When to spay

Tabitha

Tabitha

Forums Enthusiast
I'm thinking about spaying Ida but I'm not sure if it would be best to do it before or after her first heat. Does it matter? I've never had to spay one of my females, at least not since I was 6. I don't remember what would be best.
Also, I know this may sound dumb, but I don't know if you can show an altered dog in agility. I'm training at home so I don't know all the rules. Still looking for classes. I may be looking at a place to go on Tuesday, so wish me luck!:fl
Tabs
 
It depends. With my Emma, my contract said to spay by 7 months, which I did. With Natalie, she had just had her first heat when I got her about 10 months old. I spayed her as she is on a pet contract and it was a good thing - she had open pyometra, which was treated with the spay. She would have needed this any way.

Do you have a contract and what does it say?
 
No, theres not contract. I almost wish there was actually. I got her from decent breeders that used to breed for show but now only have pets. I don't what any accidental breedings, so she needs to be fixed.
 
i have always had my girls spayed at 6 months, before the first heat.
and yes, spayed females can do agility
 
Ah the age old question. :wink2: Ask 100 people and you will get 100 answers. The truth is no one knows for sure when the best time is. There is pros and cons to every age. The only things most people can agree on is that for most pups after 5 months is best unless you are dealing with rescue and shelter situations that require early spay and neuter.

Since you are worried about accidental litters, spaying her before the first heat cycle will likely be best( that in shelties is somewhere between 6-14 months). If you wait until after the first heat cycle you will need to separate her and watch her like a hawk for 3 weeks(4 to be safe weeks).

Now some suggest for a performance dog that you wait until around a year to let them finish growing and let the long bones fully form in the correct angles. You will need to balance that against you and your families ability to keep your girl safe(from your dogs and outside dogs). If you have any doubt in your mind that she could accidentally be breed, please do yourself a favor and spay her before her first heat cycle.:smile2:

As for doing performance with a spayed dog. you can do everything except conformation with an alter(spayed or neutered) dog. I have 2 of each. Ember and Birch are altered. Justice and Diva are intact. I believe you me it is a pain in the rear end to do performance with an intact bitch as you can't enter performance events when they are in season. So you have to miss trials you really want to enter if she is close or enter and risk losing money if they come in. Diva is done having litters and will be spayed after nationals next year so I don't have to worry about it any more. Plus it is a total pain to keep an intact male and an intact female in the same house as pets. I have a whole notebook on Diva cycles so I know exactly when she is due to come into season and I start looking daily a month ahead of time. Then it is kennels, doors and baby gates for a month. Ack!
 
I was just brushing Ida today and what do you know it, it looks like she's about to go into heat!:gaah
Tomorrow is her 8 month birthday, so I'll try to get her spayed just before she's a year. Thanks for all the advise!
 
I wait 1-2 years for spaying or neutering. I think it helps with their development. Then again, my dogs don't interact with strange dogs that have the potential to be intact. I guess it just depends on your situation- contract, interacts with other dogs, etc. But I would never let a female go past year 2 without spay, because pyometra is so common in non-spayed females after they are done developing.
 
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