When should I neuter Brutus?

[BrutusMummy]

Does anyone know when we should get Brutus neutured?  We are hearing conflicting reports.  Our vet says 8 months but people we have talked to say 6 months.  Other people say 12 months!  He'll be 6 months on Tuesday.  He is not showing any signs of being sexually mature yet. Any idea?

[jabear]

We are having Bear neutered soon due to a new law in Fresno- he is gonna be three on the 19th.

I think the normal age that I have heard is 6 months. Good luck with your handsome boy!

[shangrila]

Jabear, I am curious what the law is.

And I know that for a girl you want to spay before the first heat so it is normally done around 6 months, but I'm exactly sure when it is supposed to be done for males. I would tend to lean towards my vets advice since they are trained and also know your dog.

[jabear]

Laws here are very strict but as of the end of this month all dogs HAVE to be fixed unless you are a breeder- in which case you have to pay a fine and have a permit.

[Lyn]

My vet wanted to neuter Bubba at 5 months. We decided to wait until he's around a year. 5 months just seems way too early to me. I don't know. He's 7 months now and we haven't had any sexual or hormonal issue with him at all either. Although that may change, if it does then he will go in sooner for the big snip.

[Saintly Girl]

I neutered Maxwell when he was 5 months old.  They are doing it sooner and sooner now.  One of the dogs in my obedience class got it done at 3!!!  I thought it was too soon but the vet said that if they are over a certain wait, they are safe.  Maxwell, doesn't raise his leg to pee and only "loves" your leg very rarely.  I read that Saints have a very low sex drive and even un neutered Saints, don't have any interest in breeding.  Don't know if it's true.  As for females, I heard that you wait until after their first heat to fix them??? 

[RedyreRottweilers]

If you plan to spay a puppy bitch, spaying before the first season almost totally eliminates their chances of breast cancer later in life.

1 season, you lost half the benefit of early spaying.

2 seasons, and you lose ANY benefit of early spaying.

I do think it's a bit different in male dogs. Larger breed dogs I think it is fine to leave them entire for 8 to 12 months and then neuter. Early neutering is fine as well.

[brigid67]

Red- what about problems with bladder incont. in females who are being spayed to soon?  My vet said that is a problem as well.

[RedyreRottweilers]

Personally I think you are either going to have that, or not.

My bitch that I spayed at past age 3 had estrogen dependent incontinence.

I have a 4Yo who was spayed at about 15 mos, no problems.

I"ve not spayed many bitches that early, but the pets I have sold have had no issues.

I do require my girl puppies to be done by about 6 months to eliminate the chances of accidental breedings, and to help with the breast cancer risk.

[Anky]

Sanity just turned a year, and as soon as I get the $$$ up he'll be getting the big snip.  My reason for waiting is that most of the Danes I've seen that get done before a year are gangly and all legs for the rest of their lives.  They need the testosterone to build up that muscle mass. 

Hobo isn't really a giant breed.  In fact because he didn't fit his breed standard (Chinook) he was altered very early.  6 weeks.  I don't know enough (OK, ANY) Chinooks to compare him to.

Araby was spayed at a year.  Our breeder REALLY wanted us to breed her, but I didn't have the time to field trial her, and I refused to breed her without her proving herself worthy of it.  And her heats were HORRIBLE!  She smelled rank, totally unapproachable, and she would wipe her butt on the walls.  It was HORRID!  Everyonce in a while I think of how nice it would be to have Mini Bibbles running around, but I remember those times she was in season and shudder.


Ang

[Yaz]

Guinness is six months and the breeder advised us to wait until he's 13 - 15 months. She said that neutering a giant breed early cuts off the testosterone they need to grow and it can cause a Saint to become very tall and leggy, disproportiona te to their upper body. She said that because Saints don't stop growing until they are 2 - 2 1/2, it's not the same as smaller dogs who have reached their height by six months.
 I asked her about aggression (which is why I'm a firm believer in neutering early) and she said that isn't usually a problem in Saints, but most definitely neuter if I saw any dog-on-dog aggression.

[SPIKESMOMMY]

That is basically what the vet said of Spike. That I should wait cause I was going to get it done as soon as he turned 6mths but if I did he would be all legs and believe me he is all legs as it is. Well all legs and large head and gigantic ears.
 
Rachael and Spike

[Leah-n-boy-os]

Apollo was snipped at 8 wks, when the pound found him wandering on the side of the road. If it stunted his growth, I'm frightened to think of how big he could have gotten!!!

Our Vet has recommended that Onyx not be done until 12-14 months, for the same reasons as others have stated above.

[tonyc]

ugh... i think we need to spay our saint soon (7 months now)... except her PO hasn't even given us the rabies tags yet so the city won't spay her at low cost... and of course i won't get the rabies tags yet because we just found out she didn't get her 2nd/3rd round of shots.. and now we need to start the shots all over....