Why get it done after 3 years? For what purpose? If they are happy after 3 years why cut out the uterus….and have unnecessary operations …..there is no benefit to this insane practice…..what about the risks of general anaesthesia, infection, etc etc.
There were 19,000 dogs entered in the International Dogs Show, Crufts in Birmingham, England, not one of those dogs are cut, they're not allowed to be.
I seriously regret spaying my dog at around 5 months because of research like this! She's had so many issues with her joints and bone density! She's turning 6 soon .. It breaks my heart that I didn't just let her live a natural life and interfered with how nature is supposed to work
I’m very regret of spaying my dog at 6 months old. I’ve lost her last December, barley at 7 years old with a lot of health issues like heart failure, kidneys, liver and etc.... The way, how they’re doing spaying in the USA like removing all female reproductive system especially in the early age, they’re ruing all puppy health completely! There’s no hormones support after surgery and all the organs are suffering. If you castrated human female in her early age you would provide her hormones therapy till the end of her life but they don’t sink dog would need it the same treatment or it’ll damage a dog health! The problem is they just not honest with the owner but most of us trust them.. No more!
I only neutered my boy at 5.5 years because he developed prostate problems. Im a responsible dog pawrent and he's never bred. I would never allow an elective procedure. He's a large/giant breed with a propensity for cancer.
So glad you’re addressing this. There are a bagful of nut cases out there who “of course,know it all”, I stopped arguing with them,It saves my breath and my headaches. I have Karakachans and neutered 2 females after 1 year old. My sales contract forbids puppers from being neutered before 1 yr. Old. Had one couple that pretended to know how to raise a livestock guardian dog. They lied. Had one of my boys neutered (long story) at 6 months old. Contract plainly states,”If for reason animal is mistreated,neutered prior to being a year old (and a couple of other things) that I will take the dog back. I have 3 “rejects”, who are great dogs,just went with wrong folks. My one boy has weak bones from being cut way too soon. Thanks so much for watching out for the fur babies❣️
I spayed my 6 months old dog (GSD mix). Shortly after the surgery, several organs started to fail, and she ended up dying of a myocardial infarction a few days later. She had just died, and the vet was still insisting that that the surgery is perfectly safe. Anyway, against the vet's recommendation, I didn't spay the next dog I got (GSD), because I was too afraid that something that never happens would happen to her too. Unfortunately, when she was 18 months old, she already had severe hip dysplasia, and died when she was only 7. I actually found this channel researching recipes for her. I'm so glad that I know that I didn't contribute to it by spaying her, but this shows that there are many other factors that go into it. You did what you thought was best with the information you had at the time, and there's no way to tell that it could have been avoided. Sometimes I think that I shouldn't have let her jump as a puppy, or that I should have started joint support supplements earlier (I didn't know they existed), or taken her to the hospital earlier (I went against my vet's recommendation, who said she was fine), or switched the crap joint mobility food the vet recommended for a grain free diet earlier... there's always a way to find things to feel guilty about. The thing I regret the most, was trusting my vet. She meant well, but was very ill informed, and believed everything sales force people told her. Unfortunetely I didn't realize that until we had a conversation about a specific cox-2 inhibitor, and I realized that she didn't understand that the mechanism of action applied to the whole drug class. The sales person had told her that cox-2 inhibition was specific to their drug, and she bought into it. How is that even possible? But at the end of the day, I know that had my dog developed breast cancer, I'd be feeling guilty for not having spayed her. So... don't beat yourself up too much (I'm guilty of it too, but working on it). Hindsight is 20/20, but we're doing our best with the information we have, and hopefully learning, so that our next pets get more educated owners... Unfortunately now I can only adopt adult dogs, since neutering/spaying is mandatory by law and I won't do it, but I still found the goodest boy and cutest senior girl ever 🙂. And I may be making a bunch of mistakes, but I won't be repeating the same ones. Good luck to your furry friend, I hope all goes well with her!
Had to get my female rescue desexed as it’s mandatory when adopting these days. Now she suffers from urine incontinence. Thanks to Dr Jones I’ve got her on red clover and it seems to be working for her incontinence. Such a beautiful blessing in my life and I’m glad for people like Jones to guide us in giving our fur babies the best life ❤
My previous dog suffered from incontinence. I started playing tug o war with her. It tightened her muscles after a few months and SOLVED her issues. Not saying 100% cure, but in her case it worked.
This is the sad state of affairs---over my life I've adopted many pets from the shelter or other rescue situations in which they were spayed or neutered as babies---and all of those pets have had health issues consequences. Each and every STRAY dog or cat that I've adopted, and were allowed to grow to maturity before getting that operation have been outrageously healthy and lived LONG lives. The evidence is obvious. Spaying and Castrating baby animals is harmful, period.
I listened to my vet n didn't get any of my girls spayed until after their first heat n of course I had male pups still intact..ended up line breeding now I have 16 large healthy dogs!! Gave away 14 pups even tho we paid for all their shots! Noone wanted any of the other pups n didn't have the heart to take the to a shelter now we have an enormous responsibility, it is very trying somedays n expensive!! But every single one of our kids has its own personality n love them all..they eat better than us, we didn't buy our dream home but bought a small house with over 6 acres n almost went broke fencing it all!! Oh well, no kids just 4 legged ones!!❤😂😊 House of 64 Paws!! We are the top buyer from Chewy in our entire zip code!! Whew...doing our part n taking care of them all!! Your videos saved us thousands of dollars!!! God Bless😊
My girl is a Labrador Retriever and she is 9years 6months old and never been spayed, she is still like a puppy. I check her mammary glands whenever she is on heat and also if she has a phantom pregnancy I will massage her mammary glands to keep them soft so she doesn't get mastitis. She runs and jumps around the same as she did as a puppy and has had no major visits to the vets, just for vaccinations which were required for her to qualify as a service canine 😊
@@charlessloane I'm not a fan, however I believe not everyone is responsible enough to not have accidents regarding unintentional babies.... Therefore I understand most people fixing their pets. I also believe dogs need their hormones for growth and temperament until they are at least 2 years old.
I use to have two bulldogs. Now I just have one. My female was spayed at 6 months , the male is intact. My Coco passed away a year ago (she was 9 years old) of skin cancer which metastasized into her lungs and spleen. She had all kind of health issues. Allergies, change personality, joint problems. Nacho is perfectly fine and he is going to be 10 in June. I truly regret spaying my Coco at such early age. After her dead I went into a rabbit hole about the endocrine system and how the hormones can be affected when you don't let dogs reach puberty. Some vets don't care, they just want the money.
Thanks for this video, as a vet student I can say I am fortunate to have professors that went through the debate in a very neutral way (much like you did). This annoyed a lot of my class as they wanted straight black and white answers but like most things in medicine- it is not a one size fits all approach and a conversation needs to be had with every client about their situation and pet. Thank you.
Just had my Boston Terrier spayed at 2 years old, her personality and her loving affection has stayed the same, thank God! I got her at 2 months and from the get go, I stopped feeding her kibble, I cook my own “dog food.” I have a chihuahua that will be turning 16 years old next month. I neutered him as an adult no issues. I believe that their diet plays a major role too, no kibble and no water from the faucet.
I have a 6 year old male labradoodle. I chose not to neuter him. The main issue I have faced is the stigma attached to intact dogs that they are aggressive. Have faced this issue with groomers, vets etc who just judge him even without seeing him. My dog is not aggressive. He does bark at strangers and new people until he gets used to seeing them. Even strangers have passed comments like ‘Oh he is not neutered’ or why we did not neuter him etc, I just tell them that I don’t think it is healthy for him to not have his testicles. Sexual reproduction is not the only purpose of those organs.
Same here. My 6years old lab is also intact . Wont be neutering him till needed for any medical issue. He is not aggressive but barks at any new person untill he gets used to see them.
Well said!! Exactly, reproduction isn’t the only purpose. Those hormones are so important for all function. We need more docs willing to perform a tubal, just so can’t get pregnant but keep their body intact. It’s not convenient to have a bleeding dog having to wear panties every 6 months. But that’s what I signed up for when I got my girl. Want to keep her healthy and a path of success for her future mobility. I have always waited until 2 or later and no regrets. With this one, I’m not sure I will spay at all. Take care.
