When Do You Neuter A Lab Puppy
Adult dogs can be neutered at any age but the best time is before sexual maturity. For many years, the recommended spay/neuter age was 6 to 9 months, however, now it is quite common for surgery to take place at 4 months old. If a puppy’s future involves performance competition, ask your veterinarian and breeder about timing.
When do you neuter a lab puppy. The best answer to most questions is to find a vet who you trust to tell you the whole story and make your decision based on that information. Early neutering is a controversial topic. A very few uncontrolled studies have shown a link with early neuters (before 14 months of age) and some forms of cancer and joint problems. In the U.S. we spay/neuter our pets. It is seriously frowned upon if your pet is intact. And if you don't you'll never be able to board your lab. But as Jo says wait until your lab is fully mature. Upon our vet recommendation we got ours done at 15 months. We saw no change in personality. He still marks; he still has dogs he likes and doesn't like. When you become the owner of a puppy, there are several things you should do to encourage its overall wellness, like making sure it gets plenty of exercise, feeding it high-quality food, attending frequent vet checkups, and scheduling a spay or neuter appointment at the appropriate age. Think twice before you routinely neuter your lab. Reply. susan hackett March 29, 2019 at 8:32 pm.. Then we consider how long it takes a dog to go from puppy to adult. Dogs do most of their growing in the first 6 months, which is why most vets spay/neuter at this time. There are cases where dogs are fixed before 6 months, or even before.
If you do decide to neuter.... Remember, your dog needs his reproductive hormones for some time so his bones, joints, and tendons can develop normally. There's a right time and a wrong time to have the surgery done. And don't forget that neutering is major surgery under general anesthesia. How Do You Neuter or Spay a Dog? First, we should be aware that there is a difference between the terms neuter and spay. The term neuter is used when we’re talking about a surgical procedure where the male dog’s testicles are removed and thereby removing their ability to reproduce. When Should You Spay or Neuter Your Dog? The traditional age for spaying or neutering a dog is between 4 and 6 months, although a spay clinic or shelter may safely spay or neuter dogs as young as 2 months old, says Brown. However, “each individual owner should discuss their specific circumstances with their personal vets,” recommends Brown. One of the first questions you may ask after making this decision is at what age can you neuter a puppy? While it is still a good idea to neuter dogs that are older, the best time to neuter your puppy is prior to its first heat cycle. In most dogs, this happens when the puppy is between five and six months old.
"The big snip," as some people call it, provides many benefits beyond making sure dogs don't become puppy daddies. Neutering can cut the risk of certain diseases, unwanted behaviors, and conflicts. When the best time to spay or neuter your puppy can be a tricky decision, complicated by new research, old veterinary traditions and recommendations, and your own personal situation. For these reasons, we at Eromit do not require you to spay or neuter your puppy at any particular age but do make strong recommendations based… Should you neuter your lab right away or at a certain age?. DO NOT bathe the dog for at least 10 days after the surgery, and also try to keep the incision dry for 7 days after surgery. Check the incision site every day to ensure that there is no swelling, redness, or bad odor. If anything seems odd, contact your vet as soon as possible. While you may have reservations about getting your puppy spayed or neutered, it is in the interest of your community and your society that you do. There are thousands of homeless and neglected pets out there that need homes, and adding to the pet population with an unintended pregnancy only exacerbates that problem. [10]
Once you have your Labrador neutered, then he cannot breed anymore. This means that whatever desirable trait your Labrador has, he can no longer pass it. But if you do not really have plans to breed, then this is not a problem. Growth Problems. Veterinarians say male dogs can be neutered as early as they turn 6 to 9 months old. That is true, however, there are a host of other cancers that can be more probable if you neuter your puppy at a young age. According to a 2014 study with 2,500 Vizslas, the younger the dog at the time of neutering, the more likely the dog is to develop one or more of the following: We have a 15-week old black lab puppy Dennis. I have been reading about the best age for neutering and had in my head it would be after 12 months, but hopefully wait until 18 months. I have been looking at options for him once my husband and I both need to be back in our full-time work in September. Most people hear that you should spay or neuter your puppy as soon as possible (as young as 6 months old), so as to diminish the unwanted puppy population. While we agree that there is unfortunately a growing population of unplanned puppies, there are also valid arguments for waiting to spay or neuter a dog, that affect its lifetime health.