Early spay/neuter

ElvisTheNewf

ElvisTheNewf

Active member
Elvis was neutered at 8 months. He's really tall, had a TPLO in September, and has had a lot of training to overcome his fear of motorcycles. His breeder had it in the contract and the vet recommended it, so we did it.

There are other dogs from the same breeder on here and one needs a TPLO too. Only time will tell about the rest, I guess, but I really hope they don't!

Edited to add Elvis 4.5 when he had his TPLO
 
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TerriW

TerriW

Active member
It would be interesting to survey people here on the ages their dogs were neutered (regardless of reason) and whether there were health issues (and what they were).


For example, my first breeder said "after age two" and so all three of mine were 2 or older and I have never had any health issues with them (only an occasional ear infection). Actually, I got my middle Newf at about 2 1/2 and he had been neutered but I'm not sure at what age, but he had no health issues.
 
Angela

Angela

Super Moderator
Gus - 2 yr, no problems

Emma - 6 months (didn't know any better) she had cruciate surgery when she was 10 YEARS old.

Harley - 2 yrs, no problems
Dudley, 2 yr, no problems
Gracie, 3 yr, no problems
Nicholas, 9 yr, no problems
Arthur, I think he was over 2 yr, no problems.
Evan, Intact.

Owain, much as I would love to get them off right now, will wait till he is at least 2 yr!!

So, my little survey, Emma, early spay did need cruciate surgery, however, she was 10 yr old at the time, interesting thought, was it caused by early spay? I have my doubts.
 
TerriW

TerriW

Active member
Owain, much as I would love to get them off right now, will wait till he is at least 2 yr!!
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:roflmao:

You know, with enough information I could run a correlational analysis to see if there is a statistically significant relationship between age-at-neuter, sex, and ortho problems.
 
Leonard and his bud Snuffles

Leonard and his bud Snuffles

Active member
Snuffles I beleive was nuetered at about 8 months. Since he was not mine, I have no idea why, but I suspect that was the thing to do. So far no knee problems, but some in the elbows since 2 to 3 years old. Hehe, now when Snuffles had a abdomen X-Ray in Jan 2012, the vet said his urethra looked a bit small most likely because he was nuetered young. Glad he doesn't have a male ego.
 
cmorgan.1505

cmorgan.1505

New member
Our vet has not been the one to talk about it, but the vet techs keep trying to get me to bring Thor in for it. I tell them no thanks, but people that have owned these dogs and breed them say to wait till he is almost 2 or after! I'm thinking we will get Thor done around Oct this year and he will be 22 months OR we will wait till mid Jan after all the holiday stuff and he will be 2 years old.
 
L

lmfoltyn

New member
Jake was neutered at an early age before we got him and he is really lanky and not very muscular in the rear end...He hasn't had any issues yet but I foresee him having some issues later on. This was really an interesting article...why aren't Vets current on these things? Also, I was researching breeders and there was one that was listed that had you sign an agreement to neuter at 1 year. This didn't seem right as most say after 2...
 
victoria1140

victoria1140

Active member
Beau waited till he was two years old .had a complete ablation because he kept damaging his testicles.
had allergies and stomach issues and at 4 1/2 years old had cancer of the liver.
however l can still pinpoint most of his health issues to when they had a cryptospiridium bug at the local reservoir .loads of people and animals were sick.

max 9 months and ortho issues already.
 
CMDRTED

CMDRTED

New member
Ginny said:
Unfortunately, many vets haven't a clue...
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I agree. I feel very lucky, as my vet whom I've had for 23 years, likes it when owners become involved, and even challenge him on treatments. He likes it that I forward reaearch to him. Which is what I'm doing with this now.
 
lacey9875

lacey9875

New member
I've gone to the same vet since I was 22, and when I told her I wanted to wait with Maggie and why, she didn't give me a hard time at all. She did however give me a mini-lecture of keeping her close when she was in heat, how to track her cycle and unwanted puppies ( because she knew if God forbid anything happened, I'd have more dogs than I could handle.)

Maggie didn't go outside alone for about a year I was so worried.
 
YorkvilleNewfie

YorkvilleNewfie

New member
Mila was spayed early (I didn't know better - obviously I do now - and Mila's breeder didn't object) and she ruptured her cruciate at 14 months. She also *possibly* partially tore her other cruciate several months later, which was successfully managed at the time through conservative treatment.
 
AngusMcDubhsMom

AngusMcDubhsMom

New member
www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf · PDF file

I originally read this on a Newf kennel site, but don't recall which one This is a thesis on the health effects of spay/neutering of dogs. One of the most thorough papers I've read on it.
 