Same here, my boxer is 9 and intact ,, another one is 17 months old, intact,, I have also 3rd one 9 years old who was neutered at 6 months, wee adopted him when he was 1 year old. He developed horrible bone infection, had tumors on his bones and they were corroded, I was told by the vet this can happen cause when neutered so early back legs grow quicker and poor nutrition had the impact on it as well. My poor boy has been through so much cause of stupid people and uneducated vets who neutered him so early. I'm against neutering full stop
I adopted a chihuahua in 2013 at 3 months and 2 pounds and she was already spayed. Now she’s 10 years old with multiple joint issues in both knees with serious patella and her acl in her one back leg is horrendous. She had surgery on her neck in September because her neck bone was not fully developed, became paralyzed. She has screws and bonding put in and she is better and sometimes she can walk a bit. I am sure it was because she was spayed so darn young. She’s so darn smart and such a love bug. She also had her rabies vaccine early and had a horrible reaction to it and I haven’t and will never do it to her again. I am with her all the time because I am retired. I found out through research that all dogs receive the same dose, no matter the size of the dog, which is insane.
The 3yr rabies vaccine has the risk of creating an allergic reaction. Our vet recommended the 1yr rabies vaccine each year until our miniature breed dog turned 4yrs old. This was more than 40yrs ago. With regard to joint health risks in toy and/or small breeds who are spayed young, I call bs. My (late) mil never had her dog spayed. After mil’s health deteriorated to the point she required round the clock nursing care, dh & I brought her dog home, where she still lives today. The little dog is a toy size breed… a toy fox terrier. She was 13yrs old before she was spayed. We’re lucky she didn’t die because she developed pyometra. If I had not had her in a dog diaper to help with her urinary incontinence AND was waiting on a list for an appointment to have her seen to setup a spay AND knew/noted when her heat cycle started/# of days she she in her heat cycle/knew the date it ended with regards to spotting & moodiness wore down, I might would’ve thought her cycle restarted if I had known at all. This case of open pyometra would have killed her. She was seen immediately & they hit her hard with antibiotics & other medicines due to her age, not to mention that many dogs die from pyometra because antibiotics don’t always work. If it had been closed pyometra, we wouldn’t have known. She was spayed approx 2mos later & had in-depth heart monitoring & testing to ensure she had a chance to survive the surgery. Again, she was 13yrs old before she was spaed. She still suffers from extensive joint pain. She is medicated for it. It is so important to have your animals spayed/ neutered. There is no need to cause an unwanted litter of pups or kittens. Adding to the pet population leads to higher numbers of kill shelters. The nonprofits & kind hearted financially able citizens can’t care for them all. It creates health risks for the impregnated females.
Years ago, the best dog that I ever had he was shepherd lab x, my vet said this very thing. I never neutered him, the only animal to do so, he wasn't aggresive or sexually active. I don't think he would know what to if he had the chance. He was well behaved and trained well. The dogs I had prior and after him, never came close.
I appreciate this comment! I have been tormented over if I should neuter my 11-month old pug. He's scheduled for May 8th. Originally, we decided to book him in so that he could go to doggy daycare (he's extremely outgoing and I know he would love it) and also to take away the sex-drive urge as we felt it was cruel to allow him to have those urges, knowing he would never have sex. However, he has pretty much stopped humping me, never marks in the house, and is overall a great little puppy. I am leaning towards leaving him, at least for now, and letting him live his natural life with all the hormones in his body.
As a trainer/behaviourist I see more dogs develop behavioural issues that are spayed/neutered at an early age. It doesn’t allow them to mentally mature and develop confidence if they are anxious. Luckily in the uk more and more vets are suggesting later neutering. We don’t really have an issue with strays in our country and people that are going to breed will regardless. My male is 8 and still has his testicles. Never had an issue. My female had to seasons then she was spayed.
Absolutely true!! This needs to be spread far and wide. Also there is no need to do traditional spaying. We have had only the ovaries removed for decades and there has never been any problems with the uterus or cancer. It is also less invasive and a much easier recovery.
Your advice makes perfect sense. If only more humans were responsible enough to properly steward their pets until the healthiest time. Thank you for this good information.
Right in line with Dr. Becker on spay and neutering, her video goes into more detail....FINALLY, another great DVM!!! Will take this vets approach on veterinary medicine before ones that are clearly pushing all the new fad pharmaceuticals and commercial diets.
First, I truly appreciate Dr. Jones and all the important information he shares in his videos. Recently, the spay/neuter debate has been a hot topic on several TH-cam vet channels. I agree with the research and reasoning behind waiting to spay/neuter. Unfortunately, all these videos have caused extreme anxiety for me. I believe I am doing everything right for my dogs: feeding only raw foods, choosing organic options when available, supplementing their diet with vitamins, pro and prebiotics, joint and immune support, and many other positive lifestyle options. Three of my dogs are rescues. Sadly, they were all spayed/neutered bofore they came to live with me as it is an adoption condition with every rescue. My two recent additions, Chiweenie siblings, were spayed and neutered at 10 weeks old. Now, because of these videos, I am terrified about what could happen to their health in the coming years.
I guess u can be terrified over something u can’t control, let alone change Or Go on with life We have enough to cope with that we DO have control over! Go play with ur precious doggos 🙂
Behaviour is also an issue that needs to be considered when fixing them. I believe a dog that is fixed at too young of an age can have issues with fear aggression. I believe there was a study done in the UK about this subject and they found a link. I ended up waiting until my Golden was 4 in the hopes that he would settle down and be less sexually frustrated, but that didn’t happen so I had him fixed. So behaviour and or giving them enough responsible social experiences while they are intact are also important factors to consider.
Spaying and neutering are solely about money making and "population control". So help me God There are zero benefits to health God doesn't make mistakes
The thing with living beings is that we are all different. I have a golden retriever who was neutered at 19 months and he has joint issues. On the other hand, my 14 year old cat was neutered at 5 months old, which was recommended by our vet because he was supposed to go to another family who would probably allow him to roam and mate. Vet warned me such an early neutering could cause urinary issues but I live in a country with terrible street animal numbers. Even after all these years kitty is fine and has never had urinary problems. Lesson learned: you do the best you can in your own circumstances. Do your research, and make the best possible decision.
We waited as long as we could (about 18 months) to get our Golden Retriever fixed. I was afraid he would break our glass sliding door trying to get out when the neighbor dogs were out. Glad we waited, though.
My Golden was neutered b4 6 month old and he died at 15. My maltipoo was spayed b4 6 month old and she'll be 13 in Oct 2023. No health issues. I did lose a Boxer at 12 due to mast cell cancer and 2 male pekes at 11 and 9 respectively. All were spayed/neutered b4 6 month old.
Dr. Jones…This is an important subject and I listen intently and agree to what you’re recommending, but I can’t help but watch Tula. She’s so patient and agreeable to whatever you’re doing and looks up to you often. What a sweetheart!
My dog is 3.5 years old 85 lbs. she had her first heat at 9 months, l had her spayed shortly before her 1st birthday. I think l did the best for her joints & growth plates vs. risk of breast cancer. I read the risk of breast cancer increases after the 2nd heat. I had to dispute the vet who wanted her spayed at 6 months.
My vet, who raised & showed dobies, suggested I wait a couple years on my GSD - since I wanted to breed her I did - she was 4 when she had emergency surgery for pyometra. She did fine with the surgery and lived to be almost 16 years old. Still miss her ......
Soooo helpful. I’m going through this dilemma at the moment. Golden boy is almost 14 months. Where I live it’s frowned upon to have an intact dog. Will see what the vet thinks but I already know the answer. 👏
There are alternative sterilizations such as Ovary Sparing Spays, and vasectomies. My GSD male had a vasectomy and GSD female just had an ovary sparing spay.
My dog is a german shepherd/husky mix , she was spayed before she was 6 months old by her previous owners, and now she is having so many joint problems it's heartbreaking
Thank you for sharing! Love that you encourage viewers to question everything. I think we look at peoples credentials and just accept everything they say. Not everything is right for everyone, its important to do our own research too. On another note I wish that we could do something about the spaying and neutering laws in rescues. I adopted a dog that was spayed at around 3 months (maybe less) and at 2 years of age she is having issues with her ACL. Maybe its connected, maybe not.
