At What Age Should I Spay My Pitbull Puppy

Many believe a female dog should be spayed before her first heat cycle, and a male dog should be neutered within 6 months after birth. While others say that early spaying & neutering is too aggressive and spaying a dog after first heat is better as it will actually damage your pet’s health and shorten their lifespan if done too early.

At what age should i spay my pitbull puppy. Proper nutrition is an important part of your puppy's development. In general, you should continue feeding puppy food (dog food labeled for growth) until your puppy is done growing. Large breed dogs often need to stay on puppy food past their first year, but other dogs can usually start to transition to adult food between nine and 12 months of age. New puppy visits have to be one of my favorite appointments in veterinary medicine. Adorable puppies, excited owners, so many opportunities to lay the groundwork for a long and happy life together. We cover lots of topics: vaccinations, deworming schedules, training, nutrition. I personally required to spay or neuter your puppy at a early age, but now doing intense research and reading, I have decided to change my contract to spay/neuter your puppy around 2 years old, or even never sterilizing your dog. pro's, con's, and myths of spay/neuter. Most people hear that you should spay or neuter your puppy as soon as possible (as young as 6 months old), so as to diminish the unwanted puppy population. While we agree that there is unfortunately a growing population of unplanned puppies, there are also valid arguments for waiting to spay or neuter a dog, that affect its lifetime health.

Q) At what age should a dog be altered? A) Altering is most commonly done either "early" (8 weeks to 4 months) or "normal" (around 6 months) or "late" (1 years or later). Early altering is appropriate for pet dogs, or working dogs which do not need complete muscle development. This would include basically all dogs but weight pull dogs. Typically, we’d like to see female pets spayed before their first heat cycle, so in the past, we’ve recommended that pets get spayed and neutered around 6 months of age. If you can prevent unwanted pregnancy, wait as long as possible before sterilization. For most of my patients, this means around 10 to 14 months of age. When to Spay or Neuter Your Pet For dogs: While the traditional age for neutering is six to nine months, puppies as young as eight weeks old can be neutered as long as they’re healthy. Dogs can be neutered as adults as well, although there’s a slightly higher risk of post-operative complications in older dogs, dogs that are overweight or. Q: Is it OK to spay my dog when she’s a puppy? A: We spay or neuter dogs at our clinic at 8 weeks as long as they weigh at least two pounds. Of course, it varies by breed. Some of the tiny breeds have to be done later. But larger breeds are usually ready by two months of age. There are still some people who say pediatric spay/neuter is.

A very few uncontrolled studies have shown a link with early neuters (before 14 months of age) and some forms of cancer and joint problems. Both the joint problems and the cancers that they have linked are relatively common in large-boned dogs , so the challenge is to prove whether the early neuter actually caused an increase in the incidence. Although there is no 100% definite answer, it is often suggested that you should have your male American Pit Bull Terrier neutered after he has reached the age of puberty. This is thought to have long-term health benefits, as well as helping to prevent behavioural traits, such as marking and aggression. About the author: Michele Welton has over 40 years of experience as a Dog Trainer, Dog Breed Consultant, and founder of three Dog Training Centers.An expert researcher and author of 15 books about dogs, she loves helping people choose, train, and care for their dogs. Check out my other articles on health & feeding What age should I neuter my dog? If neutering is done too early or too late, the risks get higher and the benefits lower. As long as you choose the right time to neuter your dog, the benefits outweigh the risk. The decision on when to neuter your dog depends on their sex and breed. The timing depends on what age they can expect to hit puberty.

Though these procedures can be done on puppies as young as a few months old, dog owners should consult with their veterinarian to determine the best age to spay or neuter their pet. A spay surgery prevents female dogs from getting pregnant by removing both the ovaries and the uterus. Afterward, female dogs enjoy many health benefits and won't have to deal with being in heat. Whether it be for health or ethical reasons, spaying/neutering is a standard procedure that most pet parents opt for. Rescues have been known to "speuter" pups as early as 6 weeks of age to discourage backyard breeders from adopting pups, and to prevent any oops litters. They also can do the spay when inheat but the risk of bleeding out is greater so it is best to let them run their course. I've never had a vet tell me to wait and let my female have a cycle but then again vets are diffrent and have diffrent views on certain situations. You can also find a low cost spay clinic at a local shelter if you looked.