Milliejb

Milliejb

New member
I will throw a wrench in the mix... Millie tore both her cruciates BEFORE she was spayed....
Diagnosed at 9 months :(
 
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TerriW

TerriW

Active member
AngusMcDubhsMom said:
www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf · PDF file

I originally read this on a Newf kennel site, but don't recall which one This is a thesis on the health effects of spay/neutering of dogs. One of the most thorough papers I've read on it.
Click to expand...
Good article.
 
slilli

slilli

New member
After being a member of this forum for a few months and reading and learning from everybody here, I have had to admit to myself that I did not do enough research and could have chosen a better breeder for my first Newf. I love Emma to pieces and couldn't imagine my life without her now and so far so good health-wise. I was so preoccupied with the OFA and PennHip certification (because of my past experience with our Lab and his hip dysplasia) that I neglected to question the 10 week cardiac testing as we brought Emma home at 8 weeks and honestly didn't know about the benefits not spaying or neutering too early. My contract states that I am to have Emma spayed by 8 months.

With all that being said, I now have to speak to her breeder about not wanting to spay Emma at 8 months. I want to wait and while I have had a good relationship with her breeder up to this point, I am not sure how to broach the subject. Do I send her an email and attach the above study and other research I can find about early spay/neutering? I would also be willing to add an addendum to our sales contract and have it notarized. I work for a law firm, so should I offer to have one of the attorneys draft the addendum and then have the breeder look it over? My last question is, what if the breeder states I must have Emma spayed at 8 months as stated in the contract? What do I do then?

I have to admit that I have been sick with worry over this issue and I would appreciate any advice.
 
YorkvilleNewfie

YorkvilleNewfie

New member
slilli said:
After being a member of this forum for a few months and reading and learning from everybody here, I have had to admit to myself that I did not do enough research and could have chosen a better breeder for my first Newf. I love Emma to pieces and couldn't imagine my life without her now and so far so good health-wise. I was so preoccupied with the OFA and PennHip certification (because of my past experience with our Lab and his hip dysplasia) that I neglected to question the 10 week cardiac testing as we brought Emma home at 8 weeks and honestly didn't know about the benefits not spaying or neutering too early. My contract states that I am to have Emma spayed by 8 months.

With all that being said, I now have to speak to her breeder about not wanting to spay Emma at 8 months. I want to wait and while I have had a good relationship with her breeder up to this point, I am not sure how to broach the subject. Do I send her an email and attach the above study and other research I can find about early spay/neutering? I would also be willing to add an addendum to our sales contract and have it notarized. I work for a law firm, so should I offer to have one of the attorneys draft the addendum and then have the breeder look it over? My last question is, what if the breeder states I must have Emma spayed at 8 months as stated in the contract? What do I do then?

I have to admit that I have been sick with worry over this issue and I would appreciate any advice.
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I don't have any real advice for you, but just want to give you a big "Hurrah!" for what you're trying to do:allg069: Like I've stated in the past, I wish I had known better (my Mila might actually have been able to walk and run and play like a 2 year old Newf, instead of an elderly one :() and I too wish I'd have picked a better breeder, so :hugs:
 
dayanera

dayanera

New member
I guess we here in Europe do handle this subject a little different then you do over in the states.

First of all we would never accept a contract from a breeder who would force us to spay/neuter our dogs. I pay the dog and than its my dog. What if suddendly comes to my mind that I would love to show my dog even if I bought him/her as a family pet? When I bought my first newf, I never gave a thought of showing him. It came much much later that I started to show him and we had fun. I had a pack of 9 newfs, six males (okay one was a german shepard) and three females. Larry was the only newf who was nutered at the age of 23 month, due to his overboarding sexuality when the girls came into heat and due to the fact that he had HD C and ED 3 he was not considered to become a stud dog. All others are or where intact. Its a lot of work for the owner when the girls come in heat, but its to handle.

I would never ever spay/neuter a dog if there are no medical indications. Our girls have been spayed with 7 resp. 8 years after very intensive discussion with our Vets regarding a pyometra. We did not want to give this a chance and have then emergency surgery. So we decided to spay them and then everything has been taken out.

Vets or dog trainers who are telling me that a neutered/spayed dog is better to handle are for me idiots and have no ideas about dogs.

I have a friend who lived in the states and neutered her newf at the age of 4 month. He had so many health issues afterwards and died with only 5 years. I think this is realy crazy.

I would tell the breeder that you do not want to spay your girl. It is really at the end your dog and you paid for it. Even if she most probably tries to prevent with that in her contract only unwanted pregnancy of the female dogs, it really should be up to you, at what age or if ever you want to spay/neuter your dog.

PS: Here in Switzerland spay/neutered a dog without medical reason is even according to animal protection law forbidden.
 
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