In general, it will be between 7-9 months for the smaller females and later for the bigger breeds. Hence, for small dogs, up to an adult body weight of 20kg, we recommend desexing at 6 months old. For larger dogs, we recommend leaving it a little while longer, so about 8-9 months.
An age of six to nine months of age may be appropriate for neutering or spaying a toy breed puppy or small breed puppy but a larger or giant breed may need to wait until they are near or over 12-18 months of age.
There are some old wives' tales that a dog should go through at least 1 heat cycle before she's spayed. This just isn't the case. Studies have shown that the risks of mammary cancer and urinary incontinence are higher if you wait to spay your dog after she's gone through 1 or more heat cycles.
Spaying your dog too early can result in health problems later on since her hormones should have some time to work. Early spaying can increase the risk of hip dysplasia, torn ligaments, bone cancer, and urinary incontinence.
Can Spaying or Neutering Make a Dog Less Hyper? The short answer is that no, your dog isn't likely to be less hyperactive after getting spayed or neutered. It won't change their personality much, if at all. Each dog has its own positive and negative social habits.
A University of Georgia study, based on the medical records of more than 70,000 animal patients, found that the life expectancy of neutered male dogs was 13.8% longer and that of spayed female dogs was 26.3% longer.
To be clear, the question here is whether or not to spay early or after the first heat cycle. Because of significant risks of pyometra (uterine infection) or mammary cancer late in life we recommend that all female dogs not intended for breeding be spayed before their second heat cycle.
In general, in small breed dogs (less than 50 pounds) we recommend spaying around 6 months. In large breed dogs (greater than 50 pounds) we recommend waiting until after skeletal maturity but before the second heat cycle(usually 12-15 months) in spaying female dogs or anytime after skeletal maturity in male dogs.
Removing Hormones can be of Benefit
Another reason veterinarians settle on the six-month recommendation is that if a pet is not going to be bred, spaying a female dog before her first heat cycle has a significant benefit in terms of reducing the risk of mammary cancer.
Heat usually lasts between 2-4 weeks. Early in the cycle, a female dog may not be receptive to male dogs, although some are receptive through the entire cycle. It can be shorter or longer and you'll know the cycle is over when all her vulva returns to its normal size and there's no more bleeding or discharge.
Some signs of a female dog going into heat may include lower energy levels, more aggressive behavior, differences in leg-raising while urinating, urinating more often than usual, and even running away from home. This is unlike male dogs, who do not experience heat cycles.
For many years we have known that spaying a female dog or cat before the first heat cycle almost eliminates their life long risk of mammary tumors (breast cancer).
They can get an uterine infection, called pyometra, that requires emergency surgery. If this condition is untreated or surgery is not done as soon as possible, the infection gets into the bloodstream and becomes fatal. Female dogs that aren't spayed can also get mammary tumors.
As long as your pet is healthy, there is no age limit for spaying your dog. While the traditional age for spaying is six to nine months, dogs as young as five months can undergo the procedure. Even if there are some risks with senior dogs, the benefits still outweigh a few risks.
Some dogs who don't get pregnant during a heat cycle will experience a “false pregnancy” and may begin to treat household objects as their litter, guarding them like they would their puppies. Spaying will prevent these behaviors in a female dog and typically make her more calm and consistent.
Basically, we are seeing that delaying spaying and neutering until after maturity lessens the risk of hip dysplasia, cruciate ligament tears, other bone and joint abnormalities, and some cancers. Behavior disorders, including aggression and noise phobias have also been related to hormone status.
Austad and Hoffman say spayed and neutered pets live longer, healthier, happier lives because they have fewer behavioral issues and they are less susceptible to infections, degenerative diseases, and traumatic/violent causes of death.
Recovery After Spaying Surgery
Most pets will start to feel better in 24 - 48 hours, but full recovery takes between 10 to 14 days. During this period you should aim to keep your pet calm and refrain from allowing them to jump, as this could cause the incision to reopen.
Keep her as quiet as possible for one week. Too much activity too soon will disrupt the healing process and can lead to swelling and/or the formation of a fluid pocket under the incision. If a fluid pocket does form (seroma), it should go away on its own in a few weeks. Short on-leash walks are okay.
Spaying: A spay procedure should be done at 4-5 months old. This is before your dogs first heat cycle, which typically falls around 6 months — this helps decrease the risk of serious health issues, such as mammary cancer. Neutering: A male dog should typically be neutered during the same 4-5 month period.
However, spaying your dog while in heat presents some increased risk of complications from bleeding due to increased vascularization in the reproductive organs during the heat cycle.
How often do female dogs come into estrus? On average, estrus occurs about twice a year, although it varies from dog to dog. Small breeds tend to cycle more regularly than larger breeds. The interval between heat cycles tends to be four to twelve months with an average of seven months.