I never honestly thought about this topic. To me it always seemed obvious that you should wait until the dog is full grown at around 2-3 years of age before you should spay or neuter them. They need those hormones to develop properly, I just never questioned that nor would I think much of anyone who would argue against that point.
I really appreciate the link to the study. I have a Cockapoo who’s mother was breed with a Standard Poodle and now I know why I was cautioned to wait till he was almost 2 by a health intuitive. Love your compassionate nature. All the best to you
had to get my dog spayed yesterday to officially adopt her from a shelter, i have been in tears since, myself at 55 i know the importance of hormones! Today I ordered some glandulars for her, could you make a video of things that could be done for pups like mine? I looked into an ovarian sparring spay but nobody wanted to do it on a 6 pound yorkie mix
Agree, I would never spay or neuter my dog or cat when they are still babies. 1-2 years of age probably. But, I haven't had a real yolung pet in awhile as I usually adopt/rescue middle age pets to where they are already spayed or neutered. Thanks for the great video.
You are my number one trusted resource when it comes to my dog’s health! Would you please make a video about flying with a dog and its risk? Thank you!
I just adopted a 3 yo retired mother Bassett Hound from a breeder. She has mamory cancer. Removing the tumor same time as spay in two weeks. I hope she's okay and it hasn't spread. They say they can take the tumor only or the whole mamory train. Wasn't sure what to think of that. Just taking tumor. Hope that's the right choice. Don't know if the breeder knew. We love her no matter how long we have her. Despite a nightmare heat cycle.
My fiance died from surgery complications. I was lost. I got a wheaten terrier. Thought I would breed her but no breeders return my call. Now I have an eight-year-old dog, not fixed, and I'm scared to death of putting her under anesthesia and I'm scared of surgery complications. She has been my world since Steve died. My first Wheaten Terrier got spayed around three years old, after she had one litter (oops, the neighbors dog got to her). She went through SERIOUS depression for 6 months. It was heartbreaking. She finally came out of it 9 months after the surgery,, when the vet was about to put her on antidepressants. There's two reasons right there, as to why my current Wheaton is not fixed. I live in the country and I just don't take her around other dogs when she's in heat. Her heat cycles are very light other than humping a pillow occasionally. LOL. I do worry that I've waited too long and why should I do it now at 8 years old?
My female, same litter dogs are 14 & have not been spayed, one is exceptionally healthy with no issues, the other is just beginning to get some joint issues only now.
I have a pair of male Saint Bernard's, and I'm not going to fix my boys. I have always had fixed dogs. My boys are always under control. I am going to go with not fixing my boys since I see it as an unnecessary surgery unless, of course, it becomes something of a health related issue down the road. But, so far, my boys are staying natural as I wouldn't send my child through unnecessary surgery.. they are my kids after all lol
Thank you! My Jackshund is 10 months old now and just had her first heat. I understand what you're saying, and my previous dog, a 10 lb rat terrier, I had spayed young. She was my first dog, I didn't know.
I have 4 dogs. 3 females and one male. None are spayed or neutered. My oldest one is 9 years, the 2 middle ones are 5 and the youngest is 9 months. I've never had any puppies.
Can you share how you handle heats to prevent pregnancy? I have a 5yo female and would like to get a male puppy; if I can make it work within reason, I’d like to keep both unaltered. Thank you for your comment.
@@Tex678 Probably the most important thing is to be observant. Female dogs only go into heat twice a year. My 2 older ones cycle about every 7 months. They both start their cycle about the same time, so that helps keep things simple. They're "cynced up" so to speak, lol! The youngest one hasn't had a heat yet but I'm keeping an eye on her . When they start to cycle, I just keep the male away from them. They stay in the house while the male stays outside and vice versa. I have separate kennels for them that are very secure. They all sleep in the bed with me, but when the females are in heat, the male stays in his own area at bedtime. It's not too difficult to do twice a year, for a little over 3 weeks each.
@@robertsandberg2246 ok thanks. This seems reasonable, logical, and obvious, which at least partially eases my fears. Do they behave well during heats? Or for three weeks twice a year do you have a houseful of star crossed lovers losing their minds over the fact they can’t be together? My female has had many heat cycles, and she’s such a lady for most of it and maybe just a little amorous at the very end during the few days of the standing portion of her heat, nothing intolerable for sure. I’ll be curious to see how behavior is in both her and the male during a heat. You’ve been very helpful.
@@Tex678 Thanks. My females actually seem to be even sweeter during their heats! My oldest one especially so. We have goats, chickens and cats and she has acted motherly towards them at times. She's such a good girl! The male has always behaved himself too. It could be that I just have excellent dogs, but I have put a lot of effort into training and socializing them. I get compliments about how well behaved my dogs are whenever I take them out. I cannot recommend the book "Supertraining your dog" by Paul Loeb and Josephine Banks enough! That's what I've used for training them since my oldest one was a puppy. That book is gold. Also, even though I've never bred them, I highly recommend "Successful Dog Breeding" by Chris Walkowics and Bonnie Wilcox DVM. There are a lot of insights in that book about the canine reproductive system and how it can affect their mindset and how to work around it so as to keep them out of trouble and well behaved. There are 2 editions. One printed in 1985 and in 1994. I recommend getting both, if that's possible. There are things in one that aren't in the other that are extremely valuable. I'd recommend thriftbooks.com. In a nutshell, training and, again, being observant are key.
My marker has always been " showing teeth?, growling? backing away from loving friends, humping uncontrollably?" ok, neuter. If you don't need to, then please don't!!
I don't think spey/neuter should be done before maturity or at least about a year old. (Longer for giant breeds). For people who are against all desexing, I was going to leave my two female Shelties but at 7 1/2 years of age, one had to have emergency speying as she had pyometra and my other girl I decided to also have done. When speyed her uterus was not normal but was enlarged on one side ( perhaps would also have developed pyometra??) I did see it and it was weird. Neither had been bred. I'm just saying this here because sometimes it's not just easy to say leave them to be natural. I know that this video is about the time to desex and I definately agree with Doc here.
My dog will be 2 years old in June,our vet recommended like you they normally advise to let her have 1 or 2 seasons just to make sure everything is working properly, then wait 3 months after that. She actually looked quite cute in size 6 pull ups for bedtime, lol. Thank you for your advice.😊
I was old schooled with the same information years ago. Now I’ve got a dog in Training who is only a year old. I’m going to wait till he’s either two years old or three years old before I have him neutered.
i don’t doubt the expressed here, but the situation with strays in Houston and in Texas in general is like a horror movie that never ends, TNR and spaying and neutering are the only thing that very mildly helps 😫
For me, I have to weigh the potential benefit of waiting with the risk of accidental pregnancies. I have never bought a puppy and have only rescued adult dogs. Echo was spayed at about 19 months after having a litter of puppies in the most deplorable conditions. She’s 6 now and very healthy but her mother recently died at age 9 from mammary cancer (she was spayed at age 5 after at least 5 litters of puppies). I had one intact male foster who I had neutered at 15 months. He was cryptorchid which increases the chance of testicular cancer so much that it’s essentially a guarantee. And my newest addition, Gunner, was just neutered at 12 months. I think avoiding pediatric spay and neuter is a no brainer - but I don’t think there’s any definitive science or consensus that waiting until 2 or 3 is beneficial. It’s certainly a huge risk of unwanted pregnancy.
My pitbull has stiff joints, is on thyroid meds and weights 100 lbs though she eats less than most dogs. She's also cysty. I made the mistake of having her spay at an early age.
What’s her age? My staphy is 14. Never neutered. Very sweet animal all his life. He can’t go to pet park unless he’s neutered. Would love for him to have social time. I don’t know if it’s ok to neuter senior dogs. Looking for that info.
Finally something about a pit. I have a pit mix with cane corso..was told I have a year to spay her if I was intending to but now watching this am hesitant.
