to spay or not to spay

[dogga 1]

I have a cocker bitch pup out of good working lines and can't decide whether to spay her after her first season or not . I don't intend having pups from her and she currently lives inside but I don't want it to affect her working ability . I have seen 3 bitches I have trained for other people (and one of my own) lose (or seem to) some of their flair and fire in the field and have felt they have needed pushing more . Is this my imagination ? What are other peoples thoughts on this ? Cheers james

[masmiffy 82]

I had a springer bitch years ago and had the same thoughts.

Wasnt gonna have pups and she worked well.

I didnt have her spayed but after time she had phantom pregnancies.

In the end she had a pyrometra http://www.penstone-...uk/pyometra.htm and if I hadnt got her to the vets real quick would have poss died!

She had to have an emergency ovariohysterectomy ("spey") very costly!!

Didnt really affect her working after she recovered, slowed her down a bit but that wasnt a bad thing!!

The choice is yours but I wish I had had her spayed real early!

Edited April 11, 2011 by masmiffy

[spec 45]

you're probably right, they do seem lose a little bit of that fire and drive after spaying, BUT you have to weigh that up against the inconvenience of seasons/preventing unwanted pups, and the health risks as the unspayed bitch gets older. for me, if I didn't intend breeding from her I'd lose the bit of drive and spay the bitch. However, I wouldn't necessarily do it after her first season. My own cocker bitch I intend to breed from next summer, at which point she'll be 3 and a half, but will have her spayed after that. What makes you so sure you may not want pups from her in the future? (not a criticizm, too many pups in the world already I spose, just genuinely curious)

[eddie1 2]

I have a cocker bitch pup out of good working lines and can't decide whether to spay her after her first season or not . I don't intend having pups from her and she currently lives inside but I don't want it to affect her working ability . I have seen 3 bitches I have trained for other people (and one of my own) lose (or seem to) some of their flair and fire in the field and have felt they have needed pushing more . Is this my imagination ? What are other peoples thoughts on this ? Cheers james

what about the weight issue- i owned a border terrier a few years back nice sized bitch decided to get it spayed after a few months it started to gain weight, no matter how much excercise or how little food she always stayed bulky, a friend of mine has a border collie his wife runs every day with the dog he takes it out the week end with the mountain bike and still the dog does,nt lose any weight. i,ll watch this has i,m planning on getting a cocker bitch i own a cocker dog and can,nt decide wether to get the dog cut or the bitch .

[littlefish 586]

I have a cocker bitch pup out of good working lines and can't decide whether to spay her after her first season or not . I don't intend having pups from her and she currently lives inside but I don't want it to affect her working ability . I have seen 3 bitches I have trained for other people (and one of my own) lose (or seem to) some of their flair and fire in the field and have felt they have needed pushing more . Is this my imagination ? What are other peoples thoughts on this ? Cheers james

what about the weight issue- i owned a border terrier a few years back nice sized bitch decided to get it spayed after a few months it started to gain weight, no matter how much excercise or how little food she always stayed bulky, a friend of mine has a border collie his wife runs every day with the dog he takes it out the week end with the mountain bike and still the dog does,nt lose any weight. i,ll watch this has i,m planning on getting a cocker bitch i own a cocker dog and can,nt decide wether to get the dog cut or the bitch .

 

It could be that your friends need to look at the collie's diet. Feeding it out of a smaller bowl could help keep it in perspective. I really do beleive that people underestimate the amount that they feed thier dogs in reality and then blame fatness on being speyed.

[eddie1 2]

I have a cocker bitch pup out of good working lines and can't decide whether to spay her after her first season or not . I don't intend having pups from her and she currently lives inside but I don't want it to affect her working ability . I have seen 3 bitches I have trained for other people (and one of my own) lose (or seem to) some of their flair and fire in the field and have felt they have needed pushing more . Is this my imagination ? What are other peoples thoughts on this ? Cheers james

what about the weight issue- i owned a border terrier a few years back nice sized bitch decided to get it spayed after a few months it started to gain weight, no matter how much excercise or how little food she always stayed bulky, a friend of mine has a border collie his wife runs every day with the dog he takes it out the week end with the mountain bike and still the dog does,nt lose any weight. i,ll watch this has i,m planning on getting a cocker bitch i own a cocker dog and can,nt decide wether to get the dog cut or the bitch .

 

It could be that your friends need to look at the collie's diet. Feeding it out of a smaller bowl could help keep it in perspective. I really do beleive that people underestimate the amount that they feed thier dogs in reality and then blame fatness on being speyed.

can,nt speak for my friend but the terrier i owed after been spayed gained weight phoned the vets a few months later to be told to reduce its food, my point was or is i fed the dog x amount of food and excercised it for so long prior to the spaying with no problems regard weight after the op the dog kept gaining weight with the same feed and excercise .

will a dog gain weight after it is spayed ?

[Mickey Finn 3,016]

If it were me. I'd wait until atleast one year to do the deed. Once the bitch is fully developed. Speying may be a good option. But doing it sooner, is a mistake I think.

