Welcome, Guest
Username:
Password:

Please login to add/view friends online.


Quick Dog Breed Selector:
Quick Traffic Stats:
Visitors Online: 1,594
Today's Visits: 73,811
Yesterday's Visits: 95,960

Discussion Forums

Collapse Quick Menu

Message Central

Unread[0]
Inbox[0]
Trash[0]

Who's Online

amandaslabs06, daydreamerstl, dealflash, dogdolittle, furmysunshine, hinman2011, omeme, wbenglishbulldogs

Juvenile Altering
Any thoughts?
Found [18] Posts :: Page 1 of 1
<< Return to General Topics
Posted: 2:54:24 PM 9/3/2005
It's simpler, because there's less body fat to hide the organs. There's also less bleeding. The smaller organs are easy to remove with only a tiny incision. Since the veterinarian can see everything easily, they can make sure there's no bleeding. This all means reduced handling of tissue and organs and, coupled with the smaller incision, means less pain. It's advised that puppies be at least six weeks of age and weigh a minimum of one pound, but is this humane? Is it even legal? Comments? Criticism?
Posted: 3:03:24 PM 9/3/2005
though i understand why the shelters are doing this i dont believe in it nor does any vet i have been associated with. i dont think it has been done long enough to see what kind of effects it can have on growth and development.

the cat my sister just adopted 8 months ago was neutered at 11 weeks of age and he is extremely tiny for a full grown cat, his fur is not like that of a normal cat, and his behaviors are not normal either. whether that has to do with his previous environment, or the fact that he was neutered at an ungodly young age i dont know. but he is not a normal cat.
Posted: 3:05:25 PM 9/3/2005
My pup was spayed when I adopted her at 8 weeks of age. She came from the Broward County Humane Society in Florida. I've heard many of the shelters in my area spay or neuter as long as the animal is a minimum of 2 pounds. Her aoption fee was $95, which included her first set of vaccines, and her rabies vaccine when she was old enough. and I know that there is no way it would be that inexpensive if she had been spayed at a private vet's office.
Posted: 5:30:43 PM 9/3/2005
My female and male cat were spayed/neutered at 10 weeks of age. They have both grown to be normal size, they look like a cat, act like a cat (except my male doesn't spray...good thing).

I had my male Parson (Jack) Russell Terrier neutered at 3 months of age. He was normal in everyway too (except he didn't 'hump' things and didn't lift his leg...another good thing).


They all recovered A LOT quicker than my animals that were fixed at the 'normal' 6-months or older.

I agree with early spay/neuter for the most part because I have personally seen good things come from it and I've never had a bad experience.

I have a good link that I would like to share with you but I have to go find it first...I'll be back in a minute...okay, it's not working, I tried the link and it said page unavailable. Too bad because it was a good link to read.

***Edited By: lovekelsey on 9/3/2005 5:34:45 PM***
Reason: fix
Posted: 9:47:11 PM 9/3/2005
I have heard that females spayed really young tend to have incontinence problems.
Posted: 10:45:57 PM 9/3/2005
I've never had a problem with my pup having incontentinence problems and she had just spayed several days before I adopted her at 8 weeks of age. She was extremely easy to housebreak and was sleeping though the night after two weeks. I'v also never had a problem with her dribbling on the floor when she gets excited.
Posted: 11:14:45 PM 9/3/2005
I sell about 1/2 of my puppies with limited registration, but I always, always recommend spay/neutering after 6 months. I know of one time that someone didn't listen and told me they spayed their girl at 14 weeks. They were calling because they asked if I have ever had any problems with incontinence. Their female puppy was leaking little drops of urine all over their carpeting. She was 2 years old.

I told them that her mother who had 4 litters and since been spayed and was 7 years old had NO problems with incontinence and no other puppies ever had. I would not do it, and I would not recommend it done. If you don't trust the family enough to spay it themselves at 6 months then you shouldn't be giving them the puppy in the first place. Also, in my opinion anesthsia should never be preformed before 8 weeks unless it is life threatening. I think most vets will tell you it is in the pets best interest to wait until a minimum of 4-6 months. You know some of the hormones removed help with the normal growth process.
Posted: 11:16:06 PM 9/3/2005
I'm not ready to say that I'd spay and neuter most animals that early. But animals being adopted- from a shelter or rescue? Yup. These are animals that truly might not HAVE a life without the adoption- and preventing them from the danger of pregnancy, from creating more homeless pets like themselves, far outways any risk.
Posted: 11:26:47 PM 9/3/2005
longdogs4me! I have been wondering where you've been, haven't seen you posting recently :P
Posted: 12:07:15 AM 9/4/2005
I was just wondering if you would feel "the benifits outweighed the risk" if the surgery was for your daughter or son. Despite"Good Intentions" some people still seem to consider animals as a possesion. There are definate changes in the body as a result of the release of chemicals from reproductive organs that stimulate growth and developement of the body and the brain. This is why our children seem to lose their minds at the beginning of puberty. The surgery may be very convenient at that time for the owner and or the vet. But I think we should allow these animals we exploit in the name of companionship to develop as god had intended, before we alter them to suit our world.
Posted: 12:32:36 AM 9/4/2005
We adopted my cat Samie from a rescue. Part of the adoption agreement was that they were to neuter him at 10 weeks old. He has alot of mental issues that have been treated with anti-depressants. He also has tons of skin issues that have required an e-collar, cortizone shots, antibiotics, lotion, etc. He is very nirotic and I could just go on and on.... he was fine the couple weeks we had him before the neuter.

