Spaying

[BowWow]

With regards to spaying a one-year old female, would there necessarily be a big difference (if any) in attitude? My older bitch was spayed at 3 (following a litter of pups) and tended to blob out a bit. Where exactly is a one-year old in terms of hormone development etc and would spaying help?

[Kirty]

I'm not exactly sure what you are asking? What does 'blob out a bit' mean? In terms of temperament, there should not be any real changes, except that she would obviously not come into season and therefore not have the mood swings sometimes associated with being in season. A desexed bitch should not be any heavier than an entire bitch - you control the food so you control her weight! If your dog is a small to medium breed, then it should be fully grown and fine to desex.

[poodlefan]

Where exactly is a one-year old in terms of hormone development etc and would spaying help?

It will help her not have pups. I honestly can't see how it would help with anything else.

What issues are you having with her?

ETA: Just checked your other posts and this is the bitch that's been attacking your older dogs. Have you seen a behaviourist yet?

Edited November 1, 2010 by poodlefan

[BowWow]

Where exactly is a one-year old in terms of hormone development etc and would spaying help?

It will help her not have pups. I honestly can't see how it would help with anything else.

What issues are you having with her?

ETA: Just checked your other posts and this is the bitch that's been attacking your older dogs. Have you seen a behaviourist yet?

My question was what difference (if any) would desexing her at this age make, apart from the obvious of her not being able to have pups. Does it change the aggressive personality in any way? Could it possibly curb her need to attack? My older bitch was always a bit of a couch potato prior to desexing but afterwards became a little lazier and preferred to blob on the couch, Her diet is excellent and she isn't overweight - just a lazy old moo now compared to before and hates the idea of anything more than an slow stroll around our property!

Taking the pup to the vet this week for full check-up first as advised by the behaviorist (Dr Robert Holmes) whom I have spoken with on the phone. Meanwhile keeping her seperated from the others until vet results come back and before appointment with the behaviorist. Banging up seperate areas in my house yard meanwhile so I have options inasfar as seperating her from the others. I was just wondering if desexing could solve at least part of the problem as I've not desexed a bitch this young before (I've always had dogs prior to my older bitch) and she was desexed after her litter a year ago (Pyometra).

[Kirty]

If the younger bitch was only attacking when she came into season, then yes, desexing would help. But you have two females of a breed KNOWN to have dog-to-dog issues so in this case, I don't know that it would help much.

[Paul Bright]

According to an article I found:

When to Neuter and Spay:

Pets can become capable of reproduction as early as 6 months of age, so it is important to spay and neuter pets by that age. Not only is there no evidence to support the old wives' tale about benefits of letting pets go through a heat cycle or have a litter, there is a preponderance of evidence that it is healthier for pets to be spayed or neutered before the first heat cycle (estrus) and sexual maturity. Sterilization can safely be done before then, as endorsed by the AVMA and other major animal health and welfare organizations.

Research from the AVMA and other sources indicates that younger animals heal faster and are lower surgical risks. However, older animals can typically be spayed and neutered safely as well.

Early-Age Neuter/Spay

Early spay/neuter starting at 8 weeks of is endorsed by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Humane Society of the United States, the American Kennel Club, the Cat Fanciers Association, the American Humane Association and many other organizations.

As long as a pup or kitten weighs more than two pounds and is 8 weeks old, he or she can be neutered or spayed. Many veterinarians practice safe early sterilization. Some of the many benefits of early sterilization: faster healing and recovery time, and the earlier a pet is spayed or neutered, the less chance of developing a number of serious diseases and disorders. For example, a female spayed before her first heat (six to nine months of age) has one-seventh the risk of developing mammary cancer as does an intact female.

In the 1970s, the veterinary medical and other animal protection communities began questioning the standard age minimum of six months for surgical neutering of dogs and cats. Altering pets between 6 and 7 months was based more on tradition than on medical reasons. Among reasons to revisit the minimum age: many young animals were being adopted out of shelters without being neutered at the time of adoption. Unfortunately, some adopters failed to abide by their adoption contracts that called for them to have the adopted pets neutered, resulting in more litters of unwanted animals.

Some veterinarians began practicing early-age sterilization in the 1970s when safe pediatric anesthetic techniques became available. With the advent of early-age procedures, shelters were able to have young animals neutered before or at adoption. There has been no evidence of increased risks to cats or dogs sterilized as early as eight weeks of age. An increasing number of shelters and animal rescue groups have adopted the practice of early-age neuter/spay, enabling them to make sure all of their adopted animals are sterilized.

Source: http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_SpayDay.php