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Spay after first or second heat?

Jarena

Well-Known Member
So now we are one week into Lettie’s first heat. She is almost 13 months old. When she was a pup she had issues with a recessed vulva and multiple UTIs. It has been suggested to me to wait for her second heat so that maybe her vulva will “pop out” a bit more. I’m not too worried about that (could be wrong) because we haven’t had an issue with UTIs since she was a pup. She may have outgrown that, and I think she does a better job at cleaning herself.

So, what other benefits are there to waiting longer? Or are there any benefits to spaying after the first heat? Also, we are considering having the Gastropexy procedure done at the time of spay. We haven’t decided yet on that one. Does anyone have opinions on that?
 

April Nicole

Well-Known Member
I myself would wait. Because she is still growing and spaying will cause a change in hormones. And since she did so well with her first heat, it probably wouldn't hurt for her to go through another. Just my opinion though
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
I think it's not so much about how many heats, but age. If she's not having issues with UTIs then I don't know that I see the benefit of waiting for a set number of heats. Generally spaying between 18-24 months is good for getting the benefit of hormones for growth and maturity. The chances of mammary cancer increase with each heat, so that's a concern. It's also a more difficult surgery the older they get and the more fat coverage there is. I would expect her to have another heat in six months (just a general guess) and then it's recommended that you wait for hormones to level back out before spaying, so as close to the middle of the cycle. Usually 2-3 months after the heat ends.

Just some facts about mammary cancer for you, because it's important to know the actual numbers when making decisions.
http://www.caninecancer.com/mammmary-cancer/
 

Jarena

Well-Known Member
Thank you both for your responses! The information you both provided is exactly what I was looking for.
Thanks for the article, it’s good to know some numbers. So if Lettie has another heat at about 19 months, we will probably get her spayed at 21-22 months old. If she doesn’t have another heat until 20 months old, maybe we should just go ahead and have her spayed then? So she will have the benefit of having her hormones to help her grow properly, but she won’t have the increased risk of cancer that comes with the second heat.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
I think it would be okay to have her spayed before the second heat. It was very hard with Ella. She had her first heat at 9 months old and cycled every 4 1/2 - 5 months. Her hormones were always whacked. It was also a very difficult recovery for her. They really had to dig around her fat to get to everything. She was altered at just over 4 years. I would choose to do it sooner if I ever have another female.
 

Jarena

Well-Known Member
Today at the vet we asked questions about spaying her. She should be coming into her second heat within the next couple months. I asked if they could tell me what drugs would be used during the procedure. This is what they printed out for me: 12D32CE4-813C-47BF-9694-3E311281F9DF.jpegany thoughts, comments, suggestions? We also asked for a nail trim and dental exam to be included. The total price is just under $500.

This includes her staying the night at the vets office. I’ve heard different opinions on this. Should we leave her overnight or bring her home later the same day? Matt thinks we should bring her home because she will be super stressed without us. I agree she will be very stressed but I’m also thinking it would be better for her to stay there in case of complications?
 

Porcheesy

Well-Known Member
I myself would wait. Because she is still growing and spaying will cause a change in hormones. And since she did so well with her first heat, it probably wouldn't hurt for her to go through another. Just my opinion though
Mammary cancer increases to 27% of spayed after second heat.... doubles if spayed after 3rd
 

Jarena

Well-Known Member
Mammary cancer increases to 27% of spayed after second heat.... doubles if spayed after 3rd

Boxergirl shared an article with me awhile back about the increased chances of mammary cancer. My boyfriend and I read it through, along with the pros and cons of spaying after the first or second heat. We have decided to wait until Lettie is about 19-20 months old. She may or may not go into a second heat by then. Her first heat was at 13 months old. Thank you so much for sharing the information though, I would rather be told twice than not at all :D.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
Jarena, I'll have my daughter look at the list you gave. She's not a vet, but she's assisted in a lot of surgeries and can hopefully give an opinion.
 

Jarena

Well-Known Member
Jarena, I'll have my daughter look at the list you gave. She's not a vet, but she's assisted in a lot of surgeries and can hopefully give an opinion.

Thank you, Boxergirl. I trust the opinions of you and your daughter. Take your time please, there is no rush <3
 

marke

Well-Known Member
it's been my observation that a bitch at 3-4yrs is physically and mentally a very different animal than they were at 18-24 month ……… but I do believe the mammary cancer stats …..
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
Jarena, I showed the list of medication to my daughter. Neither of us is seeing what anesthetic gas they'll be using. I see anesthesia listed, but not something like Isoflourane, as a general anesthetic. Iso is what was used for Ella. Maybe we're missing it somewhere. Jess says that she'd call the clinic and ask for clarification. She also said that you can message her on Facebook at any time, so don't hesitate. You can get her through Otis' page. I sent her a picture of Lettie. She thinks she's gorgeous.

As for letting Lettie stay over night ... I bring all of my dogs home. Ella is very uncomfortable at the vet and they don't have someone stay there 24/7, so she would have been there alone. I preferred to bring her home where I could hover over her all night long. I did have to sign a waiver and pay for the night anyway, but I was fine with that. I also bought her an inflatable donut that she didn't need. Let me know if you can use it and I'll put it in the mail. Someone should get some use from it.