Spaying prior to a year old

[Mark Wilson]

Last week we took in a Doodle rehome from a family that couldn't properly care for her.  Not fixed and just shy of 11 months we have an appointment to have her spayed next week, but I'm starting to have second thoughts.  Not about the spaying itself, but whether it may be harmful at this juncture.  Spent much time the past few days researching via the internet and I'm wondering whether it would be prudent to wait a few months to have the procedure.  The problem is I have an intact male Doodle of seven months and no desire to help raise a brood. 

Parsing through the literature, what gives me most pause is the threat of osteosarcoma (bone cancer), a common cancer in larger breeds, and Retrievers in particular.  From what I've read, the threat increases significantly if the procedure is done before 12 months of age.  Orthopedic issues are also a concern as an early procedure is said to affect the closing of the growth plates.

I don't want my new sweetheart to suffer any ill effects from my untimely decision, but by waiting a couple months I'm rolling the bones that she won't go into heat. 

Signed,

In a Quandry (otherwise known as Mark)

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You should also be aware that keeping an intact female in the same home with your intact male is most likely going to cause your male to start marking in the house. :( 

[Ginny Nightingale]

Spay her now--she is already much older than many doodles who are spayed before they go home at 8 weeks ( a practice I do not agree with!) Most are spayed by 6 months. Your girl could go into heat at any moment--usually by 12 months--and with an intact male, this would not be fun at all--I have been thru it since I had a breeding female here and her son was one of my breeder's stud dogs--it was very difficult. 

Please don't worry about the cancer thing--there are so many cancers dogs can get for so many reasons--we do our best, but we can not prevent everything--she has already gotten more months intact than most do.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

If you have an intact male, I would spay her immediately.  For me, that outweighs any other concerns.