[Snuggles]

I was wondering at what age is the common age that people get their dog fixed now?

Our pup is schedule to be fixed the Friday before Easter when she is about four months. Our vet prefers to do them at a younger age. It is totally up to us of course. I picked this time because I have a long weekend that I will be home with her. We pick her up Saturday morning and I don't go back to work until Tuesday.

 

[lshean]

I had my fixed at 6 months.

 

[Snuggles]

I have seen things like some people feel it hurts in their reproduction or hormonal or something growth but my vet thinks that is the "old way".

 

[tirluc]

i won't alter till they are at least 9 mo and i prefer 12-18 mo for my males, especially....i guess i'm "old fashioned"...

 

[Mdawn]

Eddie was neutered at 19 or 20 months. Uallis is still intact at 2 years old.

If I had a female, she'd be spayed the earliest my vet would do it. I wouldn't do well with a female dog in heat. It's just something I don't want to deal with.

 

[Snuggles]

Nine months? Did the dog go into heat?


Nineteen months and not at all. Why?

 

[TooneyDogs]

My female was done at 5 months and my male at 7 months.

 

[Mdawn]

I prefer to wait with males. I know people have varying opinions and that's fine with me and I don't judge them...but I want my dogs to be fully grown when neutered. It's no hardship for me to make sure they don't sire any litters as they are always supervised when outside, etc.

Uallis isn't done yet because A: he isn't at his full adult size. Giant breeds mature slowly and B: I have no pressing need to have it done and C: is a little embarrassing but Mastiff's also can have difficulty when put under for surgery and I'm paranoid.

Here is more info from this site, posted by Carla, if your interested:
http://www.dogforums.com/13-dog-health-questions/8219-sensitivity-anesthesia.html

And D: because of the above, I'm not completely sure if I want Uallis's current vet to do it for some various reasons I don't really want to outline.

 

[0hmyd0g]

My Shih Tzu came into heat at 4 and a half months. It's rare and I was shocked.
She got spayed at 6 months.

 

[Snuggles]

Keep the information coming.

Mastiffs? Those are really huge dogs, aren't they?

Going into heat at 4 1/2 months? Wow.

 

[Mdawn]

Mastiffs? Those are really huge dogs, aren't they?

Yep, pretty big. Not the tallest. The Irish Wolfhound and Great Dane are taller BUT they are one of the heaviest breeds.

Uallis is 31 inches tall and almost 200lbs...and he still looks thin...

 

[Binkalette]

Zoey was going to get done at 6 months, but we pushed it back to 7 1/2 because we're in the middle of buying a house this month

 

[Willowy]

Willow was spayed at 6 months. Penny missed her first spay appointment (my mom gave her breakfast ), so she was closer to 8 months by the time one of us could take a day off work to get her in again. She didn't go into heat. We were told (and it's in her vet files) that Shug was spayed at age 2 1/2. Toby was neutered a couple weeks after I got him, he was probably between 2 and 4 years old (adult shelter mutt). Moose was 4, just because his first owner didn't want to neuter him (men and their man bits ), and I just didn't get around to it for a while after he legally became mine.

I like my males to be all male. So if I got a male puppy, I'd wait until he was at least 18 months old. For females, it depends. If the puppy was planned and I was prepared for dealing with her being in heat, I'd let her have one heat. Just to let things "down there" fully mature. If the puppy was unplanned (a rescue, etc.) and the timing was bad for me to have a dog in heat, I'd spay her at 6 months, and just hope she wouldn't go into heat before that.

For cats, I like 12-14 weeks for females. I've had several go into heat at 16 weeks, and it drives me batty. Not to mention that getting pregnant at that age could kill them.....and they're amazing escape artists when in heat! For male cats, any time before 7 months is fine. They don't usually start spraying before 8 months.

 

[ThoseWordsAtBest]

I didn't have much choice in the matter, they are all rescues. My mutt I rescued at 6 weeks old (found on the street without a mom ) and she had a massive intestinal surgery that left her stomach/some intestines surgically stapled to her skin RIGHT where they would normally make the incision. After we moved back to our home town where the vet that did her surgery was, they figured out a way they could spay her, so she was spayed at 2 years and some change.
My Elkhound came to us from the shelter neutered. They neutered him there, and he's somewhere between 6-8 years old. VERY late neuter and I might not have done it if we got him intact.
And finally, my doxie was neutered at 3, the age we adopted him at.

 

[craven.44]

Mine were all rescues and were done before I got them. Landen was done at 10 weeks and Mia was done when she was found as a stray at about 6 months.

 

[Angie's Bella]

Bella will be 9 months on the 1st and I had her done last week. I usually have it done after the first heat because I heard it helps them to calm down if you wait, but Bella is already a laid back dog so I didn't wait on her to have a heat first.

 

[KelliCZ]

Casper was 6 months old when he was neutered - Toula was spayed at about 4 months both were done by rescue when they entered the program
my Chihuahua I had neutered at 6 months

small dogs mature much faster and I don't *think* there are joint and skelatal issues with little dogs being altered young as there are with large and giant breeds

 

[Mdawn]

For cats, I like 12-14 weeks for females. I've had several go into heat at 16 weeks, and it drives me batty. Not to mention that getting pregnant at that age could kill them.....and they're amazing escape artists when in heat! For male cats, any time before 7 months is fine. They don't usually start spraying before 8 months.

Yeah, cats are a whole different ball game. My vet will not alter an animal until they are at least 9 months old. Thankfully, Max and Gus did not spray before they turned that age. Fred (RIP), who I found as a stray at 2 years, was done after he recovered from an illness he had when I found him.

 

[Willowy]

My vet will not alter an animal until they are at least 9 months old.

Not even cats ?!?!?!? Yikes, I'd travel to find a vet that was comfortable with spaying younger cats. No way I'd put up with a cat in heat for 5 months.

I do totally understand if the vet wishes to wait with dogs. They're entirely different and finding a vet that acknowledges the difference would be nice. Cats aren't just small, funny-looking dogs .

 

[3212]

At the clinic I work at we will do a spay or neuter at 4 months, but we advise against it. We recommend at least 6 months.

Some of the other clinics in town spay dogs and cats at 2 months which is IMO disgustingly young. I have also met several dogs spayed that young who become incontinent because of it. My best friends dog was spayed at 2 months and showed signs of incontinence at less than a year old! She now has to be on meds (Proin) for life!

It really has only been linked with dogs spayed under 4 months. Bridgette was 1 1/2, but I'd have done it at 6-8 months if I had had her then.