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By spaying before the first heat, you can almost guarantee no cancer in the mammary glands. Chance of cancer increases significantly if you don't.
Quote from: Cougar Gold on March 18, 2015, 09:44:15 PMBy spaying before the first heat, you can almost guarantee no cancer in the mammary glands. Chance of cancer increases significantly if you don't.I have never read that it is reduced cancer if done "Before" the first heat cycle. I have read that long term intact females do have a higher rate of mammary cancer and a few studies have suggested that early spaying helps reduce the risk, no eliminate it. I have also read a few studies which suggest that spaying early in their "later" years reduces chances the most. i.e.- 6-8 years old. This is also the time cancer is most likely to first show an appearance in most larger/working breeds.
I have had only two female labs. Both I had spayed at around 6 months or so. I just asked the vet what he thought and went with it. When I was looking for my first pup I talked to several guys who had been urged to let the dog have one litter. Without exception each told me that they wished they had not because after the litters the dogs hunting drive was not there as it was before. They hunted but without the strong drive. On the other hand I know many who spayed with no litter and there dogs hunt like crazy. Including the two I had. Happy and Wild have way more experience than I do. This is just what I experienced.
Quote from: ghosthunter on March 21, 2015, 04:47:37 PMI have had only two female labs. Both I had spayed at around 6 months or so. I just asked the vet what he thought and went with it. When I was looking for my first pup I talked to several guys who had been urged to let the dog have one litter. Without exception each told me that they wished they had not because after the litters the dogs hunting drive was not there as it was before. They hunted but without the strong drive. On the other hand I know many who spayed with no litter and there dogs hunt like crazy. Including the two I had. Happy and Wild have way more experience than I do. This is just what I experienced. This was a real concern for me when we bred our brittany since we trial her. The trainer made it very clear that after the litter was whelped, the pups would get weened at 3 weeks, and my female would be put right back to work. He said that he's seen too many good females have a litter of pups, and decide they like being moms more than field trial dogs. That's why he weens so quickly after the litter is born. After my females litter, she had the best fall trial season of her career, so she didn't slow down any. But I was very concerned about it.