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Spaying English Mastiff. Please help.

aaronl

Well-Known Member
I am sure this question has been asked much, but I am just finding so much conflicting information.
I have a 6.75 month old female English Mastiff. I do not want to breed her. What is the right age to spay.
I have already read the widely publicized article "Long Term Health Risk and Benefits Associated with Spay/Nueter in Dogs" by Laura J Sanborn..
What I am wanting to know is if anyone here has had any real world experience or issues with spaying an English Mastiff prior to first heat cycle. Please help.
I realize that the risks are different for every dog, but just looking for real experience.
Thank you.
Aaron
 

Smart_Family

Dog Food Guru
18 months is really the earliest you should spay or neuter any giant breed dogs but 24 months is ideal. I do know at least a dozen people who have spayed their mastiffs or other giant breeds early and are now dealing with the ramifications of doing so. Everything from spay incontinence, which is somewhat helped by meds but not alleviated to paying for three surgeries for blown knees,joints,tendons etc.
 

aaronl

Well-Known Member
Thank you for your quick reply. But again, I have read these things and no one can tell me why. I understand the possibility of incontenence with the surgery and the bladder. But what is spaying have to do with knees, joints and tendons. And how would you know these surgeries would not happen anyhow without spaying? I too can say I know of people with giant breeds that have had joint, tendon issues. But the causes are widespread.
I guess I will never know, but just looking for some solid information.
Thank you again.
 

allformyk9s

Well-Known Member
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf


F
rom this link " On the positive side, spaying female dogs • if done before 2.5 years of age, greatly reduces the risk of mammary tumors, the most common
malignant tumors in female dogs
• nearly eliminates the risk of pyometra, which otherwise would affect about 23% of intact female
dogs; pyometra kills about 1% of intact female dogs
• reduces the risk of perianal fistulas
• removes the very small risk (≤0.5%) from uterine, cervical, and ovarian tumors


On the negative side, spaying female dogs
• if done before 1 year of age, significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer); this is a
common cancer in larger breeds with a poor prognosis
• increases the risk of splenic hemangiosarcoma by a factor of 2.2 and cardiac hemangiosarcoma by
a factor of >5; this is a common cancer and major cause of death in some breeds
• triples the risk of hypothyroidism
• increases the risk of obesity by a factor of 1.6-2, a common health problem in dogs with many
associated health problems
• causes urinary “spay incontinence†in 4-20% of female dogs
• increases the risk of persistent or recurring urinary tract infections by a factor of 3-4
• increases the risk of recessed vulva, vaginal dermatitis, and vaginitis, especially for female dogs
spayed before puberty
• doubles the small risk (<1%) of urinary tract tumors
• increases the risk of orthopedic disorders
• increases the risk of adverse reactions to vaccinations"


If you read about neutering a male early - my vet told me of some of those things at my pups appt this past weekend. He's a 12 week CC....we'll be waiting to neuter him between 12-18 months old if not closer to 24months.

---------- Post added at 09:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:35 PM ----------

For my male pup, the vet explained the benefits had something to do with waiting for the 2nd surge of testosterone. I imagine it would have something to do w/ estrogen w/ females.
 

allformyk9s

Well-Known Member
For my male pup, the vet explained the benefits had something to do with waiting for the 2nd surge of testosterone. I imagine it would have something to do w/ estrogen w/ females.
 

angelbears

Well-Known Member
I'm not a vet but my vet, who owns two Great Danes said it has to do with hormones. I'm sure if you want to pay her a phone consult she would be more than happy to discuss this with you.
 

Smart_Family

Dog Food Guru
They need the hormones to finish growth. Spaying removes the hormones which doesn't allow the joints, tendons and bones to grow to their potential strength and to properly support her weight and movement thus leading to the blown tendons, joints, etc. these injuries also seem to sometimes happen in pairs so the very expensive surgery is now twice as expensive.
 

