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wildlifecr13
Wise Old Weim
Joined: 26 Jul 2005
Posts: 1541
Location: Ohio
Fur Kids: Zoe & Riley |
 Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 7:46 am Post subject: Spay Date |
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Sort of a bad pun on play date isnt it.
Talked with our vet last night about when to get Riley fixed.
Her angle is essentially this.
Getting spayed before first heat:
- Reduces risk of breast and ovarian cancers fairly significantly.
- The earlier its done, the less engourged the blood vessels, so the less risk during surgery.
Getting spayed after first heat:
- Reduces risk of other cancers, especially bone cancer.
What she recommends:
- Get them done around 4-5 months. The risk associated with the surgery is less, and with weims, bone cancer is rare, so the benefits are not as great if you wait for this breed. With other breeds, like Rotties, where bone cancer is a higher risk, she thinks there is a greater benefit to waiting.
Thought I would add this opinion to the mix. |
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Cathy
Champion Weim
Joined: 14 Aug 2007
Posts: 761
Location: Pickerington, Ohio
Fur Kids: Marley-Moonshine, Weimaraner
Trance, Tuxedo Kitty
Echo and Pulse, baby kitties |
| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 7:48 am Post subject: |
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| I have never heard of anyone recommending it before 6 months. We had Marley done then because we just could not deal with her in heat. |
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Trene
Wise Old Weim
Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 2276
Location: Pennsylvania
Fur Kids: Sky (female)
Storm (male) |
| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:27 am Post subject: |
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Chris,
Sky was done at 5 months.... per the same reasons your vet stated. |
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nurse88
Adult Weim
Joined: 09 Oct 2007
Posts: 303
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Fur Kids: K.D. 2 Weimaraner Beau Pomp-po |
| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:14 pm Post subject: |
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| We are getting KD done at or about 6 months for those reasons. |
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anne
Wise Old Weim
Joined: 10 Aug 2005
Posts: 2632
Location: Los Angeles, California
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:08 pm Post subject: Re: Spay Date |
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| wildlifecr13 wrote: | | - Reduces risk of breast and ovarian cancers fairly significantly. |
The risk is very low in studies, and from a personal standpoint, having been around lots of intact dogs, I have never heard of breast cancer in a dog. Also only 30% of tumors are malignant and its easily treatable. Compared to the much higher risk of hemangiosarcoma which is one of the 3 most common cancers in dogs.
| wildlifecr13 wrote: | | - The earlier its done, the less engourged the blood vessels, so the less risk during surgery. |
Can you give more backup for this? I certainly agree the more blood (like spaying a bitch in season) is risky, I have never heard that the younger the dog the less blood there is in the blood vessels. I mean relative to the size of the dog anyway.
| wildlifecr13 wrote: | - Getting spayed after first heat:
- Reduces risk of other cancers, especially bone cancer. |
I think the orthopedic considerations may be more important than bone cancer. I mean not that bone cancer is anything to sneeze at, but orthopedic issues related to hip dysplasia for example, and just poor bone growth formation. We all know what an active breed this is...
| wildlifecr13 wrote: | What she recommends:
- Get them done around 4-5 months. The risk associated with the surgery is less, and with weims, bone cancer is rare, so the benefits are not as great if you wait for this breed. With other breeds, like Rotties, where bone cancer is a higher risk, she thinks there is a greater benefit to waiting. |
Again, I think the orthopedic considerations for this breed should be talked about. I've rarely heard of bone cancer either, but I know plenty of Weims that have crutiate ligament ruptures and hip dysplasia. Again active dogs and bone density I think is important.
| wildlifecr13 wrote: | | Thought I would add this opinion to the mix. |
I personally feel that it's important for dogs to reap the benefits of their hormones. Even when I think about how different my dogs loook compared from age 2 to 3, and certainly from 6 months to 12 months to 2 years.... not that I think it should be done due to how a dog looks, but I do feel that from a "common sense" standpoint that no one would consider castrating or giving a hystorectomy to a 10 year old person, because the hormones do play a significant role in maturity.
Many vets (not speaking of anyones in particular) that owners are not responsible enough to keep their dogs from making pups and sure I understand that they have somewhat of a responsiblity in terms of overpopulation issues. However, s/n is not the only way to keep an animal from making babies...
And I do think it's important for vets to be able to speak to both sides of the issue. I feel most vets are not always current on literature and espeically here in Los Angeles, are a bit too "programmed" to recommend early s/n. After all, here in LA County, we are REQUIRED to s/n at 4 months old, unless the dog is proven to be a competition dog.
| Quote: | | we just could not deal with her in heat. |
From a convenience standpoint, this is a reson why some people will spay early but the flip side to this is that often spay incontinence becomes an issue and that is pretty incovenient too...
I will say though, one of my main worries about having an intact bitch is pyometria!!! |
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wildlifecr13
Wise Old Weim
Joined: 26 Jul 2005
Posts: 1541
Location: Ohio
Fur Kids: Zoe & Riley |
| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 3:09 pm Post subject: |
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Anne,
I dont have anything to back up the blood vessel thing - this is just the opinion I was given - I assume she has something, or this is based on her experience.
I think our vet looks at the issues you have mentioned and feels the cards fall in a slightly different matter - I think this makes when to spay a female a fairly gray area - hence the reason it comes up on here so often.
In the end, its our decision if/when we go through with it, and we are still chewing on it.
I really just threw this out as another opinion from a vet that I have come to respect a great deal People can take it for what they want... they too have to make their own decision, and the more information/ideas they hear, the better the chance that they will thoroughly research it and come to the best decision they can for themselves and their pet. |
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anne
Wise Old Weim
Joined: 10 Aug 2005
Posts: 2632
Location: Los Angeles, California
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| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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| wildlifecr13 wrote: | | I really just threw this out as another opinion from a vet that I have come to respect a great deal People can take it for what they want... they too have to make their own decision, and the more information/ideas they hear, the better the chance that they will thoroughly research it and come to the best decision they can for themselves and their pet. |
Yep, I knew you threw it out there as another opinion and I countered it for the very reason you said  |
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wildlifecr13
Wise Old Weim
Joined: 26 Jul 2005
Posts: 1541
Location: Ohio
Fur Kids: Zoe & Riley |
| Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:44 pm Post subject: |
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i think we have perfected the discussion forum.  |
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