Just FYI - I haven't even read it all yet.

Request has been made to only forward the link and not the pdf file.

http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs...ma.231.11.1665

Judy

"Judy" said in rec.pets.dogs.health:

http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs...ma.231.11.1665

Thanks for this. As you may be aware, I've gone through a
thought process as to spay or not spay, and I've decided to not
for the time being.

It appears to deal with similar issues in an article linked to
by Robin, but I've got to print it out so that I can really read
it properly.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

In article ,
Rocky wrote:

"Judy" said in rec.pets.dogs.health:

http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs...ma.231.11.1665

Thanks for this. As you may be aware, I've gone through a
thought process as to spay or not spay, and I've decided to not
for the time being.

It appears to deal with similar issues in an article linked to
by Robin, but I've got to print it out so that I can really read
it properly.

I'm going to be giving this a lot of thought in coming months as well.
I will spay at some point, but when is a very big question. I think it
will be quite a way off.

--
Janet Boss
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com

Janet Boss said in
rec.pets.dogs.health:

I will spay at some point, but when is a very big question.
I think it will be quite a way off.

Did you see the article Robin linked to in rpd.activities?
It's a pdf:
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongT...uterInDogs.pdf

Maybe's breeder has waived the spaying portion of the
contract for the time being. Naturally, I'm being careful,
and gave the only non-neutered dog in my daycare notice some
months ago. While I like BCs and I like Groenendaals, I'm not
keen on breeding a mix.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

In article ,
Rocky wrote:


Did you see the article Robin linked to in rpd.activities?
It's a pdf:
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongT...uterInDogs.pdf

Maybe's breeder has waived the spaying portion of the
contract for the time being. Naturally, I'm being careful,
and gave the only non-neutered dog in my daycare notice some
months ago. While I like BCs and I like Groenendaals, I'm not
keen on breeding a mix.

I've seen the article already, yes. The bone cancer and hemangiosarcoma
are probably the things that hit me the hardest. Especially in Marcie's
breed, I worry about any increase in cancer risk.

Marcie's breeder has waived the spay portion for now as well, although
she's on limited registration. I can have her reverse that if I decide
to show her at all, which I don't currently plan to do, but may try to
dabble. I have no plans (or option) to breed her. But I do want her
to live a long, healthy and athletic life.

--
Janet Boss
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com

"Janet Boss" wrote in message:

I'm going to be giving this a lot of thought in coming months as well.
I will spay at some point, but when is a very big question. I think it
will be quite a way off.

Both papers raise a lot of questions for me. A lot of it having to do with
methodology, others about general risk and what a 2 or 3x increased chance
means in the context of small risks, still others about animal husbandry
practices and how they relate to the overall numbers. Since I will more
than likely rescue all my dogs, the decision is pretty much made for me, but
I guess I would still go with spay/neuter of all animals I own, even if I
have them from puppyhood. If I had a choice, with female dogs, the spay
will be performed prior to first estrus (Pan was spayed after, showed
mammary abnormalities during her estrus cycle, which has now turned into a
lifetime of watching to make sure nothing suspicious happens), and with
males, after they attain physical maturity (18 months to 2 years), assuming
no hormone related behavioral issues. There are other complicating factors
here for me, having to do with my propensity towards owning large dogs,
prevalence of bloat and the need for preventative surgery, etc.

Suja

"Rocky" wrote in message
...
Thanks for this. As you may be aware, I've gone through a
thought process as to spay or not spay, and I've decided to not
for the time being.

It appears to deal with similar issues in an article linked to
by Robin, but I've got to print it out so that I can really read
it properly.

Yeah, I've printed this one out but still haven't read it. I also have the
one that Robin posted - again, printed out but not read closely.

It's not as immediate an issue for me as for you and Janet, but it's
something that I'm trying to educate myself on before I make the decision
the next time.

This particular link came from my breed club. I'm waiting to see if there
are any comments from club members on it - since many of them are *way* more
educated on the issue than I.

Judy

Suja wrote:
"Janet Boss" wrote in message:


I'm going to be giving this a lot of thought in coming months as well.
I will spay at some point, but when is a very big question. I think it
will be quite a way off.


Both papers raise a lot of questions for me. A lot of it having to do with
methodology, others about general risk and what a 2 or 3x increased chance
means in the context of small risks, still others about animal husbandry
practices and how they relate to the overall numbers.

For me, there's a significant difference in what I will do with the
girls versus the boys. From now on, all my girls will reach full
physical and sexual maturity before being spayed, sometime between the
age of 2 and 3 (unless of course I'm going to breed).

As the papers I've cited and read indicate, there seem to be far more
consequences for neutering males. And Zipper is going to stay intact
unless and until there is a pressing need to neuter him. So far
absolutely no problems and while he's all boy, he's also not overly doggy.

elegy said in
rec.pets.dogs.health:

i still think the benefits of spaying prior to first
heat outweigh the rest.

Potential inadvertent pregnancy aside, what do you consider the
benefits of spaying before first estrus?

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

In article ,
elegy wrote:


of course, i've never had the opportunity to make the decision as to
speuter age. luce was done at about a year, mushroom was done at about
two years. i've no idea when harv was done but i suspect later in
life. boy needs plastic surgery "lifting" in the nether regions. or
some tighty whiteys. something!

I've been the one to make the decision about 1/2 the time (w/permanent
dogs - foster dogs have all gotten done before placement).

dog #1 - neutered at 8.5 years, wish I had done it at 1
#2 -neutered at 7 months. no problems due to this, but I probably could
have waited longer or not done it at all. Hormone related behavioral
issues with dog #1 made me cautious.
#3 - spayed @ 1 (before I got her)
#4 - spayed @ 6 months (before I got her)
#5 - neutered at 6 months and he needed it!
#6 - neutered @ 4 months (before I got him)
#7 - spaying TBD, but definitely not until after 1 (and this breed
doesn't tend to come into heat very early)

--
Janet Boss
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com