At What Age Should I Spay My Lab Puppy

When Should I Spay My Dog? Now that we’ve established how important it is to spay your female dog, we should discuss how to time the procedure. There is most certainly such a thing as spaying your dog at the wrong time—in particular, too early while she’s too young—and it’s something that you should work to avoid at all costs.

At what age should i spay my lab puppy. New puppy visits have to be one of my favorite appointments in veterinary medicine. Adorable puppies, excited owners, so many opportunities to lay the groundwork for a long and happy life together. We cover lots of topics: vaccinations, deworming schedules, training, nutrition. Though these procedures can be done on puppies as young as a few months old, dog owners should consult with their veterinarian to determine the best age to spay or neuter their pet. When to Spay. If your lab puppy is at least 6 months old, the time is right for spaying. Some vets, humane societies and breeders recommend spaying as early as 2 to 4 months, but the traditional age is 6 months. A lab puppy's first heat typically occurs between 7 and 12 months so you likely want to spay before then. At what age should I spay my puppy? Pippa Elliott, MRCVS Veterinarian Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in.

If your lab puppy is at least 6 months old, the time is right for spaying. Some vets, humane societies and breeders recommend spaying as early as 2 to 4 months, but the traditional age is 6 months. A lab puppy's first heat typically occurs between 7 and 12 months so you likely want to spay before then. Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) is age-related change in prostate size. By 6 years of age, 75 to 80% of intact male dogs will have evidence of BPH; by 9 years of age, 95 to 100% of intact male dogs will have evidence of BPH. The increased size of the prostate is associated with increased blood supply. Most people hear that you should spay or neuter your puppy as soon as possible (as young as 6 months old), so as to diminish the unwanted puppy population. While we agree that there is unfortunately a growing population of unplanned puppies, there are also valid arguments for waiting to spay or neuter a dog, that affect its lifetime health. A spay surgery prevents female dogs from getting pregnant by removing both the ovaries and the uterus. Afterward, female dogs enjoy many health benefits and won't have to deal with being in heat.

That is true, however, there are a host of other cancers that can be more probable if you neuter your puppy at a young age. According to a 2014 study with 2,500 Vizslas, the younger the dog at the time of neutering, the more likely the dog is to develop one or more of the following: We had our female lab spayed at 6 months before her first heat and I regret that now. While she came through the surgery easier than my previous lab that was spayed at 1-1/2, we are now dealing with occasional incontinence in our 2 year old lab. If I knew then what I know now, I would have waited. I have a 9 month old labrador puppy. I have only had German shepherds for most of my life and still have 2 shepherds as well. Shepherd people seem pretty set on not neutering before 2 but my puppy's breeder recommended age 1. I am trying to plan the neuter in conjunction with Xrays for OFA (either prelims or final) while he is under anasthesia. About the author: Michele Welton has over 40 years of experience as a Dog Trainer, Dog Breed Consultant, and founder of three Dog Training Centers.An expert researcher and author of 15 books about dogs, she loves helping people choose, train, and care for their dogs. Check out my other articles on health & feeding

Typically, we’d like to see female pets spayed before their first heat cycle, so in the past, we’ve recommended that pets get spayed and neutered around 6 months of age. If you can prevent unwanted pregnancy, wait as long as possible before sterilization. For most of my patients, this means around 10 to 14 months of age. Adult dogs can be neutered at any age but the best time is before sexual maturity. For many years, the recommended spay/neuter age was 6 to 9 months, however, now it is quite common for surgery to take place at 4 months old. If a puppy’s future involves performance competition, ask your veterinarian and breeder about timing. Wondering what your puppy should be doing at 8 weeks or 10 weeks, or a little later at 4 months or 5 months? In this article we are going to look at how to train a Lab puppy at the various stages of their life. From 8 weeks on our puppy training schedule guides you through ages and stages of Labrador puppy training. If your lab puppy is at least 6 months old, the time is right for spaying. Some vets, humane societies and breeders recommend spaying as early as 2 to 4 months, but the traditional age is 6 months. A lab puppy’s first heat typically occurs between 7 and 12 months so you likely want to spay before then.