Is spaying the right thing to do???

[teenster3]

I'm taking my American Eskimo in tommorrow to get spayed. I talked to my friend that gave her to me over the weekend and this is the thing. Her mom asked if I was doing "the right thing" by having her spayed so young (7 months). She said: that every female dog lkes to be pregnant at least once in their lives because that is natures way and I'm taking that away from her. Is that right? I don't want to make money off her by having her have puppies and I really don't want to go through everything it takes to have litters period. I just want to do what's best for her!
Any advice?
Tina

[Uabassoon]

You are doing the right thing! If a dog is spayed before it's first heat cycle it reduces the chance of mamary cancer. Dogs DO NOT need to have a litter of puppies. Dogs who have never been bred and are spayed at an early age gernerally live longer and healthier lives.

[Uabassoon]

This site has some good information on it. http://www.ida.net/org/bhs/spay.html

[shais_mom]

Your friends mom is full of it!!!
I mean no offense, so please do not take it that way, but dogs that are not neutered or spayed have a higher risk of cancers of the reproductive organs. And a female having puppies increases reproductive cancers very much. A male that is not neutered is more likely to roam and to cause fights and be agressive to other dogs.
You are 10000000000000% doing the right thing!!!
If you question yourself, go to www.petfinder.org and look to see all the UNWANTED puppies and dogs b/c of all the people in the world that think the way your friends mom does. When I was getting my Golden spayed a (ditzbag) lady from work was telling me that I should let her have puppies b/c it makes her a better dog then she laughingly said that "our dog is so old it only had one puppy this last litter" ha ha ha this is the same ditzbag that said "I would never adopt a dog from the pound or humane society, you never know what you would get" That just makes my blood B~O~I~L!


welcome to PT!!

[teenster3]

THANK YOU both for responding so quickly! You both have put my mind at ease. I thought I was doing the right thing until that question came up with her mom. Like I said, I love my dogs and just want to do what is best for them. I have gone on Petfinder many, many times before we got our female and I just couldn't believe all the poor dogs & animals that were homeless. It makes me so sad, I wish I had room for them all with me.
Once again.....thank you!!! And the next time I see her mother I'll have to tell her what I did, was the BEST thing possible for her!

[Logan]

You definitely made the right decision!!!!! And I'm so glad you did!!!!!

I have lovely Golden Retriever girls, like Staci, and both of them were spayed at 5 months old, at my vet's suggestion.

[chocolatepuppy]

shais_mom OMG I don't know how you can deal with that ditzbag at work people like that really get me going

[chocolatepuppy]

teenster3 You're doing the right thing! You're being very responsible! I read in my Dog Fancy(May) that there are FOUR MILLION dogs and cats euthanized every year in shelters Do we need six more?NO

[ramanth]

Congrats to you on your new American Eskimo pup and good job on making the right decision.

Welcome to Pet Talk!

[lovemyshiba]

Yes, you are doing the right thing

I have 4 dogs, 2 male, and 2 female. The males have been neutered, and the females spayed. I got both of the females after they were around a year old, so I don't know what happened in their past, but they are spayed now.

My male Shiba was supposed to be a show dog (not for me, for some other people). Unfortunately, the woman who had him became very ill, and had to sell him and his sister. The man we bought him from said that we would get thousands for his stud fee. He was neutered a month after we got him.

[dragondawg]

shais_mom is being way too polite.

Mammary cancer in a spayed female dog has an extremely low incidence. If a female dog has just one heat, the chances it will get mammary cancer later in life vs the spayed female is about 7%. After the second heat or pregnancy the chances of mammary cancer rises to 1 in 4 or 25%. Strangely enough subsequent heats do not cause additional risk beyond 25%- but that seems high enough in itself.

The smaller breeds can go into heat any time after the 7th month, and the larger breeds usually any time after 9 months.

For the most part spaying will cause them to sleep a lot post-op the first 24 hours. Pain medications like Deramaxx are effective, although a little Torbutrol the first night helps a lot. After 24 hrs it's usually a struggle... to keep them calm, as they are ready to go full tilt. It's amazing how fast our young critters recover.

P.S. Now days even the external sutures are absorbable, so there's no trip back to have the stitches taken out!

[teenster3]

Dragondawg,

Unfortunately, that's not my case! I had Waffles spayed today and it's already been a very rough ride. She's thrown up twice since I picked her up this evening. The vet office that I picked her up from was extremely unfriendly. I wasn't sure what questions to ask and even if I did know my mind just wasn't there today. They never explained what happened and how it went. Just threw me a sheet and said: no baths, no off the leash walks or runs for 14 days, and to come back in 10 days to get the stitches taken out! They were very unpleasant to me. I had to ask how much the surgery was going to cost when I dropped her off and, they looked at me like I was some kind of low-life. Then, I had a question about a health concern when I did pick her up and again they rolled their eyes and made me feel like a terrible "mom".
I feel warn out and frustrated. My regular vet doesn't do surgeries anymore and recommended the people I saw today. I don't think I even want to go back there to have her stitches taken out when it's time. I feel so bad for my baby!!!! I feel like she's suffering.
***What are the exact signs of a female that has just been spayed?***
So far she's been VERY tired and weak. She's thrown up twice (water, hair and mucus)<<Is this normal?
It seems as though she's having a difficult time going potty.
She seems to want to drink a lot but, when she does she goes and throws it all up.
Besides looking for swelling and infection in the area of the stitches, is there anything else I should be looking for?
Any advice, information, heck just talking to someone that's been through this would be nice!!!
Thanks,
Tina

[shais_mom]

Originally posted by dragondawg
shais_mom is being way too polite.

LOL
Thanks!!!
AND thanks for posting the stats too!
I work with the 'ditzbag's' sister in law also (don't see her very often THANK GOD!!! and they both think that they are above me b/c they and theire husband's 'don't allow pets in the house' honestly I KNOW I am better then they are!!
he he!!
In my dog fancy mag, which I couldn't find that
within 6 years if 2 dogs are never spayed and none of their offspring are never spayed or neutered they can produce......




64,000 puppies!!!!!!

And cats are much more then that.

[minkyboodle]

When I got my dog spayed she was very out of it for quite a few days. I can't believe the people you went to were so rude like that, horirbly crazy.

You could get the stitches taken out by your normal vet I bet, you should call him and ask him about it. It is a pretty easy procedure to get them out, at least it has been for my dog twice.

The throwing up could be a reaction to the fact that she is disoriented over the anestetic or just it is making her sick in general.

Make sure that she leaves her stitches alone, licking and chewing at the incision helps delay the healing.

umm...what else was i told...i just did this a couple months ago...hehe...

If the throwing up keeps up you should call your normal vet and ask him what you should do, and explain to him exactly how the other vet office treated you and how that made you feel uncomfortable.

I hope everything turns out alright for you. Good luck.

[ramanth]

I concur with minkyboodle's advice.

So sorry they were rude to you.