Best Time to Neuter

applebear · Post by **applebear** » Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:35 pm

Ro is getting closer to that 6 month mark, which is usually when I do their big fix. However, I have read in a variety of different places, that some prefer to wait on the growth plates, which is around a year and half I believe. Does anyone have any views or opinions on the best time?

Thanks, later.

applebear · Post by **applebear** » Fri Aug 09, 2013 10:23 am

Bueller....Bueller.....

Andria · Post by **Andria** » Sat Aug 10, 2013 4:26 pm

I asked the same question (with varying answers) awaiting the arrival of our Eddie...the question was irrelevant as the breeder insists on spay/neuter and microchip between 6-8 weeks and will not

Andria · Post by **Andria** » Sat Aug 10, 2013 4:28 pm

(Sorry, hit reply too soon) anyway, we didn't really have the option since breeder would not allow pick up until neutered and healed...I know that doesn't answer your question, but I've always wondered if 8 weeks was considered too young

applebear · Post by **applebear** » Sun Aug 11, 2013 11:15 pm

Thanks for the response. Yeah I've heard of some breeders that have them done young, and if I'm honest, it would probably be a deal breaker for me...6-8 months is youngest I'd feel comfortable at, and since it seems to be no real clear answer, I'll probably just go with what I know since I haven't had any issues with past dogs done at that age.

Rory's Dad · Post by **Rory's Dad** » Mon Aug 12, 2013 4:54 pm

Not to hi-jack Applebear's post, but i have no real response as to the best time for that. You are right that there is no consistent reponses and quite a few varying opinions. I would say this however...if your dog is not completely secure or unsupervised at any point around other dogs, sooner is better. I own dogs that i show and intend to breed, so it's not something i have had to consider, but do spend countless hours keeping my own chows separated (from each other) and away from other dogs. They are socialized frequently but are always on lead.

To Andria...my initial thought is that 6-8 weeks is early. For that to be a requirement from the breeder is odd. I co-own my female with the breeder and she retained 'choice' rights. We cannot have Amber fixed unless medically necessary and the breeder has final say on any mate choices. I would definitely want to know the reasoning behind those terms...is there a defect or undesirable trait that the breeder doesnt want continued in the line? Breeders qualify there litters at a couple different levels...show quality, pet quality, etc. If pet quality was explained up front, that may have something to do with their logic, but it still seems extreme to me.

applebear · Post by **applebear** » Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:42 pm

Rory's Dad wrote:Not to hi-jack Applebear's post, but i have no real response as to the best time for that. You are right that there is no consistent reponses and quite a few varying opinions. I would say this however...if your dog is not completely secure or unsupervised at any point around other dogs, sooner is better. I own dogs that i show and intend to breed, so it's not something i have had to consider, but do spend countless hours keeping my own chows separated (from each other) and away from other dogs. They are socialized frequently but are always on lead.

To Andria...my initial thought is that 6-8 weeks is early. For that to be a requirement from the breeder is odd. I co-own my female with the breeder and she retained 'choice' rights. We cannot have Amber fixed unless medically necessary and the breeder has final say on any mate choices. I would definitely want to know the reasoning behind those terms...is there a defect or undesirable trait that the breeder doesnt want continued in the line? Breeders qualify there litters at a couple different levels...show quality, pet quality, etc. If pet quality was explained up front, that may have something to do with their logic, but it still seems extreme to me.

No worries Rory and thanks for the response. There is no risk of reproduction, I have all boys and my dogs are 100% supervised outside of the home, but I will most likely still shoot for the 6-8 month range. If things look good for the 6 month mark, I will probably just go for that as I see no real difference in that short of a gap [6 to 8].

I too find the requirement for being altered that young odd, but have heard of it before and I always thought it was to prevent any unwanted breeding...though I really don't know. But if a breeder is that insecure about the person they are selling their pups to, where they have to force it done before they even leave the nest, maybe then they need to up their screening process.

Constantina · Post by **Constantina** » Mon Aug 12, 2013 7:38 pm

I was considering having her neutered at 5-6 months which would be about now but 2 vets talked me out of it saying they do not advise neutering earlier than eight months old till they have developed more. 5 to 6 months is too early so yes, 8 weeks is too soon.

Rory's Dad · Post by **Rory's Dad** » Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:52 pm

Yes, the more i think about the restriction, the more it worries me. At 8 weeks they havent even completed necessary inocculations and to subject the pup to surgery is risky.

