Best age to nueter - spay dogs?

Alfasudcrazy

My Dobies will be 6 months old on Dec 21st so I am wondering whenI need to get them nuetured / spayed - I have a male and female brother & sister. Its something I dread having to get done but I know I must.

What is the recovery period for such operations - would it be best to get both done at the same time or separately - I just think if one was done by itself the other dobie would drive it mad while it was trying to recover.

Rigsby

Your local vet would be best qualified to advise on these matters.:)

giddyup

We have a bearded collie bitch. She was spayed after her first "season" in heat which we were told is the best time by the breeder but apparently there's no reason not to do it before this if you google "when to spay?"

The op didnt have much impact on her and she recovered pretty quickly, in a matter of days if I recall. We were told she might be a bit more chilled after the op but this was cobblers also as she is as bananas as ever.

Sigma Force

Get them done at the same time, that way they can recover easier because the other one will be a bit woozy too for the first few hours.
It's not a serious op and 6 months is a good age to have it done, I only wish vets would spay/neuter earlier but most insist you have them done at 6 months of age.
From having the op to getting the stitches out takes only 10 days in all, the first day your dog comes back (same day as the op normally unless you request the dog stays overnight in the vets but some vets don't have night staff) they will need to be kept nice and warm, nothing to eat just water just so as not to upset their tums esp. the female.
The next day a small breakfast and then feed as normal, depending on the individual dog some bounce back withing hours and some take a day or too.
If you feel they are in discomfort once their pain killers wear off you can go back and get a second injection or the vet might give you a tablet just to make them more comfortable, depends on the vet really.

Keep their buster collars on so they don't take out stitches, no matter how sorry you feel for them don't take the collars off they will manage to eat and drink find afterwards. Although sometimes you don't need a collar it depends on wether the vet sees the dog picking at the stitches, some are naughtier than others.

It's a straight forward op, eventhough there is a risk with any anesthetic it's a very very small one.

They'll be grand and it will be worth it in the end.

Jules

There are a couple different thoughts on this a lot of people do get them done together but this can sometimes upset the balance between the dogs. I would suggest you get the less dominant of the two done first. Also the old wives tale of letting the bitch welp or have a oestrus cycle is nonsense. It has no benefit.

Generally it takes about 24- 36 hours for them to fully recover the effects of the anesthetic, obviously this, as with humans, can differ from dog to dog. They should, generally, be up and walking around in 5-6 hours but will still be groggy.

Six months is the right age to get them done at as they need the six months to get a a good level of hormone into their system. If the are quite hyper dogs it will take more than a few months for you to notice a change in behaviour. As the hormone levels don't completely drop once the surgery is done as the dogs have them in their system and takes time for them to dissipate. Plus you have got to remember they are puppies till they are around 2 years long so will of course be a bit excitable.

Keep the buster collars on weather they are at the wound or not, as you can't see whats going on when you are not there. Also 14 days post op is the best length of time to have stitches removed.

If ya have any other questions you can pm me.

Alfasudcrazy

Is it really necessary to get the female done at all - after all once the male is done there is no danger as they are always in our enclosed property and if outside are always on a lead or in a vehicle?

Don't see why the little female should be spayed if it can be avoided as my vet tells me it takes longer for the female to recover.

Stray dogs tend to withdraw promptly at the sight of two dobermans - and anyway the female dobie is as cranky as an old hen so would not be amused if some uninvited suitors called.

Ruu_Old

You should probably get them both done, just to be sure. What I would do anyway, 6 months is about right.

SuzyS1972

Ah no if anything I would say see to the lady 1st !
The male if not let out cannot present any danger - so he can be done anytime
The female in comparison can come into heat at 6-7 months and believe me it's not a pretty site
They have a period like a woman so you have to go round mopping up blood
Also males for MILES round will sense it and you will have every single loose dog in the vacinity howling to get at her
Her howling to get out to mate and no matter how careful you are they will scale walls to get at her.
you can't walk her for 3 weeks as even though the blood is only visable for a certain time - she is suseptable to getting preggers 10 days before and 10 days after a heat.