Please don't alter your pets too young. let them mature a little first.
Posted: 9:36:19 AM 9/4/2005
With all due respect, our "sons and daughters" aren't being euthanized for lack of a home. What a poor comparison.

This "new" idea of early alteration has been in practice since the early 80's- and there is plenty of evidence to support that it's a healthy procedure. Spaying/Neutering at 6 months is something that developed out of convenience- not medical research- and animals are far from "mature" at this age. But healthy, well rounded, mentally sound pets abound from pre-maturation speutering.

For a pet to survive- to last in a single home throughout the span of its life- altering before maturation is its best bet. Many behaviors that aren't agreeable to life in a human home are curtailed by early spaying/neutering- and nobody who SAVES an animal from euthanasia would be willing to risk that its progeny suffer that fate.

When we weigh the REAL risk- euthanasia- against the chance for a less solid build in a pet- what rational person could choose to NOT spay or neuter an adoptee before they go home?

And just for the record... there are *plenty* of people I'd like to have been altered before they were sexually mature. So unless you want to delve into a very un-pc debate, let's stick to the topic. ;)

********
Hey Minn! Staying busy! :)
Posted: 9:46:44 AM 9/4/2005
When my mother was looking for a mini schnauzer, we were considering a certain Ontario breeder so we went to meet her at a dog show in Woodstock.

The fact that she altered all her pups at 7 weeks made us decide not to get one of her puppies. The dog that we met peed on my feet!
Posted: 9:53:06 AM 9/4/2005
I can tell you from my personal experience that the people who had an otherwise healthy 2 year old female that was leaking urine all over the carpeting in their home were not happy pet owners. I am SURE others would have found her another home, dropped her at a shelter or at least put her outside (which should never be an option for a boxer).

Dogs are a little different but there is no way that I would have a cat leaking urine in my home the way cat urine smells. I guess you could say, that is a chance worth taking that maybe 1 of 10 or whatever females spayed early will leak urine and have a lessor life that may end again in the shelter or booted outside. Again, I say why? If you don't trust them to get it done, don't give them the pet, or do FOLLOW UP to make sure the pet was spayed or neutered. Or place a higher deposit on the puppy/kitten say 3X the cost of the proceedure. People would get it done then to get their deposit back. There are PEOPLE solutions that don't put the pet in harm.
Posted: 9:57:19 AM 9/4/2005
just my opinion but 5 to 6 months is early enough in my book...I know shelters do it out of neccessity...but i personally would wait until a maturity level is reached...JUst my personal opinion and not based on any thing other then personal experence...
Posted: 10:33:36 AM 9/4/2005
None of the vets I've worked for considered early spay/neutering a good idea. Personally, I think they need to be older before they have it done. 5-6 months to me is the ideal age. I haven';t actually done any research, but I trust the vets I've worked for. And they did not feel comfortable routinely anesthetizing patients that young. As for the problem with incontinence I don't know what data is available to show that it occurs due to early altering, but in my personal experience I have seen a number of females who were spayed at an older age have a problem with it as well. It may be less common. I don't know. Just something to do more reading on.
Posted: 10:34:26 AM 9/4/2005
Spay incontinence has NOTHING to do with WHEN an animal was spayed. It can happen at any age. It happens no less frequently in dogs who are adult (2 years+) at the time of neutering.

Early spaying and neutering is WELL suported by the veterinary community. These myths are easily dispelled if you understand what you're discussing- rather than relying on so-and-so's story or an experience you believe to be caused by an early spay or neuter (without support).
http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/health/early-spay-neuter.html
http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/ope/ivb/spay-neu.htm
http://www.columbusdogconnection.com/PedSpayNeuter.htm

It's sadly, quite evident that we CAN'T trust that most people will be expedient with getting their pets spayed/neutered before they can reproduce. If I *were* a breeder (which I will NEVER be)- you better believe that any pet quality animals would go to their new home without the ability to reproduce.

***Edited By: LongDogs4Me on 9/4/2005 10:35:14 AM***
Reason: .
Posted: 11:22:18 AM 9/4/2005
Again, this is yet another thread that I am going to let go of and say 'I will agree to disagree' and I am not even going to be tempted to look at this particular thread again. This is why it is a topic of debate, and no one other than my 3 vets I work with will change my mind.

I don't agree with it. End of story. I don't have any problem with sending my 'pet' puppies home with their owners because 1)I trust the families or they wouldn't have one of my puppies 2) ALL of my puppies are better than 99% of any other puppies that are out of the paper or on the internet being sold and bred every day. I can't remember having a puppy that was of such 'poor quality' that it would be terrible to breed it. I just don't feel that all of my puppies should be bred, or the certian inexperienced families should be given the option. Anyways, I need to ignore this topic.
<< Return to General Topics
 
Found [18] Posts :: Page 1 of 1
FIDO
BoneHeartCircleHydrant
Order Pet Tag
© Copyright 2003-2013 TerrificPets.com (an OffLeashMedia Company)

Dogs
 
Horses Cats