They could always write the requirement to neuter into the sales contract, but it sounds more like a condition of releasing the pup. Curious as to who this breeder is. Whether they are so worried that one of their litters could create competition or there is a flaw in the line is worth reviewing.

612guy · Post by **612guy** » Tue Aug 13, 2013 7:07 pm

I think there is no best time to neuter all male chows. Many factors should be part of the decision on the time of neutering. Your contract with the breeder, aggression with people or other dogs, if you have a fenced yard, kenneling restrictions and I'm sure there is a lot more. The big ones for me would be to wait 2 years so he and his ligaments fully develop. If he is a sweet boy like Brutus, why hurry. Below is a quote from another posting and I had no idea about the 6 week after the spring equinox to avoid the coat changes. I know he is a smooth chow but can tell you Brutus coat is 100 times easier to groom vs our previous spaded females. Brutus is intact but never has had a matt in his fur and the female matted all the time. I don't know if the surgery is harder on them the later it is though.

sengeoz wrote:According to much of the current research into speying/neutering, 24 months is the ideal age.
The body has completed development but it's usually soon enough to prevent other intact-related issues. A change in personality is highly uncommon, although the younger the animal is neutered (under 12 months), the more likely it will remain immature.
Be aware that to avoid the coat from hell that comes with neutering the best time to neuter/spey your Chow (or any other double coated breed) is about 6 weeks after the spring equinox. Light affects the hormones of the coat changes, so this timing coincides with the dumping of the winter coat and coming in for the summer coat. They will still moult twice a year, but the primary coat will be similar to the summer coat.

Cocoa · Post by **Cocoa** » Wed Aug 14, 2013 10:08 am

Constantina wrote:

I was considering having her neutered at 5-6 months which would be about now but 2 vets talked me out of it saying they do not advise neutering earlier than eight months old till they have developed more. 5 to 6 months is too early so yes, 8 weeks is too soon.

All the vets I have ever spoken to have recommended spaying females before their first heat if you are not intending to breed. The recommended age is usually six months (since the first heat is normally between 6 - 8 months). They also will charge more to spay a dog if she has already gone through a heat, I wonder if that is why they are recommending you wait.

Constantina · Post by **Constantina** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 6:47 am

Hmmmm... You could be right! Maybe they want to charge me more. Hmmmm. I am a paranoid sucker when it comes to my chowling.

maikinda · Post by **maikinda** » Thu Aug 22, 2013 7:42 pm

I have never heard of a vet charging more if a bitch has had a heat cycle. A vet does charge more if they are in heat when they do the spay.

Laura

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Fri Aug 23, 2013 5:59 pm

Our vet won't spay or neuter before six months of age. Teddie went into heat at exactly six months. Our vet won't spay a female in heat. The risk of high blood loss is too great. So, we waited it out and she was finally operated on at 7 1/2 months. Our vet is a chow owner and owns two dogs and two cats (the cats hang out around the office). Arleigh-Burke, our Golden/Shepherd mix was spayed at six months. Both have grown up to be healthy happy bundles of energy (they are five and four respectively) with no health or development issues.

I would just say that Teddie was very mopey for about thirty days and the male dogs in the neighborhood were prowling the fence line until it was over.

Our local ordinance requires spay/neuter at two weeks. Our vet thinks that's nuts and we had to go to an animal shelter outside the county to get Arleigh so we could avoid that and we couldn't get her licensed until we had that done. Pretty stupid but there you go.

Anyway, I trust my vet and our dogs are happy so that's my story.

Constantina · Post by **Constantina** » Wed Oct 09, 2013 7:58 pm

ARGH! Chestnut went into heat two weeks shy of six months old! I should have had her neutered at 5 months. Will ride this out and have her neutered on the eight month mark then. Want to give her hormones time to settle before surgery. Sigh... My baby is now a lady...

artchick · Post by **artchick** » Fri Oct 25, 2013 11:52 am

I adopted a rescue dog who was neutered at about two years old. He is more muscular than many dogs I've met, which I think is due in part to having him fixed relatively late. However, he was a sweet, calm boy before getting neutered, and afterwards as well. So, for the relatively docile boy, I think it's fine to wait longer than six months. If he starts marking or other destructive behaviors, then neutering sooner might be a good idea. IMO, it all comes down to the specific dog and his/her personality and physiology.

ChowChow.org