Do I have to spay my female shepherd? She's only 5 months right now and I have to start thinking about the future. I am mainly concerned with any health issues.
*Can I not spay her for a few years while I am training and during that time determine if i'm going to breed her?
*If I choose not to breed her will it be bad for her health to not be spayed?
*Could I spay her after 3-4 years if I deside not to breed her? (Will this be bad for her health?)
*I've heard that an unspayed dog that has never been bred will live a shorter life...OR...that a bred dog will also live a shorter life. Is this true?

I hope that this makes sense. This is my first female shepherd and it's new to me. I just basically want to know more about spaying vs not spaying.

I'm not spaying my puppy until she's two. I do think that other stuff you mentioned about life span are old wive's tales.

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This is my first female shepherd and it's new to me. I just basically want to know more about spaying vs not spaying.

Well, if you are seriously considering breeding, then that will naturally affect your decision. For me, that would be the only reason (except for a condition that precludes surgery or anesthesia) not to spay my dog. (That's just my opinion about it; others will certainly disagree.)

For me, the risks of the surgery and anesthesia are far outweighed by the health benefits related to spaying. Again, just my opinion.

Spaying before the first heat makes the dog's risk of mammary cancer very close to zero. If she has one heat, it's still a pretty low risk (like 6% or 8%, depending on which vet college statistics you read). Over two heats increase the risk to approximately one in four. Intact females over five (all breeds averaged) have a 50% chance of experiencing mammary tumors.

And of course, spaying eliminates uterine tract infections and ovarian and uterine cancer (as well as non-cancerous tumors).

It's a decision every owner has to make for him/herself. Your vet can help you decide, and there's plenty to read on the internet. Google DOGS, SPAY.

While most applicable to boys, early neutering can affect the female negatively as well. It is quite well supported now that it will change growth patterns and affect the dog's/bitch's adult conformation.

If you definitely plan to spay, most performance people do so after the bitch's first heat cycle.

Has her breeder asked that you keep her intact, or the flip side, required that she be spayed? I would tend to heed his/her advice in this area, if it's a quality/respected breeder.

T

Tracy, I waited after the first heat to spay a working female (realizing the slight increase in risk of mammary tumors) and also because I had heard that the risk of incontinence is reduced if spayed after the first heat.

I have heard and seen the issues with male conformation that can occur with early neutering, but nothing about females.

Where is the info about female structure being impacted? I did research about a year ago and have found precious little info on when to spay a female when other than the advice given from people who work their dogs and nobody mentioned this.

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I have heard and seen the issues with male conformation that can occur with early neutering, but nothing about females.

It's not pretty, is it? I will try to dig up the references on the females. For some reason, Chris Zink is coming to mind. Will see what I can find.
T

My mistake! Here is a line from Chris Zink in the Jan '03 edition of Clean Run magazine:

"Also, note that female dogs spayed before growth plates have closed usually do NOT grow taller. That may be because their adrenal glands produce the testosterone that closes the growth plates."

It does seem like there are fewer negative side-effects to early spay of a female. Spay incontinence is the main downside. Prevention of mammary cancer, uterine cancer and pyometra are the upsides.

T

Gotcha..I think even spayed after growth can have issues with incontinence as they get older due to estrogen depletion.

But you weigh the pros and cons. I figured - go one heat and risk later incontenence - you can always do hormone replacement if needed.

My male was a bilateral cryptorchid and even though we waited 2 years to neuter, what he had was about the size of kidney beans (smaller).....his parents were normal structure (for their type) but he is 26" at shoulder, 70#, ribs never sprung, and E/W in the front. Not at all a pretty sight. He is a mix of Czech and W German Showlines...but I think it was the lack of testosteron that *did it* to him rather than the funky breeding.

Melissa, if you are still trying to decide whether or when to spay, I recommend that you do a further search on the subject in this forum. In another thread is reference to a study done on Rottweilers that some noted vet oncologists have extrapolated to include other breeds that questions the wisdom of spaying/neutering before sexual maturity. In particular, the issue seems to be the benefits of the nonreproductive functions of reproductive hormones, which, of course, are lost. In particular, this study found that dogs sterilized before maturity faced twice the risk of osteosarcoma and for females, 4 times the risk of hemangiosarcoma, a very aggressive, undetectable cancer. If you have difficulty locating the thread, let me know, and I'll track it down for you. Search on "spay." It was a heated discussion. After reading it and the study referenced, as well as conducting more research on my own, it changed my whole perspective on spaying. In 1996, when I got my female GSD, my vet said there should be no question that she should be spayed before the first heat. She died of hemangiosarcoma 2 months ago at just over 9 years, looking the picture of health. I'm not saying that this is direct evidence of anything, but it sure makes me wonder.

I am not a breeder and honestly don't have the guts to be one, so I'll always eventually spay my females. But from advice I've received from others, I'll be looking more at 18 - 24 months. You can still dramatically reduce the risk of mammary cancer (something like an 8% risk I think) while allowing your dog some (hopefully most) of the benefit of the reproductive hormones.

Best wishes with your pup.

Melissa

Quote:Prevention of mammary cancer, uterine cancer and pyometra are the upsides.

What are the percentages of dogs that get these problems to begin with? I would be curious to see the numbers.