spay operation and puppy kindergarten

[bea'smum]

I made an appointment yesterday to have Bea spayed. She will be just barely over 4 months when she goes in on Tuesday and I feel like it's still early but our vet encouraged us last time we were in and I want to be sure to get this done before her first heat cycle. I feel sick to my stomach when I think about leaving her overnight and causing her pain but I know it has to be done. I do have a couple of questions about recovery though and I'm wondering if this is really the best time. From the search I did here on Boxerworld I understand that I need to keep her relatively calm for some time after the surgery...does this rule out puppy kindergarten? Her third class will take place just 6 days after her surgery. Will she have to miss this class and others (they are weekly sessions)? If so, how bad would it be to wait until her classes are finished (by then she will be just over 5 months)? I don't want her to miss out on puppy kindergarten because I think she has really benefited from the socializing with other pups and people. On the other hand, I don't want to wait too long to have her spayed...it seems like lots of people on this website waited longer than 5 months but our vet made it sound so urgent...I just don't know what to think. Does anyone have any advice for me?

 

[boxer]

I'd wait until she's finished her kindergarten classes. It's important that puppies get lots of socialisation experiences, including just playing with pups their own age. Six days is a reasonable time after surgery, but those little pups can paly pretty rough too!

I can understand your vet urging you to get her spayed early, and there are good reasons to do so before her first heat. While it's not technically impossible, it is unlikely that she'd come in before six months of age though, so I don't think you're taking a much of a risk in delaying. Unless your vet has another reason for wanting to get her fixed up so early, I'm sure they'll be just as happy with an appointment made now for straight after the end of puppy classes