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Spaying My Female Aussie

by Sabrina
(Nevada)

Hey there! I'm getting a red tri female Aussie who is currently five weeks old. I'm getting her when she is 9-10 weeks. In my state (Nevada), there is a law in which you have to have multiple permits if you do not spay or neuter your dogs before 6 months. I was fine with that, until I researched and found multiple things saying that it is bad for the dog's health if you spay them before at least one year old because the sex hormones finish off some of the bone growth. I don't want to harm my new puppy any way, so I was hoping there would be some advice about when to spay her. I think it's terrible that the law says they must be spayed/neutered before six months because it could be harmful to their health.

Thanks for any help!

Comments for Spaying My Female Aussie

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Correction
by: Sabrina

Oops, I need to correct myself. The spay/neuter ordinance is under the age of FOUR MONTHS. Not six. My bad!

When to spay
by: jcrply

Most of the research papers that I have read recommend waiting until 12 to 14 months of age. The remainder recommend waiting even longer.
I just found some interesting reading when I googled mandatory spay/neuter laws. Very conflicting statistics -so it seems unclear whether it even reduces the number of dogs in shelters. I also read that in Clark County, Nevada a large group of veterinarians protested the young age that the politicians decided on for mandatory spay/neuter. Sounds like this could be a real battle. Good luck! Maybe your dog could appear to "live with relatives in another state" for a while??

spaying
by: yusaf`

for female dogs im pretty sure you want to spay them before 6 months. you want them fixed before they come into their first heat, if you dont you will have to worry about bleeding and spotting for the duration of the dogs life. more than anything take your dog to the vet when she comes home and ask your vet.

spay
by: Anonymous

It is best to have them spayed BEFORE 6 months of age.

Wait till she's at least a year
by: AussieSage

There is an article on this very topic. Given there is no study that I can find on Aussies but this is a good indicator on the debate over all.

The article is:

Long-Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay / Neuter in Dogs

Laura J. Sanborn, M.S.

http://www.2ndchance.info/cruciatelongtermneuter.htm

And some of the more current research by is supporting what is called "ovary sparing spay".
http://www.parsemusfoundation.org/ovary-sparing-spay/

What we have decided to do is wait until a few months after our pups first heat as that seems to be the one with the best outcome and the most affordable option. I do have my concerns because a lot of time the dogs aren't actually fully matured until 2 years and that would be a better cut off date. That being said so far the reports are that you should wait at least a year. They need their hormones so their bodies are in good shape to function just like any mammal including humans.

Aussie lover
by: Anonymous

Please do not spay or neuter your aussies before a year old, if at all possible. I know you have to be a law abiding citizen, but it truly is not in the best long term health interests of your Aussie to fix her at such a young age. Your local politicians are ignorant and full of it. Politic for their removal and replacement with people that are knowledgeable of pet biology. BTW, for a previous commenter, as a responsible pet parent, we don’t fix our aussies just because they might make little messes with their droppings during heat cycles. It is not their fault that God made them that way, but when we assumed responsibility for them through adoption, we made a commitment to care for them in the good and bad. Let her run through at least her first heat cycle, even if you have to let her temporarily stay somewhere else. She needs those hormones for a healthy future life.

Recent Spayed
by: Marty Bartow

Just had my Tri red Aussie Rider fixed last Wed at 22 months - a month or so after her second period.
I’m not a proponent of the medical industry , Vets are following a similar path-
The smaller your Vet clinic and the more Holistic , the better imho.
My Vet was Pro Spaying dog to eliminate health risks primarily in the weeks after the periods.
It’s very difficult to keep Aussies from being active - Rider is as smart and calm as they come but each day it gets harder and harder to not let her be a DOG
Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness is all she wants and for now I’m the bad guy- no way we make it past a week before we start doing what we do-
I was on site looking for advice as far as keeping her "on lockdown" and on Drugs as recommended for two weeks by Vet that did surgery.
Any feedback or experience , please let me know
Thanks and Good Luck
Merry Christmas
Marty

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