any insights would be wonderful! 

Thank you!!


----------



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

A good article on why its good to wait till they are older.
http://www.thedogplace.org/Spay-Neuter/considerations-canine-athelete_zink.asp


----------



## lyra (Nov 2, 2012)

With a five month old female I've also been interested in this. A lot of the discussion in the forum has concerned males rather than females and reading the research I would definitely postpone having a male V neutered before adult (if at all). What I have read about female Vs seems less clear cut. 

Thanks for the link TexasRed. I have read it before but it comes across as someone who has made their mind up and is quoting research that backs up his position rather than being a balanced review of all the research.


----------



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I have two females still intact at ages 2 and 3.
My male was neutered at age 3. If it wasn't for his temperament he would still be intact.
I don't know about your breeder but some will Not guarantee a dogs hips if it was neutered/spayed early. They have a good reason for doing this.


----------



## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2011/07/on-going-discussion-on-spay-and-neuter.html

You may have seen this one but it seems "balanced." A year is twice as good as 6 months and two years should be twice as good because at that point your dog has, for the most part, stopped growing.

http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2011/10/why-not-to-spayneutered-your-vizsla.html

If there is a way to make it happen, and I know in this society it isn't always possible, wait.

RBD


----------



## datacan (May 15, 2011)

But the males.... behave soooo cute sometimes : ... Bohooo, now he's a eunuch. Now, I bet he can help the girls decorate the Christmas tree, whereas before he probably was more interested in fixing your car  



TexasRed said:


> I have two females still intact at ages 2 and 3.
> My male was neutered at age 3. If it wasn't for his temperament he would still be intact.
> I don't know about your breeder but some will Not guarantee a dogs hips if it was neutered/spayed early. They have a good reason for doing this.


----------



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I don't think he was to happy when he woke up from his nap at the vets.





datacan said:


> But the males.... behave soooo cute sometimes : ... Bohooo, now he's a eunuch. Now, I bet he can help the girls decorate the Christmas tree, whereas before he probably was more interested in fixing your car
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## mlwindc (Feb 8, 2013)

We live in the city near many many other dogs and our pup is scheduled for neuter when he is five months. Trying to think through the logistics of delaying... And what the fine line between too early and too soon is!


----------



## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

Me again..these two Penny's of ours being the same age is funny. I asked about Penny's mom and she was 11 mos for her first heat so I'm expecting the same. Then I'd like to get her spayed around two years old. But we'll see. As long as she has no issues we'll just wait until we think she's done growing. A breeder told us two years old is best as far as the earliest but def not until after a female's first heat. I've also heard 14-16 mos for males and females is ideal from a springer spaniel breeder. And our vet said waiting a long time on males is fine bec it's much less invasive but a female should not be "old" when you do it bec of possibly having a difficult recovery. We know youngsters heal fastest. 

As far as signs, I'm glancing at Penny's girl parts regularly for any changes. But I've never been through it.


----------



## lyra (Nov 2, 2012)

Thanks for the link RBD. The "Behavioral and Physical Effects of Spaying and Neutering Domestic Dogs" summary was interesting.

In an ideal world I probably wouldn't spay Lyra at all but living in an urban area I'm dreading having to avoid all her usual excercise venues for weeks at a time. When we got her we were going to have her spayed at six months but will probably wait until 18-24 months now.


----------



## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

http://ltlor.blogspot.com/2012/06/vizsla-heat-cycle-females-perspective.html?m=0

Riley is 16 months & has been through 2 heat cycles. She's still sweet as the day we brought her home!


----------



## RubyRoo (Feb 1, 2011)

Ruby was spayed at 6 months and she is the same nut. She hasn't changed a bit and has the same personality. Keeping her down the heal from the surgery was a nightmare. She had so much energy and her incision swelled so we had to give her a sedative a few days.


----------



## Rudy (Oct 12, 2012)

Too soon either

they will not make there Real size and Weight

Many reasons why waiting is better the Vets will say Ready month 4 :

Why?

"Doggy populations" not the Real best bet for the great V

We need more Vets on humans and Wally world shoppers

lololo  ;D

We support Nuts

Goldens 8)


----------



## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

Sent by a friend of mine who runs VizslaHaven:

"UC Davis published a study done on the effects of early spay/neuter in Golden Retreivers.

You can read the article at:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0055937

It has some interesting statistics like spayed female dogs have 4 times the occurrence of

mast cell tumors than intact females. Very interesting article." - Kay[/color]

RBD


----------



## Oquirrh the V (Jun 24, 2011)

harrigab - I remembering reading that you were thinking about spaying Ruby during a heat cycle. Thought I would share a story I just read. 

https://www.facebook.com/#!/athena.justice.92/posts/127185947486127


----------

