Questions about getting my dog spayed..:)

[ReileySpot]

Does anyone know when does female boxers get their first heat cycle? I want to get my puppy spayed and she's turning 5 months soon; however, we cant do it jsut yet becuase she's in training and have 3 weeks left of class. But we are trying to get her spayed before 6months to avoid her first heat cycle. Can anyone recommend a good vet in the orange county area? and How much does it cost? and would spaying her altered her personality? I want to get her spayed so she can live a healthier lifestyle down the line and preventing her from getting pregnant. Please tell me everything you know, it would help wonderfully. Thanks!!

Kris&Geena

 

[CrazyCharlie]

Well, I don't know about a Vet in your area, but make sure you take this into consideration..... the cost is based off of the dogs weight. The older your dog gets the more its going to cost. I think females can vary on when they start their heat cycle so you may want to contact your vet to ask what the average is.

Also, I know a lot of Animal Shelters have discounts that they give out to spay and neuter your pets. So if you contact your local animal shelter and ask them if they have any spay neuter discounts/promos going on then that will cut the cost of your vet bill. Also, if they don't have the promo going on now, they can probably tell you when the next one is.

Another thing is pet insurance, most pet insurance companies will cover the cost to spay or neuter your pet if they are younger than a year. Also something to keep in mind.

Good luck!

 

[srennie]

Most dogs won't get their first cycle before 6 months old. Some larger breed dogs will get it quite a bit later so you should be safe to wait 3 weeks so she can finish class.

Cost varies depending on where you get it done. Many humane societies offer low cost spays and you could probably get it done for around $40 (or even free if you qualify). The problem with these low cost and free programs is that there is usually a long waiting list. I don't know what part of orange co. you are in but expect to pay more in the high income areas. In CA, in general you will be looking at between $200-$500 for a spay at a vet office. You can decrease the fee by not taking the pain meds they may or may not offer you or tell you she will need. I have never given pain meds after a spay/neuter and have never had a dog that seemed to be in horrible pain aftewards. In fact, giving pain meds could mask a potential problem. Some vets want to keep the dogs overnight. This is so that the owners can't overindulge them with food and water too soon after surgery which can lead to vomitting which isn't good right after abdominal surgery. It's also to make sure the pup isn't too active as that can raise their blood pressure leading to bleeding of the surgery site. I refuse to leave my dogs overnight because most vets don't have someone watching them and I want to monitor my own dog for complications.

Spaying should not change her personality at all. She might be a little groggy when you bring her home but in a day or 2 she should be back to her old self. There is some recent research that is linking spaying to some slight behavior changes but nothing definite and nothing that should deter you from spaying her. All of the behaviors are behaviors that could have other roots and behaviors that need to be worked on through the life of every dog like resource guarding.

Because of these studies some vets are exploring the idea of doing a different type of procedure which is more like a human getting their tubes tied. It leaves the reproductive organs in place as to not upset the hormonal balance like a spay does since a spay removes all of the reproductive organs. This is not a widely accepted practice right now though and a run of the mill spay is standard practice.

After surgery you will want to watch her very closely to be sure she isn't licking or chewing at the surgery site. The incision should be around 2 or 3 inches and if it becomes red, hot or inflamed she will need some antibiotics and a cone collar to keep her from licking it. She should also not be allowed to do a lot of running and jumping for about a week-10 days.

 

[Caney Creek]

Just wanted to add that boxers tend to be "late bloomers", rarely having a heat cycle as early as 6 months old. Usually it happens after the 1 year mark. There is a genetic factor too, so if you know how old your pup's mother was when she had her first heat cycle then you will have a good idea of when your girl will have hers.

We were told by Caney's breeder that the dam was 18 months old when she had her first heat cycle, so we knew that we had plenty of time before we had to start worrying about spaying Caney. We ended up having Caney spayed at 10 months old and she never went into heat before then.