I try to stay right on top of all these issues, simply because I sell people their Yorkie and I want that Yorkie to have the best future available to them. I am big on "evidenced based research"....learned behavior from my experiences as an RN.....I read and research and re-read and all the research that I have been reading, and this is research from vet schools and genetic studies and reproduction vets.....(people that are not associated with advocating population control in pets, because THAT puts a kink in the control data).....based strictly on health concerns and growth issues and patterns of osteopathic related injuries in dogs as they mature, as well as studies into calcium leaching .....the majority of the most up to date articles and seminars and texts, are indicating it is better for the dog's health to wait until the dog is 1-1.5years old prior to spay/neutering. I have had to change what I preach to my new owners....and I sell on a spay/neuter contract.....I now advocate they wait until about 1 year old...females have had their first heat and possibly a second heat....and the growth plates have stopped growing on males usually by 8 months to a 1 year old. I always think about those little puppies that are 8 weeks old, born at the SPCA and some of the rescue facilities, and they are spaying/neutering those tiny little things....just wonder what kind of damage is being done to them. |