 

ATB

[littlefish 586]

I have a cocker bitch pup out of good working lines and can't decide whether to spay her after her first season or not . I don't intend having pups from her and she currently lives inside but I don't want it to affect her working ability . I have seen 3 bitches I have trained for other people (and one of my own) lose (or seem to) some of their flair and fire in the field and have felt they have needed pushing more . Is this my imagination ? What are other peoples thoughts on this ? Cheers james

what about the weight issue- i owned a border terrier a few years back nice sized bitch decided to get it spayed after a few months it started to gain weight, no matter how much excercise or how little food she always stayed bulky, a friend of mine has a border collie his wife runs every day with the dog he takes it out the week end with the mountain bike and still the dog does,nt lose any weight. i,ll watch this has i,m planning on getting a cocker bitch i own a cocker dog and can,nt decide wether to get the dog cut or the bitch .

 

It could be that your friends need to look at the collie's diet. Feeding it out of a smaller bowl could help keep it in perspective. I really do beleive that people underestimate the amount that they feed thier dogs in reality and then blame fatness on being speyed.

can,nt speak for my friend but the terrier i owed after been spayed gained weight phoned the vets a few months later to be told to reduce its food, my point was or is i fed the dog x amount of food and excercised it for so long prior to the spaying with no problems regard weight after the op the dog kept gaining weight with the same feed and excercise .

will a dog gain weight after it is spayed ?

 

Not necessarily. Look at the dogs diet. What is it being fed....raw or dry mix? Ask has the dog always ate the same diet, as in has the brand or type of food been changed at all? Different types of dry food vary vastly in their ingredients/quality. For example,I have a Jack Russell bitch which was spayed at about 18 months (it is now 10 years old). To hold its weight at a fit, healthy level (thin with ribs well palpable),it generally gets fed about 4 egg cups of quality dry mix per day. This generally maintains its weight. If it is doing more exercise and I feel it is getting TOO thin, it gets about 5 egg cups per day, likewise if it is getting fatter, it gets 3 egg cups per day. The name of the game is knowing your individual dog, monitoring its condition daily/weekly, know what is going into it and if necessary, adjusting it to suit its needs.

[eddie1 2]

I have a cocker bitch pup out of good working lines and can't decide whether to spay her after her first season or not . I don't intend having pups from her and she currently lives inside but I don't want it to affect her working ability . I have seen 3 bitches I have trained for other people (and one of my own) lose (or seem to) some of their flair and fire in the field and have felt they have needed pushing more . Is this my imagination ? What are other peoples thoughts on this ? Cheers james

what about the weight issue- i owned a border terrier a few years back nice sized bitch decided to get it spayed after a few months it started to gain weight, no matter how much excercise or how little food she always stayed bulky, a friend of mine has a border collie his wife runs every day with the dog he takes it out the week end with the mountain bike and still the dog does,nt lose any weight. i,ll watch this has i,m planning on getting a cocker bitch i own a cocker dog and can,nt decide wether to get the dog cut or the bitch .

 

It could be that your friends need to look at the collie's diet. Feeding it out of a smaller bowl could help keep it in perspective. I really do beleive that people underestimate the amount that they feed thier dogs in reality and then blame fatness on being speyed.

can,nt speak for my friend but the terrier i owed after been spayed gained weight phoned the vets a few months later to be told to reduce its food, my point was or is i fed the dog x amount of food and excercised it for so long prior to the spaying with no problems regard weight after the op the dog kept gaining weight with the same feed and excercise .

will a dog gain weight after it is spayed ?

 

Not necessarily. Look at the dogs diet. What is it being fed....raw or dry mix? Ask has the dog always ate the same diet, as in has the brand or type of food been changed at all? Different types of dry food vary vastly in their ingredients/quality. For example,I have a Jack Russell bitch which was spayed at about 18 months (it is now 10 years old). To hold its weight at a fit, healthy level (thin with ribs well palpable),it generally gets fed about 4 egg cups of quality dry mix per day. This generally maintains its weight. If it is doing more exercise and I feel it is getting TOO thin, it gets about 5 egg cups per day, likewise if it is getting fatter, it gets 3 egg cups per day. The name of the game is knowing your individual dog, monitoring its condition daily/weekly, know what is going into it and if necessary, adjusting it to suit its needs.

i agree with what your saying it,s knowing your dog and knowing what and how much to feed,but this goes for any dog/animal fact is i had a border bitch walked 2hrs a day fed on a cup full of quality dry feed she maintained her size and weight on this after op started to gain weight on this same excercise and feed, my point is spaying does increase weight on a dog.