It was suggested I get my Labrador spayed early on. But in my research I also read that it should wait until the dog is more grown, as to not stunt growth. So I did wait some. Until she was 1 I believe. I have all of her vet papers but I just cent remember at the minute.
I had my girl done last February, over a year now. She was 10yrs. I felt a good innings for her bones and not getting osteoporosis. I did it because she was getting seizures due to hormones in season. A year on and she's still going into season but without bleeding. Last week due to still being on heat. In all ways, except bleeding, she had a really bad time if it. Skin goes black, ears get fungal, paw chewing, all the symptoms of being in season. A huge seizure last week 😢 I'm having to take her back now.
I saw on another channel that tubal ligation for females or a vasectomy for males is not impossible. Both would leave the hormones necessary for growth in both sexes. I’m going to ask my vet about that for my new Rat Terrier/Chihuahua puppy. I live out of town on my own land, so I may decide to leave her intact. I’m only concerned about wild animals being attracted to her or maybe dogs from over a quarter mile away. The last female dog my parents owned was spayed after a certain age and she lived healthy for almost 14 years. My last female was not ever spayed, but she died from a heart attack at about 9 years old. I’m looking for all the information I can find online about what to do with my new puppy. I want her to have the healthiest possible life.
Thanks! Anything similar for cats? Based on your dog vid a while back, I let my cat mature to 17 months before spaying her. I wanted to wait until 2 years but she was in heat every three weeks and peeing everywhere so I was at my wit's end. The peeing has resolved now that she's fixed.
My biggest concern is the same as someone posted that you put in your video, unwanted litters of puppies. Where we live in Ohio, the rescues are just overwhelmed with unwanted dogs. I just worry any time I hear that someone lets their female go into heat, that they will have a litter to add to our pet overpopulation where we live.
Thank you for your work your content is very informative and I appreciate you saying not to just follow what you say, however to as we all should use our own discernment. Thanks again
I have a blond beagle/shih tzu mix and can't afford for to have her spayed now. I was quoted $380 in January 2023. She is presently going through first cycle and is 7 1/2 months old.
I think you are great. I think you mean well. I think you should think before you speak and if you speak you should speak truth. This paper does not say “there is a link between early s & n and certain health problems” it says it MAY. Puppies ending up in the gaschambers or covered in fleas with no flesh on their bones frozen to death in the snow etc. is a very real problem.
I feel So guilty for having my pup neutered at 4 months which our vet recommended..then at the dog park none of the owners of pups were having theirs spade or neutered ..until at least 18 months .. as it was now recommended .. 😢
I just love your videos they have been such a help! Thank you thank you thank you! I also came to the conclusion of with my own research is to at least wait until two years.
This was so helpful as I'm about to adopt 2 puppies. I looked at your links as you said the chart for different breeds suggested spay/neutral age & can't find that chart??
vet in germany will refuse to spay / neutering dog before 2 years of age, and it is not very common anyway. unless there is a problem,many will just leave them intact. and we do not see many street dogs because of it..
Thanks for this video. It never made sense to me to spay/neuter before the dog has fully developed. I've always had large dogs, and they're not done growing until 2yrs old. I wouldn't stop growth hormones for kids before they hit puberty, why would I do it for dogs? Most do it because they don't want to deal with the bleeding during heat in females, and for males they believe it calms them down.
Thanks doctor for this , how about English, and Irish Setter males? I heard wait until they are one year old? Please if you have any information on these breeds neuter needs , let me know. Thanks , James
My dog’s mom (rescued at the same time as my dog from a BYB) was spayed at age 5 after at least 5 litters or puppies and she died recently at age 9 from mammary cancer 😢
My dog developed it at age 11, she had mammary strip removal surgery and lived a good happy active life for 2 more yrs but it eventually returned and spread to her brain, very traumatic. I too didn't get her spayed and I do regret it, I wasn't fully aware of the mammary cancer risk but I will definitely be spaying my new pup when she's around 2yrs. My heart goes out to your brother and his dog, I hope his vet gives him all the options for his best friend, take care
Thanks to Bob Barker 1980s Spaying and Neutering message “Help control the animal population, have your pet spayed or neutered.” and Betty White message : If everyone took personal responsibility for their animals, we wouldn't have a lot of the animal problems that we do. I'm a big spay-and-neuter supporter. Don't have babies if you're not going to take care of those babies. We don't need more. We just need to take care of the ones we have. Take responsibility and breathe kindness. young dogs and puppies are screw at a young age of losing their hormones when vets remove their sex organs. Spayed (Females) dogs and Neutered (male) dogs health suffer more than cats.
Thank you for a great video.... what about vasectomy in the case of male dogs and tubal ligation in the case of females? Surely that is an even better solution.? The sex hormones are surely important for all stages of life, not just 2-3 years, and the body is not designed by accident... There are no "spare" or unnecessary parts....
Wondering what your opinion is on stomach tacking /gastroplexy at neuter? I had a standard poodle that we saved with bloat and now I have a puppy that is ready for neuter and I am considering doing the gastroplexy during neuter for prevention. Would love your opinion. Thanks!!
Haven't fixed my dog because I feel like it would hurt her really bad. Having a full hysterectomy and stopping all the natural hormones. Now cats are different. It's very difficult to keep a cat in your home that is not spayed or neutered their behavior is just horrible. Female cats howl incessantly and male cats spray incessantly. Great for outside cats though. Not a house cat
I had a wise vet who told me to wait until 2-3 years old to spay my dogs and I have always done that. No regrets.
You lucky you have found a good honest vet, not many around
@@ferretfriend5458 True and she was awesome but unfortunately she moved out of my state and I haven't found anyone like her since.
Wonder why I was told I have until a year to spay my pit mixed with cane corso. Glad I caught this video on time.
@@YorkieUniverse1 oh! I am in UK, sorry to hear they are the same over there.
Why get it done after 3 years? For what purpose? If they are happy after 3 years why cut out the uterus….and have unnecessary operations …..there is no benefit to this insane practice…..what about the risks of general anaesthesia, infection, etc etc.
There were 19,000 dogs entered in the International Dogs Show, Crufts in Birmingham, England, not one of those dogs are cut, they're not allowed to be.
Good point!
I seriously regret spaying my dog at around 5 months because of research like this! She's had so many issues with her joints and bone density! She's turning 6 soon .. It breaks my heart that I didn't just let her live a natural life and interfered with how nature is supposed to work
I’m very regret of spaying my dog at 6 months old. I’ve lost her last December, barley at 7 years old with a lot of health issues like heart failure, kidneys, liver and etc.... The way, how they’re doing spaying in the USA like removing all female reproductive system especially in the early age, they’re ruing all puppy health completely! There’s no hormones support after surgery and all the organs are suffering. If you castrated human female in her early age you would provide her hormones therapy till the end of her life but they don’t sink dog would need it the same treatment or it’ll damage a dog health! The problem is they just not honest with the owner but most of us trust them.. No more!
Don't beat yourself up about it though because I'm sure you thought you were doing the right thing. We all learn.❤️🇦🇺
I only neutered my boy at 5.5 years because he developed prostate problems. Im a responsible dog pawrent and he's never bred. I would never allow an elective procedure. He's a large/giant breed with a propensity for cancer.
So glad you’re addressing this. There are a bagful of nut cases out there who “of course,know it all”, I stopped arguing with them,It saves my breath and my headaches.
I have Karakachans and neutered 2 females after 1 year old. My sales contract forbids puppers from being neutered before 1 yr. Old.
Had one couple that pretended to know how to raise a livestock guardian dog. They lied. Had one of my boys neutered (long story) at 6 months old.
Contract plainly states,”If for reason animal is mistreated,neutered prior to being a year old (and a couple of other things) that I will take the dog back. I have 3 “rejects”, who are great dogs,just went with wrong folks. My one boy has weak bones from being cut way too soon.
Thanks so much for watching out for the fur babies❣️
I spayed my 6 months old dog (GSD mix). Shortly after the surgery, several organs started to fail, and she ended up dying of a myocardial infarction a few days later. She had just died, and the vet was still insisting that that the surgery is perfectly safe.