Mamie2shoes

Well-Known Member
They need the hormones to finish growth. Spaying removes the hormones which doesn't allow the joints, tendons and bones to grow to their potential strength and to properly support her weight and movement thus leading to the blown tendons, joints, etc. these injuries also seem to sometimes happen in pairs so the very expensive surgery is now twice as expensive.

This what my vet has told me also, which brings a bigger question...where do you get giant sized puppy panties for their heat seasons???
 

hccrn

Member
ok so you've all convinced me not to spay my pup before her first heat which was my plan. Now, I have a male pit/lab that has been neutered. Apparently his brain does not know he is not equipped; my sister brought a golden ret. over that we didnt know was in heat until we noticed he would not leave her alone. Any ideas on how I can prevent him from going nuts while she is in heat?
 

shodanusmc

Well-Known Member
I agree for a Male Mastiff after 18+ months, but thought for a female after the first heat. I have always had Large Breed Males, and some small breed females.
 

Tiger12490

Well-Known Member
This what my vet has told me also, which brings a bigger question...where do you get giant sized puppy panties for their heat seasons???

Petco actually we picked some up yesterday pretty pricey though i'm sure there is a better source

Tapd on my Skyrocket
 

lilliesmomma

Well-Known Member
Lillie is 2 yrs old and will be spayed soon, I had an appt set up but the day before she was due to be spayed I noticed blood on the floor. Yep, she'd gone into heat before I could spay her so now I'm waiting a month or so before I make another appt. I read up on it plus got good feed back from people here and decided to wait.
 

Duetsche_Doggen

Well-Known Member
They need the hormones to finish growth. Spaying removes the hormones which doesn't allow the joints, tendons and bones to grow to their potential strength and to properly support her weight and movement thus leading to the blown tendons, joints, etc. these injuries also seem to sometimes happen in pairs so the very expensive surgery is now twice as expensive.

+100
 

Chuma

Well-Known Member
I have experience with the side effects of early altering. I rescued a Pregnant Rottweiler and all her puppies found homes through a rescue. They are pure bred rottweilers and were fixed at 8weeks old. They turned a year old feb 14 2012 and I get updates on 4 out of the 7. One female is incontinent, an other female ripped her tendon away from her growth plate, and the male has to have a $5000 surgery to repair his fractured growth plate that has caused his leg to deform and cause him to not use that leg.
The male can be considered a giant because his full grown weight will be 130lbs.

They may have come from bad breeding but the early altering definitely aggravated their conditions.

Also I made my rottie a diaper when she went into heat a week before her spay surgery.. If you know how to use a sewing machine, it is fairly easy to make.
 

ruthcatrin

Well-Known Member
ok so you've all convinced me not to spay my pup before her first heat which was my plan. Now, I have a male pit/lab that has been neutered. Apparently his brain does not know he is not equipped; my sister brought a golden ret. over that we didnt know was in heat until we noticed he would not leave her alone. Any ideas on how I can prevent him from going nuts while she is in heat?

patience and seperating them. You may need to seperate them when she goes into heat because he could cause her injury trying to mount, or if they tied (still possible even though he's neutered) she could injure him.



I agree for a Male Mastiff after 18+ months, but thought for a female after the first heat. I have always had Large Breed Males, and some small breed females.

It depends on the adult size of the dog and how long it takes them to reach it. The closer you can get them to adult size before spaying the better off they are (though the risks of breast cancer do go up with each heat cycle, its a trade off the owner has to make the judgement on). Most large breeds aren't considered "reasonably close" to their adult size until they're at least 1.5 to 2yrs old. My experience with smaller breeds says they're usually pretty close, if not at, their adult size by one year (usually only one heat cycle).
 

Jerilyn

Active Member
I wanted to spayed my enghlish as soon as possible also at 6 mos. does it really affect there growth? I ve always had my dogs spayed early , but Ive never had an enghlish Masstiff?