Spaying

[Kaili]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but I only scrolled through the first visible screen of posts looking for it. My question is- at what age should a boxer puppy be spayed? My vet said she was due to be spayed at 4 months, another vet said not until 6 months. They also gave me a number of spay options and I don't know if it's worth the extra for the laser, or if the bloodwork is necessary.

Options-
1. Basic Spay (scalpel and stitches) $215 (optional pre-op bloodwork, add $55)
2. Laser Spay 1 (scalpel and laser) $291 (optional pre-op bloodwork, add $55)
3. Laser Spay 2 (all laser) $531 (optional pre-op bloodwork, add $55)

 

[meyerclan]

Well I have a boy so I don't know if it makes a big differnce, but we paid the extra for the laser surgery. It was the best money I've ever spent. I thought they were suppose to be sleepy the rest of the day. Not my boy he was jumping up and down as the vet was bringing him out. He never lost a step. Well because of the laser he had no stitches. we tried to keep him calm but we all know how well our babies can stay calm. We did out best and kept an eye on the site. We never had a problem. It healed in a very short amount of time and looks great now.

Just had to through in my 2 cents. Hope it helps.

 

[meyerclan]

Price

Sorry but I just looked at the prices you had down. We didn't pay $500 for the laser. Ours was about $250. I'm not sure about the scapel and laser but $500 seems excessive.

 

[MypupShooter]

I just got Stella spayed last week, she's 11 months old (she never had a heat cycle). There's a big divide at what age a female should be spayed. With Shooter, I had her done at 6 months old. With Stella, my breeder asked me to wait till she was closer to 1 year old to do it. He knew the females in her line always went into their first heat after 1 year old, so I knew I could wait a little bit. Perhaps you can ask your breeder the same thing? The vet had wanted me to do it as young as 3 or 4 months, but I think that's too young.

I went for the basic surgery, I wasn't even offered an alternative. We paid about $280. That's with taxes, and and extra $16 to clean her ears, cut nails, and do the anal glands.

Surgery all went well, she was her normal self right away and she goes to get her stitches out next Tuesday, and hasn't touched them at all.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Swampo]

We are due to have our babies spayed/neutered in August. They will be 5 months Aug. 3rd. I would prefer to wait longer but our vet suggested that we do it at 5 months because they are littermates (and we definitely don't want any accidents).

 

[BxrMommieNAZ]

Price wise have you looked into a spay/neuter clinic? Something offered by a good mobile unit or the Humane Society in your area? I ask because I have a boy and even with an undescended testicle making the surgery longer it was only $100 to neuter him (a normal neuter was $75). A spay through them is only $90. Maybe talk to a reputable rescue in your area and ask what clinic they take their Boxer rescues to for a better rate?

Personally we had the regular scalpal method done, laser was not an option. He had dissolving stitches and had no issues. Oh and there was no bloodwork, even my regular vet doesn't do bloodwork on an otherwise healthy dog.

Also I had my boy neutered at 6 months. Personally, for us, that timeline wouldn't change boy or girl.

 

[ChristyA]

We had Sophie spayed at 11 months, she had never been in heat and I didn't get her until she was 9 months old.

We adopted Lulu from a rescue at 10 weeks old. Her mom was a full boxer in the pound for a month and pregnant when this rescue took her in. She had 8 pups, they look like they are boxer/beagle. But anyway, this rescue had all the pups spayed and neutered at 8 weeks. My vet said he prefers 6 months, but it shouldn't cause and problems in the future.

She is 6 months old now and she's doing great.

Christy

 

[Brookesmami]

Brooke was spayed at 6 months. i would say yes to bloodwork, just to make sure they are healthy enough for the surgery.

Please correct me if Im wrong, but I was told or read that spaying before the first heat helps cut down on boxer cancers???

 

[BxrMommieNAZ]

Brooke was spayed at 6 months. i would say yes to bloodwork, just to make sure they are healthy enough for the surgery.

Please correct me if Im wrong, but I was told or read that spaying before the first heat helps cut down on boxer cancers???

I could be wrong, but I believe that's just mammary cancer.

 

[RoxiesEcho]

Bella was spayed at 6 months. I went with the laser because there is less blood loss and less discomfort. There are no external stitches but there are internal dissolving stitches. Unfortunately, Bella had an adverse reaction to the internal ones causing her swelling and the external incision opened up and was seeping. She had to have a second surgery to remove the internal ones (at no additional cost). I live in a rural area and most of the immediate cities are small. I paid less than $300 (including the pre-op blood work).