dogs first heat

Ruby-J

can anyone give me a little info on what to expect??

our pup is just gone 6 months and the vet said it would be around now she will be going into her first heat.

do i have to confine her to a smaller space to avoid messes or go on as normal?

and also have any of you spade any of your dogs and does it change their personality and how long does it take for them to recover?

thanks in advance...

carwash_2006

My bitch was spade just before her first heat at 6 months. It didn't change her even the tiniest bit. I think going through the first heat and having all the hormones will effect more change than being spade.

Some people forget that the around 6-9 months is a time when pups are becoming adolescent and can go through funny periods, so if they get the bitch (or dog) done about then they sometimes blame any change in behavior on the op when it is normal adolescent testing of boundaries.

The health benefits of having them done before they have their first heat are huge, it reduces the risks of mammary tumors down to something like 0.6%. If they have even 1 heat that risk is greatly increased. It also reduces the risk of unwanted pregnancy due to determined dog and bitch to zero.

Years ago we had a bitch that we missed getting done until she came into heat. We thought it would be best to wait until she had finished as the risks of doing it while in heat are greater. We were very careful to keep her in, never letting her go further than the garden with it's high wall. One day we came out to find a very satisfied looking male collie in the garden with her. If we had not found him there we would have had a big surprise 9 weeks later, as it was she went in for her op then and there.

Glowing

I'd recommend getting her done asap, before her first heat if possible. Like Carwash said, it will reduce the liklihood of mamary tumours to almost nothing ..... it'll take her about 2 days to get over it, she'll be back on her feet in no time! It's the responsible thing to do ......

Ruby-J

really??

why would the vet suggest letting her go through her first heat and then get it done?

im confused

if is better i will make an apt today for her.

carwash_2006

Some vets still say to let them go through their first heat. The only good reason for this that I have heard is that it makes it easier for them because there is more room for them to work. That can be countered in my mind by the fact that before their first heat there is less blood vessels and that should also make it easier.

If your vet really doesn't want to do it before her first heat then you may be as well to look for a vet that is happy about doing it then, I would value other peoples opinions on that though. Any of the vets I have used have not suggested waiting until after the first heat so I don't really know whether I'm right on that feeling.

Glowing

I have no idea why he would have suggested that. Here's a good article on the pro's of spaying early:

http://www.spayusa.org/main_directory/02-facts_and_education/benefits_sn.asp

I'd get her booked in asap - the evidence supports getting it done before the first heat.

Ruby-J

shes booked in! thanks a million for the advice and the information! really appreciate it!

peasant

The philosophy of spaying after the first heat also has some good reasons for it.

- sexual hormones also control growth, spaying too young may cause excessive growth (especially of the big bones like leg bones)

- sexual hormones influence the definition of the body shape, spaying too young may prevent the formation of the full adult shape

- sexual hormones also influence behaviour, spaying too early may keep your dog in a perpetual puppy state of mind.


.

valz_walsh

I got my bitch spade after her first heat. Didnt change her personallity at all.

carwash_2006

I have read those arguments before, but of the many, many dogs and bitches I know that have been spayed around the 6 month mark I have not seen one with any indication of suffering from any of these.

I would imagine that any done under the age of 4 months would possibly be more prone to things like this, but I would see that as too young for many other reasons too.

Just to bring it into the mix on the topic of early spaying and neutering, cats do not seem to suffer from these at all. Considering a female cat can come into heat at under 16 weeks it is a good idea to get them spayed as early as is feasible.

Ruby-J

i see....


hmm, what to do!

well ive an appointment with the vet and sure i guess discussing it with them further wil help.

carwash_2006

I would say at 6 months you don't really have any worries about getting it done now. If the dog were 4 months then it might be a bit soon. If she is on the verge of coming into heat then the maturing will have gotten far enough along not to cause any worries.

Ruby-J

yeh she is on the verge of coming into heat i reckon. she wil be 7 months on the 3rd july. so i mean she is well over 6 months now.

im just concerned about her and want to do whats best for her health and for her.

(i think i worry too much about her!)