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I read that you decrease the odds of cancer if you spay under 2.5 years old but: The risk of malignant mammary tumors in dogs spayed after their first heat increases significantly, but if an owner waits to spay their dog until after their second heat, the risk increases to 25%.
While I do always think you should listen to your intuition, I also think having a vet relationship with someone you can trust is important. Eventually you will have to turn things over to their expertise.
It would be different if you were only talking about her living potentially a year less or something but it says they can get this cancer often YOUNG. So there's THAT.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ghostrider275452
Had my boy neutered at about 7 mos, that was the vets recommendation.
So you both would take the vet's advice and get it done next week?
I am literally 50/50 on this! Ugh. She's so small. I asked the vet who would be doing the procedure and she told me "we are all qualified... we all have experience with small breeds."
Ok then? I guess whoever is working that morning shift will be the one doing it. To be expected when you go to a vet hospital with multiple vets...
get it done..your dog is not that small, vets spay tiny baby ferrets and 8 week old kittens, and even "fix" bunnies sugar gliders and pet rats..elive me heyve seen smaller than your baby. as long as pre-op bloodwork is done and nothing seems off shel be fine and its better for her healt in the long term..
get it done..your dog is not that small, vets spay tiny baby ferrets and 8 week old kittens, and even "fix" bunnies sugar gliders and pet rats..elive me heyve seen smaller than your baby. as long as pre-op bloodwork is done and nothing seems off shel be fine and its better for her healt in the long term..
I'm not at all sure that gonadectomy is better for the long term health of a dog (or any mammal for that matter). I had a labrador when I was growing up that was the only pup from the litter that wasn't neutered or spayed before their first birthday. She was also the only pup that had not died of cancer nine years later (or maybe it would be more accurate to say "hadn't died of pentobarbital injection after cancer Dx).
I would wait. Until a vet (or anyone, really) satisfactorily explains the mechanism by which removing a dog's capacity for maintaining a natural hormone balance improves its long term health I'm afraid that I will have to remain a skeptic.
I just dropped her off at the vet... she's getting spayed as well as having some baby teeth removed and getting a microchip implanted...
Why am I so nervous?
For a little companion animal like a chihuahua that doesn't need (and can't necessarily tolerate) a lot of exercise, I think your odds of significantly negatively impacting the dog's whole-body, whole-life health are pretty slim and, while I would wait a little bit longer, I think I would still spay or neuter a chi.
The only reason to doubt your decision making would be if you don't believe that you are doing the best thing for your dog. That's a totally personal decision and as long as you are being driven by your better judgement I don't think anyone could reasonably hold anything against you.
It sounds to me like this little chihuahua hit the jackpot when she became part of your family, so I would advise you not to worry or second guess yourself and just get on with enjoying the bond the two of you will have.
For a little companion animal like a chihuahua that doesn't need (and can't necessarily tolerate) a lot of exercise, I think your odds of significantly negatively impacting the dog's whole-body, whole-life health are pretty slim and, while I would wait a little bit longer, I think I would still spay or neuter a chi.
The only reason to doubt your decision making would be if you don't believe that you are doing the best thing for your dog. That's a totally personal decision and as long as you are being driven by your better judgement I don't think anyone could reasonably hold anything against you.
It sounds to me like this little chihuahua hit the jackpot when she became part of your family, so I would advise you not to worry or second guess yourself and just get on with enjoying the bond the two of you will have.
Thanks for the kind words and yes, she most definitely did hit the jackpot....
Everything went well today... in addition to her spay she had 6 baby teeth pulled and the microchip implant. She's groggy and resting well.
Oh, too cute! Glad all went well, am sure she'll be feeling better tomorrow (you too). It's such a relief when it's over, isnt it ;-)
Absolutely... yesterday was much better. She had gotten out of the satellite headgear when I came home yesterday so I left it off her and just kept an eye on her all last night. She did the usual dog licking but not the wound area.
So, I left the headgear off of her today. The vet said to just keep an eye on the wound for any redness and swelling... I think she'll be fine.
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