All I am going to say is that it is absolutely not advised to spay/neuter before adulthood. sex hormones play a huge role in proper development, and spaying/neutering too early, can mean improper development and a risk of bone cancer, as well as other medical issues.

 

Thank you - I don’t think this is the case from the studies I’ve read and my vet’s guidance, but appreciate you sharing your own view.

 

She'll be fine!

As for Bullet Point 3, I've had two bitches - one spayed at a year old, the other at 5 (and that was because her previous owners hadn't bothered). Neither had spay-related incontinence. and whilst Milly (the yearling) was destructive as an adolescent, she outgrew it - it was boredom related, not spay related.

These links might be of some help;
Spaying Bitches
Vet Help Direct - Spaying Bitches Early

 

Thank you! I have read that there are no developmental disadvantages to spaying puppies from small breeds early - and my vet agrees - but a lot of the internet doesn’t, so it’s great to hear from those with experience!

 

I'll just start by saying I've not had girls.

But, no matter what choice people make, whether about neutering or about anything at all in life, there will be pros and cons. So however people reply, you'll likely still second guess your decision.

Again there's a cultural influence. In the US, for example, neutering early is far more common than it is in Europe. That may have a bearing on some of the answers you get.

 

Yeah, it seems like a lot of opinions around dogs are very different from country to country and area to area! Luckily, I’m fairly good at sussing out what is cultural and what’s evidence-based from years of self-advocacy around my own health. I’m really pretty confident in my choice, based on my vet’s guidance and my research - but more reassurance is always helpful, too.

It seems like most of the reliable sources recommend spaying small breeds early, as spaying before the first heat dramatically reduces the risk of breast cancer to 0.5%, compared to about 25% if she goes through just two heats, and even if all the behavioural things were true, this would still be key for me!

Still, I do appreciate that people have very firm opinions on what is right and wrong about this. Hopefully, I won’t start a battle about it! Most useful will be hearing from those who’ve done it about their own experiences, I think!

 

Kudos to you! You made your decision based on what you believe, and on consultations with your vet, is the best decision for you and your dog - she is your pup, it is your decision to make.
Don't let anyone cause you to second guess!

I have had multiple dogs over the years, mostly males, but the two females that I had (one lab mix and one golden retriever) were both spayed at around 6 months of age (the males were altered at about that age too) all grew up to be healthy (both physically and emotionally) well-adjusted normal adult dogs.

 

Thank you! It’s always really reassuring to hear from people who’ve done it, and had success with it! I think Nina will be absolutely fine, and I’m sure it’s the right choice, but sometimes my anxious brain appreciates it when other people confirm my own views to me!

 

The bits about "never calming down" "not growing up" increasing destructive behavior" and so on are pure BS.
As for increasing the possibility of cancer and so on, to my knowledge there are not any verifiable empirical and published scientific studies that would prove this.
Make the decision based on the information you have, your own gut feeling, and your veterinarian's advice, and don't look back.

My young dog was neutered at 13 weeks. I worry about that sometimes, because of what is said about growth plates, and if he'd not come from a shelter I would have probably waited until he was a year old. But done is done and I am going to prove with him that a dog neutered young can still be healthy his whole long (very long) life!

 

We have had two female dogs, both spayed prior to our adopting them, first one from a local shelter, current dog from a local rescue. Spaying a dog, IMO, is not only the socially responsible thing to do, but really who wants to live with a dog in heat. Our first dog was about nine months when she was spayed by the shelter Vet, current dog about 20 months by the rescue Vet and she may have been in, or just completed a cycle when she was spayed, according to our Vet. First dog lived to be almost fifteen years of age, and yes had medical issues, but none related to having been spayed. Current dog is not yet three years and seems to be none the worse for wear, as a result of having been spayed.

 

Health Implications in Early Spay and Neuter in Dogs | AKC Canine Health Foundation

Recent results from research funded by the AKC Canine Health Foundation have the potential to significantly impact recommendations for spaying and neutering dogs in the United States. Most dogs in the United States are spayed or neutered, and for years the procedures have been completed prior to...

www.akcchf.org

Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence - PubMed

Neutering (including spaying) of male and female dogs in the first year after birth has become routine in the U.S. and much of Europe, but recent research reveals that for some dog breeds, neutering may be associated with increased risks of debilitating joint disorders and some cancers...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

From the referenced study, above:

In most cases, the caregiver can choose the age of neutering without increasing the risks of these joint disorders or cancers. Small-dog breeds seemed to have no increased risks of joint disorders associated with neutering, and in only two small breeds (Boston Terrier and Shih Tzu) was there a significant increase in cancers.

