Note: Please see my female Dog Spaying post for lots of information on post spaying care.
We did a lot of reading up on when we should get our dogs spayed. Female Dog Spaying, and when, is a very divided field.
There is a lot of information available but most of it is quite conflicting. Basically there are two main camps.
- You should get your dog spayed as soon as possible
- You should let your dog have its first season before being spayed
We decided that we were slightly swayed by the latter but looking back for us and Daisy it was a big mistake. What we had read by many was that your dog will be healthier in the long run if she has a season before she is spayed.
It seemed like as it is a natural process you should let them have a season and then get the spayed. There are so many problems that arise however.
Unless you really want your dog to have pups because you either wish to sell them or to keep whatever is born yourself then I would get your dog spayed as soon as the Vet says it is OK.
We let Daisy come in to season and this is where it all went wrong.
Your Dog Will Change When She Comes In To Season
She is normally a very placid and well behaved dog. She was very timid when we got her from the pound (we don’t know her circumstances but she was very scared) and would always stay close and be very good.
Boy did that change. She wanted to be out flaunting her stuff! She was hard to keep under control although we did manage it. Now we have no neighbours and the nearest peple live a few kilometres away so we were pretty confident.
Until……One evening as we were letting Faye in Daisy bolted through the door and was away.
Game over.
That was it. She came back in the morning very pleased with herself and pretty soon we had five puppies to handle. Dog Spaying recovery would have lasted a few weeks at most, instead young Daisy had to endure carrying the Pups in her still very young body.
Needless to say Faye was spayed very quickly to avoid any more pups.
As you can see there is little advantage to not having your dog spayed as soon as possible. If you let her come in to season you will be faced with many problems.
Problems If You Let Your Dog Come In To Season
- She will be constantly whining to go out and find a mate
- Many dogs spot blood early on -Not good for the houseproud
- You will have masses of dogs around your house because of the scent
- The risk of having up to 12 or 13 puppies to look after
- The cost involved
- The guilt. What will you do with the puppies?
But Won’t My Dog Get Fat If She Is Spayed?
From all i have read this is a total myth and is not true as far as we can tell from personal experience. The only reason a female spayed dog gets fat is if you feed her too much or give her too little exercise.
Puppies Are So Cute And I Can Find Homes For The Rest
Don’t count on finding good homes for the litter if you let your dog become pregnant. There are vast numbers of puppies all wanting homes. Why add to it. What if your dog has twelve puppies? You will find it difficult to find homes for them all. Keeping dogs is expensive and if you are left with lots of pups think of all the vet bills and feeding costs over the years.
So from my own perspective i would say female Dog Spaying should be done asap unless you are going to sell puppies or really want a big gang of dogs to keep you company and help you part with the little cash you you now have.
May the Doggie Force be with you all.
i was talking to my vet about getting our little girl spayed and we did it a few days ago as soon as she turned 3 months. he told us that it is better to get them spayed before they comeinto heat becuase it reduces their chance of having breast cancer later.
Desiree, that was good advice. It is always worth geting the female Dogs spayed as soon as the Vet says it is OK.
Hi! While I understand what you are saying, especially based on your experience, I have to disagree for my females (personally). We waited for all 4 of our female dogs over the years, and I believe it is best for the dogs to have that heat first. The reason for me is because I wanted them all to “mature” and become “hormonally” adult before removing their hormone-producing organs. I thought the difference for all 4 was an improvement for them behaviorally. Of course, none of our dogs tried to get away while they were in heat! And we’ve never had any dogs in our yard, looking for our females. There is some spots of blood around for the first week, but they clean easily. You talk about breast cancer risk, but there is a huge cancer risk in many parts of their bodies for dogs who are vaccinated regularly with all the shots they want them to get now — it’s a larger risk! But would your vet recommend reducing the vaccinations? NO. (FYI: We only vaccinate for rabies)
But this is just MY experience and belief about it. I respect and admire ANYONE who is responsible enough to get their dogs spayed or neutered, WHENEVER is right for THEM. I believe it is an easier surgery and quicker recovery time for a younger dog, so there is that to consider too. I think anyone who loves their dog will do what is right for them, which I think is TERRIFIC!!! 🙂