What age to get puppy fixed ??

[kgirl]

Okay do reading this post worries me, I found an em breeder In Ohio who was recommended by another em owner so we
Went ahead and went to see the puppies all looked good home and premise appeared clean but they weren't ready to leave the litter at his request he said it was his practice that his puppies stay to 10 weeks. Two days before we were to travel
back we received an email stating he had now began doing business w a local
Pet shop and for out benefit he had already shipped the dog there . I was mortified reluctantly we went to the pet store the
Very day we were told our puppy would arrive so he wouldn't have to spend a single min there . However turns out not only was he there a week prior to us even getting the email but he had been fixed OMG at 3 months old. and microchipped .. I was Pissed and the breeder was no where to be found disconnected number invalid email. So I took my puppy out of there
Paid for or not i couldnt leave him there. And knock on wood I've had little or no problems an ear infection ,chin acne ,crate anxiety overall an "exhuberant" puppy but reading this I worry about all the things that could go wrong. Is there anything I can do now maybe give him vitamins supplmentd extra something ... He's always been fed
Quality food, gets reg vet visits and seems healthy at 11 month old 145 lbd and approx 33 in height. So any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Smart_Family]

Okay do reading this post worries me, I found an em breeder In Ohio who was recommended by another em owner so we
Went ahead and went to see the puppies all looked good home and premise appeared clean but they weren't ready to leave the litter at his request he said it was his practice that his puppies stay to 10 weeks. Two days before we were to travel
back we received an email stating he had now began doing business w a local
Pet shop and for out benefit he had already shipped the dog there . I was mortified reluctantly we went to the pet store the
Very day we were told our puppy would arrive so he wouldn't have to spend a single min there . However turns out not only was he there a week prior to us even getting the email but he had been fixed OMG at 3 months old. and microchipped .. I was Pissed and the breeder was no where to be found disconnected number invalid email. So I took my puppy out of there
Paid for or not i couldnt leave him there. And knock on wood I've had little or no problems an ear infection ,chin acne ,crate anxiety overall an "exhuberant" puppy but reading this I worry about all the things that could go wrong. Is there anything I can do now maybe give him vitamins supplmentd extra something ... He's always been fed
Quality food, gets reg vet visits and seems healthy at 11 month old 145 lbd and approx 33 in height. So any advice would be greatly appreciated

Don't over exercise him, keep the walks to a minimum and don't make him go up and down stairs a lot. Just keep an eye on him and at any sign of something wrong (limping, audible popping/cracking) please take him to the vet. Also continue to feed him the best food you are able.

 

[Oak Hill Farm]

Usually large breeds that are altered early grow taller and are "less bulky". I would just keep him on a good quality diet . I would not add anything, most quality diets have most of the minerals he needs and there isn't anything that replaces natural hormones; and like stated already no forced exercise, the rapid growth taller is what causes joint issues in early-altered dogs.

 

[NeoBull]

Does that also go for having a female spayed?

My vet is a reputable Bullmastiff breeder and she makes all her pet homes sign a contract stating that they will not spay or neuter before 18months. We're going to wait till our female is 18 months or 3 months after her 2nd heat, which ever is later.

---------- Post added at 11:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:38 PM ----------

I do think it's a little more important to wait with makes, I think it affects their growth even more than females (making them taller/leggier, less muscular, causing bone density issues and hip desplasia). We waited until our male Doberman was 2 years old to neuter.

 

[NeoBull]

I do think it's a little more important to wait with males, I think it affects their growth even more than females (making them taller/leggier, less muscular, causing bone density issues and hip desplasia). We waited until our male Doberman was 2 years old to neuter.

 

[Smart_Family]

Females can also have issues with incontinence due to an early spay. The earliest age a female should be done is 18 months but preferably not until 2 years.

 

[LadyDogLover]

Females : 18 months; Males : 2 years. Let the hormones work their magic.

 

[lolisnme]

I was told to do it before her first heat cycle. So I had her spayed at 5 months. Now in retrospect I think it may have stunted her growth. She looks great but her legs are a little thin in my opinion and she looks like she could have grown a little bit more. Maybe it's just me..but I wish I would have waited for a little longer…Just a thought

 

[Smart_Family]

I was told to do it before her first heat cycle. So I had her spayed at 5 months. Now in retrospect I think it may have stunted her growth. She looks great but her legs are a little thin in my opinion and she looks like she could have grown a little bit more. Maybe it's just me..but I wish I would have waited for a little longer…Just a thought

Unfortunately many people and a lot of vets at that have the mentality that every dog is a like and they should all be done around 6 months.

