To spay or not to spay?

Spay, but not until the age of 18 months/two years.
Delaying protects against some cancers, while then protecting them from others by spaying in the first place.

While in-home pet euthanasia is a service provided to pet owners facing end-of-life decisions for their beloved animals, it's important to clarify that spaying is a routine veterinary procedure unrelated to chicago in home pet euthanasia. Spaying, or ovariohysterectomy in female dogs, involves the removal of the ovaries and uterus to prevent reproduction.

If you're considering in-home pet euthanasia for your dog, it's essential to approach the decision with care and compassion. Here are some general steps:

Consult with a Veterinarian:
Schedule a consultation with a local veterinarian in Chicago to discuss your dog's health condition. Veterinarians can provide guidance on end-of-life decisions and help you understand the options available.

Inquire About In-Home Euthanasia:
Ask the veterinarian about in-home euthanasia services. In-home euthanasia allows your dog to be in a familiar and comfortable environment, reducing stress during their final moments.

TO SPRAY! It's always true

Ears and tails are totally different
Why not accept thst the majority of loving responsible owners make their own decisions based on what’s right for their pet

lopping off the ears and tail is a strawman argument - ie arguing against an irelevant extreme that nobody has suggested.

Maybe Northern European countries do not have problems of unwanted litters and puppies and dogs being euthanised because they have no homes
Or maybe their cultural view on this is not actually right.

I dont think the RSPCA is making their recomendations based on culture though.

Why not just accept that, it is indeed, a cultural choice? As the removal of gonads (for no medical reason) is considered mutilation in Northern European countries (did anyone read my link?) there is no other logical explanation. Why not just lop off the ears and tail too?

silversand12

I would spay a bitch, yes - but I would prefer to wait until 2 years old, depending on size of dog, and DEFINITELY not before first season - they need those hormones to develop properly.

(I wouldn't, however, castrate a dog unless there was medical need)

that isnt the recomendation here in Australia - and of course leaving it until after a season or 2 years old risks an unwanted pregnancy

My dogs were desexed at 4 - 6 months and developed properly.
as did all the other dogs I know - which is many, 6 months being recomended age here

Ive always had females - but if I had a male they would definitely be castrated too

Well castrated males are less likely to suffer from testicular or prostate diseases. Many intact male dogs show undesirable hormone-related behaviours such as inappropriate mounting, and roaming, which can be dangerous if they wander near roads or far from home in search of a female.

I would spay a bitch, yes - but I would prefer to wait until 2 years old, depending on size of dog, and DEFINITELY not before first season - they need those hormones to develop properly.

(I wouldn't, however, castrate a dog unless there was medical need)

My previous dogs all had seasons that weren’t very messy so it was a bit of an eye opener when my current dog had her first proper season. She bled very heavily for ages and her teats were swollen for weeks afterwards. Also many dogs are quite miserable for the duration of their season. There’s also the added problem of phantom pregnancies which are very distressing for them. They can also have silent seasons where you don’t realise the dog is on heat which could result in an unwanted pregnancy.

sazz1

Some people do neuter for convenience only. Friend sold a litter of pedigree puppies recently and was told by 2 of the owners they "would be spayed ASAP as they couldn't cope with all that mess twice a year"

Among other reasons, not wanting the mess of dog being in heat seems reasonable to me.

dazzle, I’d rather that than owners with no experience who breed to exploit their bitch by making money
The cocker spaniel face book groups have many posts from hobby breeders with no understanding of anything, put their bitch with any dog to charge thousands - no five year health pedigree etc

Some people do neuter for convenience only. Friend sold a litter of pedigree puppies recently and was told by 2 of the owners they "would be spayed ASAP as they couldn't cope with all that mess twice a year"

Definitely desex your dog and cat.

Requirement where I live unless you are a registered breeder.

Too many unwanted litters already.

I've had 2 dogs both desexed at 4 - 6 months old. No problems whatsoever.

If she's a monel, definitely spay, the world has more than enough monel.
Is she's pedigree and you're not a registered breeder, the same applies, but if you're registered as a breeder with the Kennel Club you might want to keep your options open.

Hetty58 simply backs up my point that you can find ‘advice/research/statistics that suits your purpose.
Some of her comments are ridiculous though.

There are some ridiculous comments on here; yours being one of them Hetty58

Unrelated conversation but someone on Facebook has said in 50 years of having dogs they’ve only ever had one case of pyometra. It made me wonder if dogs that have a couple of litters ( which is the most a reputable breeder will allow) have a reduced risk of pyometra and that it’s having seasons but no pregnancies that increases the risk of infection.

SachaMac exactly the same happened to our dog Molly...and the vet said the same as yours did..

I haven’t read the full thread Molly, so forgive me if you’ve already said; but what type of dog do you have?

I don’t think I’ll share when ours has had her op. My research, (although admittedly only with my own and other family dogs) showed me that not spaying can lead to health problems, tumours and even early death. Research is like statistics. It can find and prove anything you want it to prove.

Kevin I didn’t, honestly.
She quite startled with me with how strongly she felt about it.

I’m trying to remember the name of the breed of dogs that she had.
Very large, long haired, black and white.
Some sort of sheep dog, maybe?

FannyCornforth

I knew that this thread would get quite heated. (Oh Lord, what a pun)

I had a friend and colleague who was vehemently anti spaying (dogs).
She gave me loads of literature stating her case when Gracie was a puppy.
I didn’t dare tell her when Gracie had her op.

lol

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

I've only had one dog spayed in my lifetime and have always owned dogs. This was a border collie who would climb a 12ft wall to get out. After 4 litters and 3 lots of morning after treatment we had no choice but to get her spayed. She was about 6 at the time and it went OK.
Apart from rescue dogs who were spayed before we had them no others were spayed as its an unnecessary operation that can cause urinary incontinence.
Also my MIL had a small kitten castrated which died a week later due to a blood clot as a direct result of the surgery. Surgery comes with a risk in animals and people. Early spaying or neutering can cause early onset arthritis and joint problems. No animal should be neutered before 2 years of age in my opinion.
If you can't keep a bitch in then that's a different matter. I totally disagree with unnecessary surgery, especially before the animal had finished growing.