Anyway, against the vet's recommendation, I didn't spay the next dog I got (GSD), because I was too afraid that something that never happens would happen to her too. Unfortunately, when she was 18 months old, she already had severe hip dysplasia, and died when she was only 7. I actually found this channel researching recipes for her.
I'm so glad that I know that I didn't contribute to it by spaying her, but this shows that there are many other factors that go into it.
You did what you thought was best with the information you had at the time, and there's no way to tell that it could have been avoided. Sometimes I think that I shouldn't have let her jump as a puppy, or that I should have started joint support supplements earlier (I didn't know they existed), or taken her to the hospital earlier (I went against my vet's recommendation, who said she was fine), or switched the crap joint mobility food the vet recommended for a grain free diet earlier... there's always a way to find things to feel guilty about.
The thing I regret the most, was trusting my vet. She meant well, but was very ill informed, and believed everything sales force people told her. Unfortunetely I didn't realize that until we had a conversation about a specific cox-2 inhibitor, and I realized that she didn't understand that the mechanism of action applied to the whole drug class. The sales person had told her that cox-2 inhibition was specific to their drug, and she bought into it. How is that even possible?
But at the end of the day, I know that had my dog developed breast cancer, I'd be feeling guilty for not having spayed her. So... don't beat yourself up too much (I'm guilty of it too, but working on it). Hindsight is 20/20, but we're doing our best with the information we have, and hopefully learning, so that our next pets get more educated owners...
Unfortunately now I can only adopt adult dogs, since neutering/spaying is mandatory by law and I won't do it, but I still found the goodest boy and cutest senior girl ever 🙂. And I may be making a bunch of mistakes, but I won't be repeating the same ones.
Good luck to your furry friend, I hope all goes well with her!
Had to get my female rescue desexed as it’s mandatory when adopting these days. Now she suffers from urine incontinence. Thanks to Dr Jones I’ve got her on red clover and it seems to be working for her incontinence. Such a beautiful blessing in my life and I’m glad for people like Jones to guide us in giving our fur babies the best life ❤
Do you have a link for the red clover please? Thanks for the insight.
Amen
My previous dog suffered from incontinence. I started playing tug o war with her. It tightened her muscles after a few months and SOLVED her issues. Not saying 100% cure, but in her case it worked.
My 9 yo rescue has a chronic uti and incontinence. She was also left in a crate for 2 years. But I love her heart and soul!
This is the sad state of affairs---over my life I've adopted many pets from the shelter or other rescue situations in which they were spayed or neutered as babies---and all of those pets have had health issues consequences. Each and every STRAY dog or cat that I've adopted, and were allowed to grow to maturity before getting that operation have been outrageously healthy and lived LONG lives. The evidence is obvious. Spaying and Castrating baby animals is harmful, period.
I listened to my vet n didn't get any of my girls spayed until after their first heat n of course I had male pups still intact..ended up line breeding now I have 16 large healthy dogs!! Gave away 14 pups even tho we paid for all their shots! Noone wanted any of the other pups n didn't have the heart to take the to a shelter now we have an enormous responsibility, it is very trying somedays n expensive!! But every single one of our kids has its own personality n love them all..they eat better than us, we didn't buy our dream home but bought a small house with over 6 acres n almost went broke fencing it all!! Oh well, no kids just 4 legged ones!!❤😂😊 House of 64 Paws!! We are the top buyer from Chewy in our entire zip code!! Whew...doing our part n taking care of them all!! Your videos saved us thousands of dollars!!! God Bless😊
👍👍👍👍👍👍
That sounds like an argument for spaying/neutering early.
My girl is a Labrador Retriever and she is 9years 6months old and never been spayed, she is still like a puppy. I check her mammary glands whenever she is on heat and also if she has a phantom pregnancy I will massage her mammary glands to keep them soft so she doesn't get mastitis.
She runs and jumps around the same as she did as a puppy and has had no major visits to the vets, just for vaccinations which were required for her to qualify as a service canine 😊
Thank you so much for sharing she sounds wonderful like my Princess CoCo Chanel 💖💖
❤
Hello. How is she now? Did she ever have any vaginal discharges?
Feed less more exercise will help to prevent phantom pregnancies.
I prefer the natural outlook, I think mother nature knows more than we do.
So do you think dogs shouldn’t be fixed?
@@charlessloane I'm not a fan, however I believe not everyone is responsible enough to not have accidents regarding unintentional babies.... Therefore I understand most people fixing their pets. I also believe dogs need their hormones for growth and temperament until they are at least 2 years old.
@@charlessloane my 9 year old Presa is still attached, 1 planned liter 0 unplanned. Healthy old bitch (proper usage)
I love in the middle East, to see all the stray dogs and cats in horrible conditions makes me sick.
th-cam.com/video/aoZ5z8gbHzg/w-d-xo.html
I use to have two bulldogs. Now I just have one. My female was spayed at 6 months , the male is intact. My Coco passed away a year ago (she was 9 years old) of skin cancer which metastasized into her lungs and spleen. She had all kind of health issues. Allergies, change personality, joint problems. Nacho is perfectly fine and he is going to be 10 in June. I truly regret spaying my Coco at such early age. After her dead I went into a rabbit hole about the endocrine system and how the hormones can be affected when you don't let dogs reach puberty. Some vets don't care, they just want the money.
Thanks for this video, as a vet student I can say I am fortunate to have professors that went through the debate in a very neutral way (much like you did). This annoyed a lot of my class as they wanted straight black and white answers but like most things in medicine- it is not a one size fits all approach and a conversation needs to be had with every client about their situation and pet. Thank you.
Just had my Boston Terrier spayed at 2 years old, her personality and her loving affection has stayed the same, thank God! I got her at 2 months and from the get go, I stopped feeding her kibble, I cook my own “dog food.” I have a chihuahua that will be turning 16 years old next month. I neutered him as an adult no issues. I believe that their diet plays a major role too, no kibble and no water from the faucet.
I have a 6 year old male labradoodle. I chose not to neuter him. The main issue I have faced is the stigma attached to intact dogs that they are aggressive. Have faced this issue with groomers, vets etc who just judge him even without seeing him. My dog is not aggressive. He does bark at strangers and new people until he gets used to seeing them. Even strangers have passed comments like ‘Oh he is not neutered’ or why we did not neuter him etc, I just tell them that I don’t think it is healthy for him to not have his testicles. Sexual reproduction is not the only purpose of those organs.
Absolutely correct.
Same here. My 6years old lab is also intact . Wont be neutering him till needed for any medical issue. He is not aggressive but barks at any new person untill he gets used to see them.
Well said!! Exactly, reproduction isn’t the only purpose. Those hormones are so important for all function. We need more docs willing to perform a tubal, just so can’t get pregnant but keep their body intact. It’s not convenient to have a bleeding dog having to wear panties every 6 months. But that’s what I signed up for when I got my girl. Want to keep her healthy and a path of success for her future mobility.
I have always waited until 2 or later and no regrets. With this one, I’m not sure I will spay at all. Take care.
Just tell them, nice to meet you too, ignoramus.
Same here, my boxer is 9 and intact ,, another one is 17 months old, intact,, I have also 3rd one 9 years old who was neutered at 6 months, wee adopted him when he was 1 year old. He developed horrible bone infection, had tumors on his bones and they were corroded, I was told by the vet this can happen cause when neutered so early back legs grow quicker and poor nutrition had the impact on it as well. My poor boy has been through so much cause of stupid people and uneducated vets who neutered him so early. I'm against neutering full stop
I adopted a chihuahua in 2013 at 3 months and 2 pounds and she was already spayed. Now she’s 10 years old with multiple joint issues in both knees with serious patella and her acl in her one back leg is horrendous. She had surgery on her neck in September because her neck bone was not fully developed, became paralyzed. She has screws and bonding put in and she is better and sometimes she can walk a bit. I am sure it was because she was spayed so darn young. She’s so darn smart and such a love bug. She also had her rabies vaccine early and had a horrible reaction to it and I haven’t and will never do it to her again. I am with her all the time because I am retired. I found out through research that all dogs receive the same dose, no matter the size of the dog, which is insane.