She is also 99% less likely to develop ovarian cancer , tumours and the dreaded pyometra if done before her first season

Please Google Pyometra - it's an awful thing for a bitch.
have a chat with your vet - he will confirm all I say if he knows what he's about

SuzyS1972

Just t o re-assure you - I have 2 bitches
Both spayed the minute I adopted them
Ok so they took a little longer to get over than my boys but I am talking a matter of hours here
Both were subdued but both ate heartily after the op - light meals obviously according to vets advise
and neither touched their stitches and were out and about on light exercise the next day.

Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions

Jules

Alfasudcrazy wrote:

Is it really necessary to get the female done at all - after all once the male is done there is no danger as they are always in our enclosed property and if outside are always on a lead or in a vehicle?

it's not just unwanted puppies you have to worry about, there is also pseudo-pregancy and a little something called pyometra. very very nasty infection of the uterus, where the horns become filled with pus and in very very dangerous and can effect bitches later in life. also there are cancers to worry about and also spayed bitches have a lesser chance of getting mammary tumours. also the blood trails which can be left all over the place while she is in heat are not very nice!

Alfasudcrazy wrote:

Don't see why the little female should be spayed if it can be avoided as my vet tells me it takes longer for the female to recover.

I would think he means from the GA as they are under for slightly longer than males due to the fact you have you go looking in the abdomen for the ovaries, and generally its the right one that hides more. after 2 days they are right as rain.

Alfasudcrazy wrote:

Stray dogs tend to withdraw promptly at the sight of two dobermans - and anyway the female dobie is as cranky as an old hen so would not be amused if some uninvited suitors called.

trust me when she is in heat she wouldnt mind anything, never heard the term shagging like a bitch in heat!

a bit more about pyo can be found here

http://www.sniksnak.com/doghealth/pyometra.html

nando

If you get the bitch spayed you are reducing her risk of uterine infection (pyometra), cancer of the reproductive tract and mammary cancer as well as preventing pregnancy and eliminating the problems associated with a bitch in heat.

Mammary tumours account for 25% of all tumours in dogs, and 50% of all tumours in the bitch.

If spayed before her first heat she will have only 0.5% of normal risk of mammary cancer. If spayed before her second heat she will have <10% of normal risk of mammary cancer. If spayed after her second heat and before reaching 2 years of age she will have 25% of the normal risk of mammary cancer.

If she is spayed after 2-3 years of age she will have the normal risk of mammary cancer of an intact bitch.

So, unless you wish to breed her it is highly recommended you spay the female.

Castrating the male will control breeding, may help manage behavioural probelms, reduce the riske of certian tumours (prostatic and peri-anal tumours) and will elimate the risk of testicular tumours. However, since these tumours are less common and pose a lesser health risk than the cancers mentioned above regarding females, it actually is more important to spay the bitch than castrate the male.

That said, it will be better all round if they are both neutered.

Alfasudcrazy

Well thanks to all for your sound advice. I got both neutered yesterday and I am so relieved its all over. I am also very happy that both are making great recoveries.

The male was not badly affected but was very restless and moaning a bit when trying to go to sleep last night so obviously was in some pain. Today he is as far as I can see back to normal.

The female as predicted is taking a while longer to recover and after being brought back from the vets (they had been there all day) went straight in to her box. She was not eating and obviously was in pain when she tried to move now and again. Late last night I could see she was on the mend though as she resumend her attempt to have her box reduced to saw dust by scraping at the insulation etc.
This morning she is much better eating nearly as normal and even resuming her dominance battle with her brother - though she does not yet feel able to run after him.
She has to go back in 10 days to have her stitches taken out.

Attrocious weather is not helping the recovery process but their well insulated box with automatic air heating means they at least don't feel it when in bed.

SuzyS1972

Glad to hear they are both ok
You'll be glad in the long run it's all over and done with for your own sake and the health of the dogs.