Spaying
I know this is a touchy subject to some members on here but I am going through a tough decision and would like some opinions...Bianca is coming up on 7 months and I believe she is in her first heat cycle. No bleeding but her vulva is swollen and her behavior is a bit 'off'. Our vet had scheduled her spay on the 1st of this month, which I must admit I conveniently "forgot". I have been up and down about getting this procedure done from the start. I have been reading so many things both pros and cons and am just completely torn. I would like to know from you guys who have done and have not done this and what your thoughts, ebt's behaviors and health matters are due to your decision. My biggest thing is I don't want my babygirl in any pain. We recently got our small dog Sam neutered right after we got Bianca and it literally broke my heart after it was done. He is going to be 8 years old this year and it took me getting her to get his procedure done. I must admit Sam is a different/easier to manage dog after his. He was impossible to take to the dog park before because he was literally in EVERY dogs ass whining the ENTIRE time. It was so embarrassing for me and didn't seem enjoyable for him either. He absolutely could not control himself. This has all come to a complete halt after his procedure. He is a joy to bring to the dog park and doesn't seem to have anxiety there like he used to. With that being said, I am still uneasy about getting Bianca spayed. Males and females are completely different. She is my first bully and my first female. Your input would be helpful...
Comments
I myself would never ever tell an owner to do or not do it. Because there are so many different factors involved and so many different opinions out there.
I often hear about owners trying to "fix" certain behaviors by spaying/ neutering. But I have a feeling like there's only a 50/50 chance that it can change behavior - also because that depends on so many different circumstances.
Then I read that younger studies suggest spaying/ neutering may increase the risk of certain cancers and other ailments, while in the past many vets recommended spaying to PREVENT certain cancers.
Studies pro spaying often state that "intact" females have a higher risk of developing uterus infections - which can become life threatening and may make neutering (removal of all reproductive organs) necessary.
Also spaying/ neutering prevents accidental pregnancies - no doubt about that.
Some say that severe and frequent false pregnancies with production of milk usually occurring in intact females (but also possible in fixed ones!) can contribute to the risk of certain cancers.
On the other hand, every general anesthesia puts an organism at risk of complications and death.
Our last Bull Terrier, Fancy, almost died at the age of three from a uterus infection and had to be neutered. She became 14 years old and had to deal with lots of health problems - none of which seemed to be related to her missing uterus. But then again I am no expert when it comes to knowledge about hormones.
Despite everything we are still convinced that the best way to go for us personally is to mess with nature as little as possible, which is why Djamila - our current Bull Terrier girl - now at the age of almost three is still "intact".
Of course, we will watch her health closely and if we would ever find ourselves in the situation again that spaying/ neutering is the only option to save her life, of course we would take the step.
But this is only how WE see and handle it.
We could never tell anyone to do it the same way, because after all - no matter which route one decides to go - there never are any guarantees for anything.
This is a decision every owner needs to make on his/ her own, depending on the very personal circumstances, life situation and the individual dog.
I really believe that one should avoid, wherever possible, "elective surgery" in young dogs. As they get older, problems (pray they do not occur) get much less elective. Let me use our wonderful little girl Isabella as an example. NOT believing in spaying (or neutering) unless it is absolutely needed for medical reasons.... It was very hard to accept that we would need to spay Isabella after she had had her first season, solely because she lives with her brother, Marco, who is the randiest pirate in Florida. (and we couldn't risk having in-breeding, even though they are virtually under constant supervision).... She finally had her surgery, only to find that she was allergic to the suture material that they had used, (Even though our most trusted vet had used the "highest quality" of non-toxic suture thread available. Isabella reacted completely negatively to the suture material, became totally toxic, and septic, the flesh "rotted" and her internal surgery "collapsed". She needed to be opened up again, and the repairs made with stainless steel sutures (which you can still feel under her flesh today, because they will never dissolve)... That worked, but the original infections required large amounts of antibiotic, to which she was AGAIN!!!! allergic, they had to change antibiotic type three times before one was found that she could tolerate and it worked. In the end, after all that trauma she was fine... but the whole experience/ toxicity, antibiotic saturation, completely weakened her immune system and she is only just now, 2 1/2 years later, being able to recover from the initial shock to her system.... She has had a far weaker immune system than her brother.
I know I will be criticized for this, but I honestly believe the whole spay/ neuter concept is a liberal plot forged to enhance income for the "parasite layer" (ie the service industry). Much like the insurance industry and those that institute rules and regulations so that a bunch of office bound, non-creators can benefit from the hard earned money of creative/ productive people.
There can be no natural reason why dogs or bitches should be de-sexed in this UN-natural fashion. It is just a bull shit story to (theoretically) reduce the volume of unwanted dogs...... The only REAL solution to the existence of un-wanted dogs is to eliminate, moronic low quality people from acquiring dogs in the very first place. There are relatively few "unexpected or spontaneous" bitch impregnations in the home....
It is the back-yard breeders and puppy mills that produce more puppies than responsible humans can handle.... so they end up in the hands of morons.
Unless your dog needs neutering or your bitch needs spaying for LIFE THREATENING reasons, my recommendation is that you wouldn't do it at all.!!!
Always keep an eye on their daily health and if there are any bad signs consult the best vet around, remind them that purpose in life is to serve animals before their bank balances, and establish whether remaining intact threatens their life... (the dog that is
Throughout my life, my family and/or I have had 4 dogs (various breeds). First dog, male, neutered. Died at age 15 basically due to organ failure cause he was old. Second dog, female, spayed. Died at age 13 due to chronic leukemia. Only other medical issues were impacted anal glands and the fact that they left a surgical towel in her body after her spay...
Fourth dog, Quinn, female bull terrier, spayed at 6 months. Would I maybe have waited a little longer to spay her? Probably. Would I have still had her spayed? Yes. Quinn was spayed with regular materials. She did bleed a lot apparently, and they did a belly wrap when they sent her home with me. Other than that, she has had no other internal health issues and recovered quickly from her spay. She is turning 5 this year. :-O
I only share these because opinions are opinions. There's so much information out there about this topic I don't really know if there is a right or wrong or better or worse. I think people's decisions are largely based on their experiences, especially if it's something as traumatic as what Phil experienced. You do what you think is right for your baby!!