Re: Time to Spay/Neuter

[Ellen Parr <harriers@oregonsbest.com>]

>
>There is just a little bit more to it than the 6 month mark, more so for 
>the girls.  Girls first:  Before you make the decision as to today is spay 
>day you should consult with your vet, have your puppy examined for 
>maturity of her vulva and vaginitis. Bitch puppies who have had vaginitis 
>or have an immature vulva some times referred to as a high vulva should be 
>allowed to heat cycle once as a precautionary measure. Mother nature seams 
>to know best with dealing with some issues.  Bitch puppies that are spayed 
>prior to the onset of their first heat who have had an issue with 
>vaginitis or again the immature vulva can run a much greater risk of 
>continual problems down the road with UI infections and or continual 
>vaginitis.  Both of these conditions are painful for the dog as costly to 
>the owner. I don't know why this is so and I will ask "Auntie Ellen" to 
>comment form a more clinical point of view and report back to you.

We aren't sure exactly why some girls have problems if they are spayed 
before their first season, nor why a season fixes it.  However, during the 
heat cycle, a bitch's vulva will swell considerably and then go down again 
afterwards.  Sometimes, during this process, things get put 'where they are 
supposed to be' and vaginitis and/or urinary tract infections seem to be 
less of a problem.  However, it's no guarantee.  but, I have seen it work 
more often than not.

Unfortunately, because so many vets don't deal with intact animals, they 
are sometimes not as educated as they could be.  I've taught my vets at 
work a great deal about intact boys and girls. Most vets will tell you that 
there is no difference as to when you spay/neuter, but there definitely can 
be.  And if your girl has had problems with vaginitis or UTI's, I think 
it's well worth it to give it a shot.  I'd far rather deal with one month 
of a heat cycle once, than a possible life time of UTI's.

As to the idea of spaying to prevent cancer.  If you spay before the first 
heat cycle, you reduce the risk of malignant mammary cancer to almost 
nothing.  If you spay after one heat cycle, you still greatly reduce the 
chances, but not quite as good.  If you let them go through a second heat 
cycle, there is no change in the incidence of mammary cancer no matter when 
you spay.  However, from my own experience, the girls that ended up at our 
hospital with mammary cancer were *always* 9 or older girls who were still 
intact and had *never* had a litter.  I've yet to see a case of it in a 
spayed bitch, no matter when she was spayed.  Doesn't mean it doesn't 
happen though!

Hope that helps and hope all my nieces and nephews in Golden-land are doing 
well!

Ellen


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Ellen Parr, CVT
harriers@oregonsbest.com			
www.oregonsbest.com/~harriers		
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