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A litter before spay.... (Karlin)

My Wesley

Well-known member
I was just reading back to an old post and I saw something you wrote how some vets still suggest that females have a litter before being spayed. I too find that crazy. Which brings me to the fact that I have a co-worker who has a male & female Dachshund and she told me that her vet had told her that her female should have a litter before being spayed. I'm going to have to tell her about this, AND find out who her vet is to make sure that we aren't going to the same one!

Anyway, do you have more info on this so I can fill her in some more?

Thanks!
 
I remember a thread mentioning a heat season before spaying, but not a litter!

My vets have always said to spay females before the first heat to ensure they have maximum protection from related health probems.
 
I had a heated debate about this, with a neighbour, last year. She used to have springer bitches both rescues and both given litters before a spay. This time she told me she was concidering a westie bitch because her nextdoor neighbour had one.

She had her springers back in the seventies, when I had mine and I mentioned the change in vets attitude. Back then neutering wasn't encouraged unless for medical reasons (I suppose because anaesthetics were not as safe then). She said her new dog was not only going to wait to grow up but was going to have a litter before spaying. She insisted that this was her vets opinion too, but I find this hard to believe.
 
There is not a shred of evidence that having a litter benefits a dog in any way. There is durect evidence every single day that more puppies does NOT benefit anyone, least of all the additonal puppies. Eevery year in Ireland alone some 26,000 dogs are killed in shelters and pounds, In the US the figure is estimated to be from nearly FIVE and up to TEN MILLION this year and every year. And every pregnancy is a significant risk for the bitch involved. Pregnancy is always a risk.

More info:

http://www.americanhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pa_care_issues_spay_neuter

From which:

Shouldn't every female pet have at least one litter before being spayed?
No. In fact, your pet will be healthier if she never sexually matures. Her personality will not improve either. She is just as likely to become less social and more aggressive after having a litter, as she is to become calmer and gentler.

This is because the risk of mammary cancers rises to at least 7% if a bitch is spayed after rather than before the first heat (and hence after a litter) .

See also:

Early spay/neuter Myths
MYTH: Female dogs and cats should have at least one litter before having them spayed.
FACT: There is no medical evidence to justify allowing a dog or cat to have a litter before spaying. In fact, spaying female dogs and cats eliminates the possibility of developing uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the threat of mammary cancer.

MYTH: Behavior is adversely affected by sterilization.

FACT: The only changes in dog and cat behavior after spaying or neutering are positive changes. Male cats tend to reduce territorial spraying, depending on their age at neutering. Neutered dogs and cats fight less, resulting in fewer bite and scratch wounds and lessening the spread of contagious diseases. Male dogs and cats tend to stay home more after neutering because they no longer wander in search of a mate.

MYTH: Animals are less active and overweight after spaying or neutering.

FACT: As any animal matures, it is necessary for human guardians to adjust dietary intake to compensate for more sedentary lifestyles. Animals become overweight only when they are fed too much and not exercised properly!

MYTH: Males don't have litters, so we don't need to neuter them.

FACT: It takes both a male and female dog or cat for reproduction. While a female dog or cat may only have one litter a year, male animals can impregnate females many times each day!


MYTH: Spaying and neutering is painful.

FACT: Surgical sterilization is performed under general anesthesia by a doctor of veterinary medicine. The procedure itself is not felt by the patient. There may be mild discomfort after the surgery, but most animals return to normal activity within 24 to 72 hours. We also provide post op pain medications. The minimal discomfort experienced by dogs and cats who are spayed or neutered is well worth the endless suffering that is prevented by eliminating unwanted births.

MYTH: Children should experience the miracle of birth.

FACT: Most dogs and cats have their litters at night in quiet, dark places far out of anyone's sight. Besides, every litter of puppies and kittens born contributes to the thousands of unwanted dogs and cats who experience the miracle of death every day across America in our nation's pounds and animal shelters.

MYTH: Dogs will not be protective after they are altered.

FACT: Spaying or neutering does not affect a dog's natural instinct to protect his home and family.

From: http://www.animalhavenshelter.org/spayneuter.html

And: a whole website dedicated to this myth:

http://justonelitter.com/

Be sure to have your co-worker watch this:

http://justonelitter.com/litter.html
 
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