I was under the assumption that waiting until after the 2nd heat cycle to spay was the correct choice, but after a vet visit and short discussion I'm questioning that.
I told my vet what I was planning and he almost immediately told me that he would do it before the first heat, and told me to do some research on breast cancer in dogs before making a decision. I went home and looked it up and there it was: "The risk of a dog developing a mammary tumor is 0.5% if spayed before their first heat (approximately 6 months of age), 8% after their first heat, and 26% after their second heat."
26 percent!! I can't seem to find concrete studies on the growth plate closure/development issues, and such a severe increase in risk of breast cancer makes me want to second guess myself? I'd love to hear your thoughts, no idea what to do!
@bellemem I do not spay my dogs before growth plate closure. I've not yet had a case of breast cancer. 25+ years of dogs and I breed and show so I have had a few more dogs than normal. Talk to your breeder and ask her about longevity in her lines and what dogs passed away from. My experience is entirely antidotal. I've had a dog develop lymphoma at two and another develop copper storage disease at 9. I've also had them pass peacefully at 13. Things will happen but breast cancer is not quite the coin toss suggested IMO. You were told to use resources. You have a very popular breed. Use them.
@akilah That's a great idea, idk why I hadn't considered to look into Olive's lineage. I will ask the breeder tomorrow, thanks a ton for taking the time to give me the other side of the coin.
@bellemem Breeders are demonized in a lot of the US at the moment. Even vets sneer at them. But many really care about their dogs and spend a lot of time and energy on health. My breed mentor has been breeding for sixty years. I know my dogs lineage backwards and forwards and generations of temperament and health.
@bellemem We got my pup, a border collie black lab cross, spayed at 6 months old before her first heat.
Take this with a grain of salt as it goes against what many say here, but our vet advised us that the growth plate injuries that result from early spaying or over-exercise were often the extreme cases. It definitely pays to be on the more cautious side, but be careful that you aren’t making decisions based on what can potentially happen to a small percentage of the population with severe trauma or over-exercising.
I’m a bit surprised that your vet told you to “do your own research.” While it’s always good to be informed, I usually expect vets to share the knowledge they have around these topics. However, all I can do is share what our vet told us (we did almost everything based on vet recommendation), and also let you know that our girl is now a year old, happy and healthy as ever.
@bellemem For a small dog like yours it shouldn’t make much of a difference. I have a Bernese mountain dog and was torn on the same topic. It seems as if the cancer is a much higher likelihood than growth issues so I played the odds game and spayed mine at 6 months but who really knows. You can find evidence supporting either or
@bellemem First of all, what a cutie! She is absolutely adorable.
I have a male and I'm wondering too about when to neuter. One thing that changed my mind recently (I don't have the link to hand) was re the growth plate development and their backs. Despite their small size they are at risk of IVDD. Most people don't think about the specifics of dachshunds when recommending anything.
Either way, there are risks. Do what you think is right.
@bellemem There's not a lot of research on what you're looking for. Rescues spay puppies younger than six months before they are adopted. Since your puppy is a dachshund, it won't grow much more past six months, it'll probably be fully grown. Your vet knows and if he says to spay her before her first heath then it's okay. Most vets will say six months. I think it's really only recent people are waiting much longer to fix their dogs with not a lot of research behind these decisions.
