Quote Originally Posted by .sarah
Nova was spayed at 9 months and if I could take that back and wait until after her first heat, I would. I'm a big believer in those hormones are there for a reason and removing them too early could cause more harm than good. I would wait until 12 months at least, but 18 months would probably be even better. Buck is 13 months and not neutered and I don't regret not having done it already. As long as you can control your dog, there's no reason to rush into anything. Take your time to research and make a decision you're comfortable with.

Each person should do what they are most comfortable with, and what their vet reccommends for optimal health.

As far as research goes, I whole-heartedly agree.

However I dissagree with waiting to spay females (particularly dogs) until after their first or second heat cycle. Those hormones are there to help them produce puppies/kittens, unless a person is planning on breeding it is more harmful to leave them than to remove them.

These are the reasons I believe that, and have seen many instances of both diseases in my 6 years working for the vet, not all the pets survived the diseases even with treatment.


Excerpt Taken From PetEducation.com

Mammary Tumors

"Mammary tumors are more common in unspayed, middle-aged female dogs (those between 5 and 10 years of age), although they can, on rare occasions, be found in dogs as young as 2 years. These tumors are rare in dogs that were spayed under 2 years of age. Spaying greatly reduces the chances of a female dog developing this condition. In those females spayed prior to their first heat cycle, breast cancer is very, very rare. The risk of malignant mammary tumors in dogs spayed prior to their first heat is 0.05%. It is 8% for dog spayed after one heat, and 26% in dogs spayed after their second heat.It is believed that the elimination or reduction of certain hormonal factors causes the lowering of incidence of the disease in dogs that have been spayed."

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Excerpt Taken From PetEducation.com

Pyometra (uterine infection)

Pyometra is a disease mainly of middle-aged female dogs that have not been spayed. In the past, we thought pyometra was simply a uterine infection, but today, we know that it is a hormonal abnormality, and a secondary bacterial infection may or may not be present. Pyometra follows a heat cycle in which fertilization did not occur. Typically, within two to four months after the cycle, the female starts showing signs of the disease.

Additional but similar information available at VeterinaryPartner.com