 

[Bantu]

Welcome, If you planning on neutering I would wait until at least 2.

Exxcellent Moose I agree. I recommend always waiting til its reached maturity. This is not only healthier in most cases but better cosmetically. There too many dogs with tiny heads and bloated bodies due to premature neutering. Usually in these cases the skull hasnt had time to fully develop.

 

[PorkBelly]

Hello there,
I have a dogue de bordeaux who is exhibiting serious making behavior around my home and we have had no
luck in managing it behaviorally. My vet (who is very familiar with giant breeds) stated that neutering will most likely curb the bulk of this behavior.

I am familiar with the arguments on both sides regarding 6 month neutering vs 18-24 month neutering so there is no need to relitigate them again.

My specific question relates to a suggestion that my vet made. She suggested that if I have to neuter early, I may want to supplement with Symplex M which is a product designed to increase endogenous male hormone production. I wanted to see if anyone was aware of this product being used for this purpose and if there were any results either positive or negative. The idea is that it might ameliorate some of the negative hormonal effects of the neuter related to muscle and bone development.

 

[DMikeM]

The answer is. "You don't get puppies fixed, they are not broken" You get adult dogs altered if it is needed.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Well, as long as you understand that there's no guarantee that neutering will stop that behavior.....

I've not heard of Symplex M? Have you done any research into it yet or is this your start? I'll poke around and see what I can find.

---------- Post added at 02:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:23 PM ----------

Doing a quick run up on Symplex M, and not finding much of anything. Finding a BIT more for the human version, but even then, little to no discussion of side effects or the like. Its only supposed to SUPPORT testicular function though, not replace it. So unless the canine version is drastically different I'd not consider it a real replacement for the natural horomones.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Doing a quick run up on Symplex M, and not finding much of anything. Finding a BIT more for the human version, but even then, little to no discussion of side effects or the like. Its only supposed to SUPPORT testicular function though, not replace it. So unless the canine version is drastically different I'd not consider it a real replacement for the natural horomones.

 

[Smokeycat]

Wouldn't something that's supposed to increase hormone production nullify any of the benefits that one would hope to see when neutering for behavior issues?

 

[ruthcatrin]

That too....

 

[PorkBelly]

Hi- thanks for the quick replies.

The extent to which I've seen in recommended for dogs is usually related to low sperm count or undescended testicles. Nothing yet for neutered males.

The logic (which I am not sure if I buy or not) is that by stimulating other androgens, you can compensate for some of the absent testosterone. Testosterone is typically related to "direct" sexual maturation - mounting, marking, sexually related agression, etc. Epitestosterone and other secondary androgens are responsible more for muscle growth and other "secondary" sexual maturation effects.

So, in a perfect world, you could eliminate the unpleasant aspects of sexual maturation and keep the beneficial ones.

In reality, the interaction between the various hormones is far more complex but that is the logic, anyway.

No peer reviewed stuff out there that I could find so I'm just looking for anecdotal evidence from people who might have tried it.

 

[ruthcatrin]

The problem is that, at least in rats, testosterone DOES affect the growth plates: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11822821 so removing that hormone will Likely still affect the dog, even if you supplement the rest.

---------- Post added at 05:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:58 PM ----------

And yup, its testosterone and estrogen that specifically affect the growth plates in humans: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11822821 if the growth plates don't close properly you're risking spindly bones, which in turn causes all sorts of physical issues.

If you choose to neuter early its entirely your call, just make sure you really understand the potential risks involved and that the neuter may (will likely) not fix the behavioral problem.

 

[ruthcatrin]

And yup, its testosterone and estrogen that specifically affect the growth plates in humans: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11822821 if the growth plates don't close properly you're risking spindly bones, which in turn causes all sorts of physical issues.

If you choose to neuter early its entirely your call, just make sure you really understand the potential risks involved and that the neuter may (will likely) not fix the behavioral problem.

 

[PorkBelly]

I'm going to do more research and see what I can find. If I find anything notable, I'll post it here.

With regard to the behavioral issues, though, I have had good results with my previous dogs (AmStaff & English Bulldog) after neutering. Markedly less mounting, male to male aggression, and marking. Obviously, you can't generalize to every dog but I've experienced a definite correlation between those behaviors and being intact.