[littlefish 586]

I have a cocker bitch pup out of good working lines and can't decide whether to spay her after her first season or not . I don't intend having pups from her and she currently lives inside but I don't want it to affect her working ability . I have seen 3 bitches I have trained for other people (and one of my own) lose (or seem to) some of their flair and fire in the field and have felt they have needed pushing more . Is this my imagination ? What are other peoples thoughts on this ? Cheers james

what about the weight issue- i owned a border terrier a few years back nice sized bitch decided to get it spayed after a few months it started to gain weight, no matter how much excercise or how little food she always stayed bulky, a friend of mine has a border collie his wife runs every day with the dog he takes it out the week end with the mountain bike and still the dog does,nt lose any weight. i,ll watch this has i,m planning on getting a cocker bitch i own a cocker dog and can,nt decide wether to get the dog cut or the bitch .

 

It could be that your friends need to look at the collie's diet. Feeding it out of a smaller bowl could help keep it in perspective. I really do beleive that people underestimate the amount that they feed thier dogs in reality and then blame fatness on being speyed.

can,nt speak for my friend but the terrier i owed after been spayed gained weight phoned the vets a few months later to be told to reduce its food, my point was or is i fed the dog x amount of food and excercised it for so long prior to the spaying with no problems regard weight after the op the dog kept gaining weight with the same feed and excercise .

will a dog gain weight after it is spayed ?

 

Not necessarily. Look at the dogs diet. What is it being fed....raw or dry mix? Ask has the dog always ate the same diet, as in has the brand or type of food been changed at all? Different types of dry food vary vastly in their ingredients/quality. For example,I have a Jack Russell bitch which was spayed at about 18 months (it is now 10 years old). To hold its weight at a fit, healthy level (thin with ribs well palpable),it generally gets fed about 4 egg cups of quality dry mix per day. This generally maintains its weight. If it is doing more exercise and I feel it is getting TOO thin, it gets about 5 egg cups per day, likewise if it is getting fatter, it gets 3 egg cups per day. The name of the game is knowing your individual dog, monitoring its condition daily/weekly, know what is going into it and if necessary, adjusting it to suit its needs.

i agree with what your saying it,s knowing your dog and knowing what and how much to feed,but this goes for any dog/animal fact is i had a border bitch walked 2hrs a day fed on a cup full of quality dry feed she maintained her size and weight on this after op started to gain weight on this same excercise and feed, my point is spaying does increase weight on a dog.

 

Not necessarily.........there is no need for a dog to be fat if its condition is being monitored and its diet adjusted accordingly regardless of whether or not it is neutered. I look upon it as good animal management. Like fat people, the main reason for fat dogs is not getting the diet/exercise ratio right.

[eddie1 2]

I have a cocker bitch pup out of good working lines and can't decide whether to spay her after her first season or not . I don't intend having pups from her and she currently lives inside but I don't want it to affect her working ability . I have seen 3 bitches I have trained for other people (and one of my own) lose (or seem to) some of their flair and fire in the field and have felt they have needed pushing more . Is this my imagination ? What are other peoples thoughts on this ? Cheers james

what about the weight issue- i owned a border terrier a few years back nice sized bitch decided to get it spayed after a few months it started to gain weight, no matter how much excercise or how little food she always stayed bulky, a friend of mine has a border collie his wife runs every day with the dog he takes it out the week end with the mountain bike and still the dog does,nt lose any weight. i,ll watch this has i,m planning on getting a cocker bitch i own a cocker dog and can,nt decide wether to get the dog cut or the bitch .

 

It could be that your friends need to look at the collie's diet. Feeding it out of a smaller bowl could help keep it in perspective. I really do beleive that people underestimate the amount that they feed thier dogs in reality and then blame fatness on being speyed.

can,nt speak for my friend but the terrier i owed after been spayed gained weight phoned the vets a few months later to be told to reduce its food, my point was or is i fed the dog x amount of food and excercised it for so long prior to the spaying with no problems regard weight after the op the dog kept gaining weight with the same feed and excercise .

will a dog gain weight after it is spayed ?

 

Not necessarily. Look at the dogs diet. What is it being fed....raw or dry mix? Ask has the dog always ate the same diet, as in has the brand or type of food been changed at all? Different types of dry food vary vastly in their ingredients/quality. For example,I have a Jack Russell bitch which was spayed at about 18 months (it is now 10 years old). To hold its weight at a fit, healthy level (thin with ribs well palpable),it generally gets fed about 4 egg cups of quality dry mix per day. This generally maintains its weight. If it is doing more exercise and I feel it is getting TOO thin, it gets about 5 egg cups per day, likewise if it is getting fatter, it gets 3 egg cups per day. The name of the game is knowing your individual dog, monitoring its condition daily/weekly, know what is going into it and if necessary, adjusting it to suit its needs.

i agree with what your saying it,s knowing your dog and knowing what and how much to feed,but this goes for any dog/animal fact is i had a border bitch walked 2hrs a day fed on a cup full of quality dry feed she maintained her size and weight on this after op started to gain weight on this same excercise and feed, my point is spaying does increase weight on a dog.

 

Not necessarily.........there is no need for a dog to be fat if its condition is being monitored and its diet adjusted accordingly regardless of whether or not it is neutered. I look upon it as good animal management. Like fat people, the main reason for fat dogs is not getting the diet/exercise ratio right.

can i ad a failure to agree ?