[MauiGirl]

Actually my vet clinic is taking this research seriously enough to have recently changed their recommendation for spay. They used to recommend spay before the first heat to eliminate the risk of mammary cancer, however now they like to see females go thru one heat cycle which will lessen chance of LP, and still spaying before second heat gives good protection against mammary cancer. Evidently the risk of LP is just by spaying too early, before certain hormones are produced (if I remember correctly).

I was surprised, but pleased to find this out when I recently took my 2 lil girls in for final shots.

I WILL wait until after one heat to spay. That is what I did with my other 2 girls and it worked out fine, plus I felt more comfortable letting them get a little older and bigger before surgery.

However, if there is a risk of unwanted pregnancy, that should also be considered in your decision.