So sorry
The 3yr rabies vaccine has the risk of creating an allergic reaction. Our vet recommended the 1yr rabies vaccine each year until our miniature breed dog turned 4yrs old. This was more than 40yrs ago. With regard to joint health risks in toy and/or small breeds who are spayed young, I call bs. My (late) mil never had her dog spayed. After mil’s health deteriorated to the point she required round the clock nursing care, dh & I brought her dog home, where she still lives today. The little dog is a toy size breed… a toy fox terrier. She was 13yrs old before she was spayed. We’re lucky she didn’t die because she developed pyometra. If I had not had her in a dog diaper to help with her urinary incontinence AND was waiting on a list for an appointment to have her seen to setup a spay AND knew/noted when her heat cycle started/# of days she she in her heat cycle/knew the date it ended with regards to spotting & moodiness wore down, I might would’ve thought her cycle restarted if I had known at all. This case of open pyometra would have killed her. She was seen immediately & they hit her hard with antibiotics & other medicines due to her age, not to mention that many dogs die from pyometra because antibiotics don’t always work. If it had been closed pyometra, we wouldn’t have known. She was spayed approx 2mos later & had in-depth heart monitoring & testing to ensure she had a chance to survive the surgery. Again, she was 13yrs old before she was spaed. She still suffers from extensive joint pain. She is medicated for it. It is so important to have your animals spayed/ neutered. There is no need to cause an unwanted litter of pups or kittens. Adding to the pet population leads to higher numbers of kill shelters. The nonprofits & kind hearted financially able citizens can’t care for them all. It creates health risks for the impregnated females.
I've often thought that about vaccines. It's crazy to think a Great Dane puppy is getting the same as a chihuahua.
My tiny toy poodle got his one and only rabies shot and died. He was so precious and he was 3 years old when he died. So sad and so heart breaking.
@@leahscott12345 😢 😢😢
Years ago, the best dog that I ever had he was shepherd lab x, my vet said this very thing. I never neutered him, the only animal to do so, he wasn't aggresive or sexually active. I don't think he would know what to if he had the chance. He was well behaved and trained well. The dogs I had prior and after him, never came close.
I appreciate this comment! I have been tormented over if I should neuter my 11-month old pug. He's scheduled for May 8th. Originally, we decided to book him in so that he could go to doggy daycare (he's extremely outgoing and I know he would love it) and also to take away the sex-drive urge as we felt it was cruel to allow him to have those urges, knowing he would never have sex. However, he has pretty much stopped humping me, never marks in the house, and is overall a great little puppy. I am leaning towards leaving him, at least for now, and letting him live his natural life with all the hormones in his body.
As a trainer/behaviourist I see more dogs develop behavioural issues that are spayed/neutered at an early age. It doesn’t allow them to mentally mature and develop confidence if they are anxious. Luckily in the uk more and more vets are suggesting later neutering. We don’t really have an issue with strays in our country and people that are going to breed will regardless.
My male is 8 and still has his testicles. Never had an issue. My female had to seasons then she was spayed.
Absolutely true!! This needs to be spread far and wide. Also there is no need to do traditional spaying. We have had only the ovaries removed for decades and there has never been any problems with the uterus or cancer. It is also less invasive and a much easier recovery.
Your advice makes perfect sense. If only more humans were responsible enough to properly steward their pets until the healthiest time. Thank you for this good information.
I think I just found not only a new favorite TH-cam channel, but a new favorite vet! Wooo Hooo from Cooper, Ginger, Tucker, and Juniper!
Right in line with Dr. Becker on spay and neutering, her video goes into more detail....FINALLY, another great DVM!!! Will take this vets approach on veterinary medicine before ones that are clearly pushing all the new fad pharmaceuticals and commercial diets.
“Just because someone has great eye contact and speaks with authority, doesn’t mean they’re right.” ❤❤❤
First, I truly appreciate Dr. Jones and all the important information he shares in his videos. Recently, the spay/neuter debate has been a hot topic on several TH-cam vet channels. I agree with the research and reasoning behind waiting to spay/neuter. Unfortunately, all these videos have caused extreme anxiety for me. I believe I am doing everything right for my dogs: feeding only raw foods, choosing organic options when available, supplementing their diet with vitamins, pro and prebiotics, joint and immune support, and many other positive lifestyle options. Three of my dogs are rescues. Sadly, they were all spayed/neutered bofore they came to live with me as it is an adoption condition with every rescue. My two recent additions, Chiweenie siblings, were spayed and neutered at 10 weeks old. Now, because of these videos, I am terrified about what could happen to their health in the coming years.
I guess u can be terrified over something u can’t control, let alone change
Or
Go on with life
We have enough to cope with that we DO have control over!
Go play with ur precious doggos 🙂
I had my pit bull spayed at exactly 6 months old. She has been healthy going on 13 years.
Behaviour is also an issue that needs to be considered when fixing them. I believe a dog that is fixed at too young of an age can have issues with fear aggression. I believe there was a study done in the UK about this subject and they found a link. I ended up waiting until my Golden was 4 in the hopes that he would settle down and be less sexually frustrated, but that didn’t happen so I had him fixed. So behaviour and or giving them enough responsible social experiences while they are intact are also important factors to consider.
Reduce The Risk of Cancer get rid of Monsanto
And vaccines 🤮
I have a month old maltipoo and going to spay her in June. She'll be 6 months old. Is this ok?
Meant 4 month old
🎯
@@kellieroth1710 NO, NO, NO….dont
I never stay and neuter my dogs and I had them live long and happy life without any issues
Amen.
Spaying and neutering are solely about money making and "population control".
So help me God
There are zero benefits to health
God doesn't make mistakes
The thing with living beings is that we are all different. I have a golden retriever who was neutered at 19 months and he has joint issues. On the other hand, my 14 year old cat was neutered at 5 months old, which was recommended by our vet because he was supposed to go to another family who would probably allow him to roam and mate. Vet warned me such an early neutering could cause urinary issues but I live in a country with terrible street animal numbers. Even after all these years kitty is fine and has never had urinary problems. Lesson learned: you do the best you can in your own circumstances. Do your research, and make the best possible decision.
I learned about those Kitty urinary problems, I give my cat dry food that she gets wet food too, at least four or five days a week.
I have never neutered my dog. He’s a 8 year old Aussie and happy .
Hello. Did your dog got pregnant before? And did she have any vaginal discharges as of now?
We waited as long as we could (about 18 months) to get our Golden Retriever fixed. I was afraid he would break our glass sliding door trying to get out when the neighbor dogs were out. Glad we waited, though.
My Golden was neutered b4 6 month old and he died at 15. My maltipoo was spayed b4 6 month old and she'll be 13 in Oct 2023. No health issues. I did lose a Boxer at 12 due to mast cell cancer and 2 male pekes at 11 and 9 respectively. All were spayed/neutered b4 6 month old.
Dr. Jones…This is an important subject and I listen intently and agree to what you’re recommending, but I can’t help but watch Tula. She’s so patient and agreeable to whatever you’re doing and looks up to you often. What a sweetheart!
Thank you so much for this! I always thought it was getting too young to spay.
My dog is 3.5 years old 85 lbs. she had her first heat at 9 months, l had her spayed shortly before her 1st birthday. I think l did the best for her joints & growth plates vs. risk of breast cancer. I read the risk of breast cancer increases after the 2nd heat. I had to dispute the vet who wanted her spayed at 6 months.
You’re doing such an amazing job for so many animals. Thank you much
My vet, who raised & showed dobies, suggested I wait a couple years on my GSD - since I wanted to breed her I did - she was 4 when she had emergency surgery for pyometra. She did fine with the surgery and lived to be almost 16 years old. Still miss her ......
Soooo helpful. I’m going through this dilemma at the moment. Golden boy is almost 14 months. Where I live it’s frowned upon to have an intact dog. Will see what the vet thinks but I already know the answer. 👏
There are alternative sterilizations such as Ovary Sparing Spays, and vasectomies.
My GSD male had a vasectomy and GSD female just had an ovary sparing spay.
I love that you're helping people to QUESTION THE NARRATIVE regarding all of the topics you cover! Thank You!
