Spaying pets
At what age is spaying female puppies considered most desirable? We have 2 female Daschunds born 8/1. I am also asking opinions on whether to have both done at the same time. They are so active and ge...
Forum Discussion
I'm still in the camp that believes that spaying before the first heat has benefits that FAR OUTWEIGH any potential downside. My recommendations are to have them done together at the same time and before 8 months of age.
While there may be an association with musculoskeletal issues and hormone related incontinence, there IS a major association with the number one cancer in female dogs - breast cancer. There are permanent changes in breast tissue that happen with the first heat cycle and the associated hormone changes that make the potential of breast cancer 200X more likely (that's the figure I've heard used most often). The more heat cycles, the greater the risk.
If spayed before the first heat, the incidence of breast cancer in females becomes the same as in males. In 37 years of practice, I didn't see one case of breast cancer in a female spayed before her first heat.
As far as urination with excitement, there doesn't see to be any association with spaying, sorry this isn't the reason. This happens in spayed and unspayed, male and female.
Doug, DVM
While there may be an association with musculoskeletal issues and hormone related incontinence, there IS a major association with the number one cancer in female dogs - breast cancer. There are permanent changes in breast tissue that happen with the first heat cycle and the associated hormone changes that make the potential of breast cancer 200X more likely (that's the figure I've heard used most often). The more heat cycles, the greater the risk.
If spayed before the first heat, the incidence of breast cancer in females becomes the same as in males. In 37 years of practice, I didn't see one case of breast cancer in a female spayed before her first heat.
As far as urination with excitement, there doesn't see to be any association with spaying, sorry this isn't the reason. This happens in spayed and unspayed, male and female.
Doug, DVM