The other study referenced, the AKC one, was done only with Golden Retrievers.

 

To update, Nina is home and is doing fine, eating and walking and ok - but uncomfortable and feeling some pain, I think. The vet said not to give her any more painkillers until tomorrow morning, so I’m not, but it’s sad, because she is clearly feeling it. Hopefully it will ease off as the next few days pass!

The vet also said that the entire morning, before the op, Nina wouldn’t stay quiet in the kennels but insisted on being carried around, to the point that they had to allocate a nurse to just focus on this task. I mean, I could have told them she wouldn’t take kindly to being ignored… 😂

 

Poor girl! She'll feel better in just a few days. God bless her and I wish her a long and happy life!

 

Aw, bless her!

 

I'm glad to hear she is doing OK. It's always scary, to me, when a dog goes in for any surgery, even one as routine as this is, and alweays such a relief when they are home again. she will not doubt recover quickly because of her youth and will be just fine.

I had to laugh reading that they carried her around. So lovely that you have a veterinary team that would do that for her rather than leaving her in a kennel to cry.

And now that she's home you will no doubt be pampering her while she recovers. Lucky little girl!

 

She will be fine, it just takes some time for her to start feeling normal again. It is, after all, not minor surgery, so some recovery time is to be expected, but she will recover quicker than you may expect. I'm sure the Vet loaded her up with pain killers and antibiotics, likely enough to get her through today and tonight. Now its over and all that is left is to enjoy her for years to come, really an easy and very enjoyable task.

 

Thanks all - yep, all the staff at my vets are extremely caring with all the animals. It’s the reason I still go there, despite the prices being considerably higher than the other vets nearby. I’m surprised they could spare a nurse, but I do know how grating Nina’s sad sounds are (like, you’re doing something for her own good, but she sounds so sad, so you feel guilty, then annoyed for feeling guilty, then… It’s a headache.)

Oh, she will be absolutely fine. She just has spaniel eyes, and has had her puppy dog expression mastered since I met her at the breeder’s when she was eight weeks old. (She used it on me when I picked her up off my lap so I could go home.) If I’m ever resisting her demands I have to not look at her face - and it’s worse when you know she has a genuine reason for sadness.
Still, she’ll bounce back in no time - apparently when they took her out for the toilet after she’d come round from the anaesthesia, and she’d eaten, another dog was in the garden for some reason, and Nina immediately bolted to play. After which, presumably, they panickedly double checked her stitches - but I can’t blame them. Nina’s a force around other dogs and if this one was as close as I would guess, they’d have had no chance at calling her off. (We’re working on it. It mostly requires distance.)

 

yep, all the staff at my vets are extremely caring with all the animals. It’s the reason I still go there, despite the prices being considerably higher than the other vets nearby.

I can relate to this.
After having the worst experience I have ever had at a veterinarian, at the vet that I had gone to for many years (it was a horrible shock to be treated, and have my dog treated, so abusively by someone with whom I'd had a good relationship for years), I had to find a new vet practice. I was lucky that a good friend could recommend someone.

The place I go to now is similar to yours, I think. Everyone very caring, truly interested, and remembered my dog's name after we'd only been there once. They're always willing to take the time to set my dog at ease and to answer all my questions. I think they'd be likely to carry a puppy around if that's what it took.

The new place costs a lot more than my old vet. But I know my young dog is very unlikely to have a traumatizing experience there and he got excellent care when he was very ill last summer. He gets all excited when he sees that we've arrived at that clinic now. It's more than worth the extra money it costs me!

 

Having a competent, caring Vet that you trust is so important. After all we entrust our beloved fur babies lives to them. We are so fortunate, started going to our Vet when we first adopted Samantha fifteen years ago, almost, and now take Lexi to him too. He is very caring, a great diagnostician, and very likeable. I'm afraid that sometime in the not too distant future he is going to retire, but he has a protege that has a year and a half left in Vet school, who has worked in the practice for years as a Vet Assistant, and once though Vet school will come on board as a Vet, and I believe kind of slowly work into taking over the practice. I think he is going to be a great Vet, he knows the practice and the clients, so I'm not quite as stressed as I might be if that were not the plan.