My dog is a german shepherd/husky mix , she was spayed before she was 6 months old by her previous owners, and now she is having so many joint problems it's heartbreaking
Thank you for sharing! Love that you encourage viewers to question everything. I think we look at peoples credentials and just accept everything they say. Not everything is right for everyone, its important to do our own research too.
On another note I wish that we could do something about the spaying and neutering laws in rescues. I adopted a dog that was spayed at around 3 months (maybe less) and at 2 years of age she is having issues with her ACL. Maybe its connected, maybe not.
I never honestly thought about this topic. To me it always seemed obvious that you should wait until the dog is full grown at around 2-3 years of age before you should spay or neuter them. They need those hormones to develop properly, I just never questioned that nor would I think much of anyone who would argue against that point.
I really appreciate the link to the study. I have a Cockapoo who’s mother was breed with a Standard Poodle and now I know why I was cautioned to wait till he was almost 2 by a health intuitive. Love your compassionate nature. All the best to you
had to get my dog spayed yesterday to officially adopt her from a shelter, i have been in tears since, myself at 55 i know the importance of hormones! Today I ordered some glandulars for her, could you make a video of things that could be done for pups like mine? I looked into an ovarian sparring spay but nobody wanted to do it on a 6 pound yorkie mix
I like you.
You're honest and you have a good mind and heart.
Agree, I would never spay or neuter my dog or cat when they are still babies. 1-2 years of age probably. But, I haven't had a real yolung pet in awhile as I usually adopt/rescue middle age pets to where they are already spayed or neutered. Thanks for the great video.
You are my number one trusted resource when it comes to my dog’s health! Would you please make a video about flying with a dog and its risk? Thank you!
I also heard urinary incontinence is caused by early spay/neuter
I just adopted a 3 yo retired mother Bassett Hound from a breeder. She has mamory cancer. Removing the tumor same time as spay in two weeks. I hope she's okay and it hasn't spread. They say they can take the tumor only or the whole mamory train. Wasn't sure what to think of that. Just taking tumor. Hope that's the right choice. Don't know if the breeder knew. We love her no matter how long we have her. Despite a nightmare heat cycle.
My fiance died from surgery complications. I was lost. I got a wheaten terrier. Thought I would breed her but no breeders return my call. Now I have an eight-year-old dog, not fixed, and I'm scared to death of putting her under anesthesia and I'm scared of surgery complications. She has been my world since Steve died.
My first Wheaten Terrier got spayed around three years old, after she had one litter (oops, the neighbors dog got to her). She went through SERIOUS depression for 6 months. It was heartbreaking. She finally came out of it 9 months after the surgery,, when the vet was about to put her on antidepressants.
There's two reasons right there, as to why my current Wheaton is not fixed. I live in the country and I just don't take her around other dogs when she's in heat. Her heat cycles are very light other than humping a pillow occasionally. LOL. I do worry that I've waited too long and why should I do it now at 8 years old?
My female, same litter dogs are 14 & have not been spayed, one is exceptionally healthy with no issues, the other is just beginning to get some joint issues only now.
@@wendycaran8267 I'm glad your dogs are doing well.
My cat was spayed at 6-8 months old and she never grew beyond that. She remains a small 6 lbs and looks like a 6-9 month old kitten.
I have a pair of male Saint Bernard's, and I'm not going to fix my boys. I have always had fixed dogs. My boys are always under control. I am going to go with not fixing my boys since I see it as an unnecessary surgery unless, of course, it becomes something of a health related issue down the road. But, so far, my boys are staying natural as I wouldn't send my child through unnecessary surgery.. they are my kids after all lol
Thank you! My Jackshund is 10 months old now and just had her first heat. I understand what you're saying, and my previous dog, a 10 lb rat terrier, I had spayed young. She was my first dog, I didn't know.
I have 4 dogs. 3 females and one male. None are spayed or neutered. My oldest one is 9 years, the 2 middle ones are 5 and the youngest is 9 months. I've never had any puppies.
Can you share how you handle heats to prevent pregnancy? I have a 5yo female and would like to get a male puppy; if I can make it work within reason, I’d like to keep both unaltered. Thank you for your comment.
@@Tex678 Probably the most important thing is to be observant. Female dogs only go into heat twice a year. My 2 older ones cycle about every 7 months. They both start their cycle about the same time, so that helps keep things simple. They're "cynced up" so to speak, lol! The youngest one hasn't had a heat yet but I'm keeping an eye on her . When they start to cycle, I just keep the male away from them. They stay in the house while the male stays outside and vice versa. I have separate kennels for them that are very secure. They all sleep in the bed with me, but when the females are in heat, the male stays in his own area at bedtime. It's not too difficult to do twice a year, for a little over 3 weeks each.
@@robertsandberg2246 ok thanks. This seems reasonable, logical, and obvious, which at least partially eases my fears. Do they behave well during heats? Or for three weeks twice a year do you have a houseful of star crossed lovers losing their minds over the fact they can’t be together? My female has had many heat cycles, and she’s such a lady for most of it and maybe just a little amorous at the very end during the few days of the standing portion of her heat, nothing intolerable for sure. I’ll be curious to see how behavior is in both her and the male during a heat. You’ve been very helpful.
@@Tex678 Thanks. My females actually seem to be even sweeter during their heats! My oldest one especially so. We have goats, chickens and cats and she has acted motherly towards them at times. She's such a good girl! The male has always behaved himself too. It could be that I just have excellent dogs, but I have put a lot of effort into training and socializing them. I get compliments about how well behaved my dogs are whenever I take them out. I cannot recommend the book "Supertraining your dog" by Paul Loeb and Josephine Banks enough! That's what I've used for training them since my oldest one was a puppy. That book is gold.
Also, even though I've never bred them, I highly recommend "Successful Dog Breeding" by Chris Walkowics and Bonnie Wilcox DVM. There are a lot of insights in that book about the canine reproductive system and how it can affect their mindset and how to work around it so as to keep them out of trouble and well behaved. There are 2 editions. One printed in 1985 and in 1994. I recommend getting both, if that's possible. There are things in one that aren't in the other that are extremely valuable. I'd recommend thriftbooks.com.
In a nutshell, training and, again, being observant are key.
@@robertsandberg2246 Thanks again so much. You’ve been incredibly helpful. I will get the books you’ve recommended. Have a great day!
My marker has always been " showing teeth?, growling? backing away from loving friends, humping uncontrollably?" ok, neuter. If you don't need to, then please don't!!
I don't think spey/neuter should be done before maturity or at least about a year old. (Longer for giant breeds).
For people who are against all desexing, I was going to leave my two female Shelties but at 7 1/2 years of age, one had to have emergency speying as she had pyometra and my other girl I decided to also have done. When speyed her uterus was not normal but was enlarged on one side ( perhaps would also have developed pyometra??)
I did see it and it was weird.
Neither had been bred.
I'm just saying this here because sometimes it's not just easy to say leave them to be natural.
I know that this video is about the time to desex and I definately agree with Doc here.
My Shar-Pei had 2 heat cycles before she was spayed. I am going to wait a couple of years to neuter my male Shar-Pei.
My dog will be 2 years old in June,our vet recommended like you they normally advise to let her have 1 or 2 seasons just to make sure everything is working properly, then wait 3 months after that.
She actually looked quite cute in size 6 pull ups for bedtime, lol.
Thank you for your advice.😊
I was old schooled with the same information years ago. Now I’ve got a dog in Training who is only a year old. I’m going to wait till he’s either two years old or three years old before I have him neutered.
i don’t doubt the expressed here, but the situation with strays in Houston and in Texas in general is like a horror movie that never ends, TNR and spaying and neutering are the only thing that very mildly helps 😫
You are so special Doc. Thank you for being you. 🐾🐶
My Fiona was not spayed til age 8 (I was told she had been spayed when I adopted her at age 6). Sadly, she passed of mammary cancer when she was 12yo.
I have a 7 month golden retriever. My vet told me to get him fixed at 6 months but I mentally said,no.
For me, I have to weigh the potential benefit of waiting with the risk of accidental pregnancies. I have never bought a puppy and have only rescued adult dogs. Echo was spayed at about 19 months after having a litter of puppies in the most deplorable conditions. She’s 6 now and very healthy but her mother recently died at age 9 from mammary cancer (she was spayed at age 5 after at least 5 litters of puppies). I had one intact male foster who I had neutered at 15 months. He was cryptorchid which increases the chance of testicular cancer so much that it’s essentially a guarantee. And my newest addition, Gunner, was just neutered at 12 months. I think avoiding pediatric spay and neuter is a no brainer - but I don’t think there’s any definitive science or consensus that waiting until 2 or 3 is beneficial. It’s certainly a huge risk of unwanted pregnancy.
My pitbull has stiff joints, is on thyroid meds and weights 100 lbs though she eats less than most dogs. She's also cysty. I made the mistake of having her spay at an early age.
What’s her age? My staphy is 14. Never neutered. Very sweet animal all his life. He can’t go to pet park unless he’s neutered. Would love for him to have social time. I don’t know if it’s ok to neuter senior dogs. Looking for that info.
Finally something about a pit. I have a pit mix with cane corso..was told I have a year to spay her if I was intending to but now watching this am hesitant.
Informative as always. Thanks
It was suggested I get my Labrador spayed early on. But in my research I also read that it should wait until the dog is more grown, as to not stunt growth. So I did wait some. Until she was 1 I believe. I have all of her vet papers but I just cent remember at the minute.
I had my girl done last February, over a year now. She was 10yrs. I felt a good innings for her bones and not getting osteoporosis.
I did it because she was getting seizures due to hormones in season.
A year on and she's still going into season but without bleeding. Last week due to still being on heat. In all ways, except bleeding, she had a really bad time if it. Skin goes black, ears get fungal, paw chewing, all the symptoms of being in season. A huge seizure last week 😢
I'm having to take her back now.
Seizures due to hormones?
I bet she was vaccinated regularly 😅
Thank you Dr Jones I have heard of that I got my dog desexed at two months old he is 13 now ❤🐕
I saw on another channel that tubal ligation for females or a vasectomy for males is not impossible. Both would leave the hormones necessary for growth in both sexes. I’m going to ask my vet about that for my new Rat Terrier/Chihuahua puppy.
I live out of town on my own land, so I may decide to leave her intact. I’m only concerned about wild animals being attracted to her or maybe dogs from over a quarter mile away.
The last female dog my parents owned was spayed after a certain age and she lived healthy for almost 14 years. My last female was not ever spayed, but she died from a heart attack at about 9 years old. I’m looking for all the information I can find online about what to do with my new puppy. I want her to have the healthiest possible life.
Thanks Dr Jones for sharing this very important information on spay and neutering your dogs.
Thank you for this video. My two female cats never go outside. They will not be spayed. I will have them titer tested before any vaccines.
Thanks! Anything similar for cats? Based on your dog vid a while back, I let my cat mature to 17 months before spaying her. I wanted to wait until 2 years but she was in heat every three weeks and peeing everywhere so I was at my wit's end. The peeing has resolved now that she's fixed.
My biggest concern is the same as someone posted that you put in your video, unwanted litters of puppies. Where we live in Ohio, the rescues are just overwhelmed with unwanted dogs. I just worry any time I hear that someone lets their female go into heat, that they will have a litter to add to our pet overpopulation where we live.
Thank you for your work your content is very informative and I appreciate you saying not to just follow what you say, however to as we all should use our own discernment.
Thanks again
I have a blond beagle/shih tzu mix and can't afford for to have her spayed now. I was quoted $380 in January 2023. She is presently going through first cycle and is 7 1/2 months old.
I always wonder why people get dogs if they can’t afford them.
A "Things I've Change My Mind About" Video would be interesting.
I was always told that it is best to let them have at least one cycle before spaying, which makes sense
Boxer cross rescue had been neutered at 3 months ... so many immune issues .. arthritis..
I think you are great. I think you mean well. I think you should think before you speak and if you speak you should speak truth. This paper does not say “there is a link between early s & n and certain health problems” it says it MAY. Puppies ending up in the gaschambers or covered in fleas with no flesh on their bones frozen to death in the snow etc. is a very real problem.
I feel So guilty for having my pup neutered at 4 months which our vet recommended..then at the dog park none of the owners of pups were having theirs spade or neutered ..until at least 18 months .. as it was now recommended ..
😢
My bitch is never getting spayed.
I learned a long time ago not to listen to the idiots of this world.
Got your boosters yet?
I just love your videos they have been such a help! Thank you thank you thank you! I also came to the conclusion of with my own research is to at least wait until two years.
This was so helpful as I'm about to adopt 2 puppies. I looked at your links as you said the chart for different breeds suggested spay/neutral age & can't find that chart??
Have you ever listened to, Dr. Karen Shaw -Becker, or read one of her books?
I’m sure he has.
Thank you for sharing this information!!!
vet in germany will refuse to spay / neutering dog before 2 years of age, and it is not very common anyway. unless there is a problem,many will just leave them intact. and we do not see many street dogs because of it..
Thank you
Thanks for this video. It never made sense to me to spay/neuter before the dog has fully developed. I've always had large dogs, and they're not done growing until 2yrs old. I wouldn't stop growth hormones for kids before they hit puberty, why would I do it for dogs? Most do it because they don't want to deal with the bleeding during heat in females, and for males they believe it calms them down.
Thanks for the info! I’ve sent the study to my vet. 😊
Thank you, for this information!!
Thanks doctor for this , how about English, and Irish Setter males? I heard wait until they are one year old? Please if you have any information on these breeds neuter needs , let me know. Thanks , James
My brother's dog was not spayed and now at 9 yrs has a mammary tumor. So sad😢
My dog’s mom (rescued at the same time as my dog from a BYB) was spayed at age 5 after at least 5 litters or puppies and she died recently at age 9 from mammary cancer 😢
My dog developed it at age 11, she had mammary strip removal surgery and lived a good happy active life for 2 more yrs but it eventually returned and spread to her brain, very traumatic. I too didn't get her spayed and I do regret it, I wasn't fully aware of the mammary cancer risk but I will definitely be spaying my new pup when she's around 2yrs. My heart goes out to your brother and his dog, I hope his vet gives him all the options for his best friend, take care
Mine has too, spayed at age of 5 years
Thanks to Bob Barker 1980s Spaying and Neutering message “Help control the animal population, have your pet spayed or neutered.”
and
Betty White message : If everyone took personal responsibility for their animals, we wouldn't have a lot of the animal problems that we do. I'm a big spay-and-neuter supporter. Don't have babies if you're not going to take care of those babies. We don't need more. We just need to take care of the ones we have. Take responsibility and breathe kindness.
young dogs and puppies are screw at a young age of losing their hormones when vets remove their sex organs. Spayed (Females) dogs and Neutered (male) dogs health suffer more than cats.
My dog was 9 when we spayed her. No cancer. And no puppies ever. Bigger chance food will cause cancer.
I have not spayed my Westie. Something inside me doesn’t want to do it.
Never neuter, you have an endocrine system not discreet glands. Be responsible with your dog!
Thank you for a great video.... what about vasectomy in the case of male dogs and tubal ligation in the case of females? Surely that is an even better solution.? The sex hormones are surely important for all stages of life, not just 2-3 years, and the body is not designed by accident... There are no "spare" or unnecessary parts....
What do you think about HRT for the neutered dogs? Some promising outcomes happening with "dogesterone" therapy.
Interesting, I would like to know the too
There's a country in Europe where it's illegal to spay/neuter unless it's medically necessary. They don't have a homeless dog problem either.
In UK
many are also missing the fact that cancer is a diet and environment issue
Wondering what your opinion is on stomach tacking /gastroplexy at neuter? I had a standard poodle that we saved with bloat and now I have a puppy that is ready for neuter and I am considering doing the gastroplexy during neuter for prevention. Would love your opinion. Thanks!!
Haven't fixed my dog because I feel like it would hurt her really bad. Having a full hysterectomy and stopping all the natural hormones. Now cats are different. It's very difficult to keep a cat in your home that is not spayed or neutered their behavior is just horrible. Female cats howl incessantly and male cats spray incessantly. Great for outside cats though. Not a house cat
Thank you for the Truth ❤️