 

Oh, a caring vet is super-important. I have rabbits, which are very fragile. If they get ill it can be caused by food changes or stress or noise, or literally nothing. You get a lot of judgemental rabbit experts demanding to know what you’ve done to cause it, when in reality, it’s just happened. You need a vet which brings that passion for animals’ health and safety with a lack of that judgement for an anxious owner!

(On another topic, is there any tidy alternative for a dog who adores tearing up paper and tissues and scattering them about? I may have asked this before. I wonder if there are any Velcro toys that she could tear to pieces in a similar manner.)

 

(On another topic, is there any tidy alternative for a dog who adores tearing up paper and tissues and scattering them about? I may have asked this before. I wonder if there are any Velcro toys that she could tear to pieces in a similar manner.)

My young dog was hell of any kind of tissues or paper towels etc. when he was a puppy. He has completely grown out of it, so quite possibly Nina will also. I just handled it by being extremely diligent to keep all such things out of reach, and I think that also helped him to grow out of it. Any habit like that is most easily broken by making it 100% unavailable for long enough that the mind and body forget about it.

 

ha-ha. Yes, having a lot of experience with one kind of animal tends to make us automatically react to others in the same way sometimes!

 

I just removed her paper, and she is outraged.

 

Oh my gosh . That expression!!

 

How could I?!

 

Once other hand, tearing up paper is the best fun and it can be quite enriching, particularly if your dog has to have exercise restricted.

It's a bit of a nuisance at Christmas though ...

 

Maybe if I only give her the paper at moments when I know I’ll have time to clear it up, then. And maybe I should start doing that loo roll/tissue paper game with treats. So she has a bit of a structure to it and doesn’t just steal all my papers.

 

I wouldn't attempt to dissuade her tearing up paper at all! It is instinctive and helps to satisfy an innate 'need' (prey drive) that is part of every dog to some degree. Just make sure your papers are safely out of reach!

My adult dogs still love to tear up paper - boxes, tissue rolls - the joy on their faces and sparkle in their eyes is worth every second it might take to clean up after them!

 

I agree that it is way too much to ask a dog not to tear up things that are important if you let them tear up any paper at all. And it's too much of a risk to take, for me anyway, that I could forget and leave something important within reach because I was distracted. Anyone could do that. Really, not a good idea to let a dog tear up paper for fun.

Now, I think it might be possible to let a dog teat up paper bags or cardboard boxes.....because they are different and you would only give those to the dog and you would supervise. But I would never recommend this to anyone whose dog already tears up paper because -- again -- too much to ask the dog to know the difference.

Now, I have had a cat who tore up newspaper. He never once tore up anything else, only newspaper. He'd grasp it in two of his teeth delicately and tear it into very neat 1" strips. So all I had to do was be careful that only the newspaper I had read was within his reach, and then I let him tear it to his heart's content!

 

Poor Nina has had a suture reaction leading to infection. I don’t fully understand this as you can hardly get an allergic infection but I guess the vets know what they’re talking about. But she only has antibiotics, which I would imagine won’t do anything much for the allergic inflammation.

Anyway, she has another follow up on Thursday. Can anyone recommend a chicken soup for dogs? I know you do boiled chicken and rice for tummy upsets, but is there anything else that makes your dogs feel better when sick?

 

Is she not eating well? or... why do you think she needs "chicken soup"? If she's feeling poorly because of the infection you can certainly do some boiled chicken & rice, or use some chicken as a topper to help entice her to eat.

My Beckett had suture related issues. One time he injured himself very badly & had to have lots of stitches internally, as well as staples on the surface skin. His body didn't dissolve the internal ones well, so he would develop raised, infected looking areas as his body tried to push them out. I didn't have to give him antibiotics, but I did have to do warm, moist compresses on the area a few times a day to help work the suture material out. (Do NOT do this without checking with your vet first to see if it would be a good idea. If the incision isn't healed enough, it might be necessary to keep it dry, not get it wet.) But I just wanted to reassure you that Nina isn't the only dog who reacted poorly to suture material. Hope she's all healed up in short order!