To have puppies or not?

[chachi]

Unspayed pets want to mate are desperate to mate. There are health reasons why its better but I also think its better for their personality and well being. I have had unspayed cats and I would never want to go through thAt again

[bjh]

Originally Posted by Bella1978

Can I also ask, seeing that there are no male dogs that would come near Bella, what would be the pro's and cons of having her spade (other than the usual 'girly mess' every now and again)? Would it still be necessary?

Besides the mess of the heat cycle you also have to deal with the mood change that comes with every heat cycle. During the heat cycle and for two months following their heat cycle their mood changes. Females that are normally happy and playful will become more distant and not interested in playing. The biggest concern would be the risk of pyometra in unspayed females. Pyometra is an infection of the uterus and it can be deadly. The older a unspay female gets the greater the risk of her getting pyometra.

[matese]

I had 2 females, each 3 years apart, I didn't spay brcause they were such wee babies I didn't want them to go under the knife. 13 years later my first one got Pyometra, her uterus erupted, puss went through her blood, the vet gave her a full hysterectomy and set her home, for 9 days I watched her die before my eyes. 6 months later my 2nd got Pyometra, I recognized the signs and rushed her to a new vet, she was also given a hysterectomy, she lived for 6 months. All my fault because I feared spaying. I wouldn't want anyone to go through what I did. I had no intentions of ever breeding, I had 2 more pups, my vet advised spay before 1st heat, 5 to 6 mos old, both (they were also 3 years apart) were spayed at 5 1/2 months old. One lived to be 13 y/o, the other lived to be 17 y/o. I advise everyone, if pup is purchased to be your pet SPAY for their health. You have read of the danger and pit falls of breeding. Ask your vet what is the right age to spay, most advise before their 1st heat, Spay don't breed.


is an infection of the uterus and it can be deadly.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

What if you should lose her due to septicemia or some other quirk of whelping as we did out Doberman bitch when we bred her. We'd gone through an apprenticeship with her breeder at her ranch on weekends and myself during the week, we'd studied all about genetics, pregnancy, whelping, helped in whelpings, used the breeder's highly-esteemed vet of choice and still everything went wrong as she whelped early, and we lost a pup stillborn, almost lost another she'd pushed aside & was cold in its sack but was revived, 3 died on the 3rd day of life as their momma also did from what the vet said was an infection/septicemia of her blood from her milk/mammary glands which had quickly flared into a full-body infection w/in 18 hours or so at the vet hospital and then my beautiful girl was was gone. I had to hand raise the rest of the litter 24/7 from Day 3 after my girl died and it was sheer hell. I got no sleep for 2 - 3 weeks except for a few cat naps. You have to stimulate the pups to poop, pee, feed them every 3-4 hours day and night, keep them warm enough, carry them back and forth to the vet for blood tests and check-ups if anything goes wrong with the litter, give them medicine during the day and night, deal with colic from the formula, nurture them and fill in in every way for mom right up through weaning, teaching them about all the things she normally imprints on their brains, should you lose her.

It cost us a fortune in money for all the ER fees, hospital costs for her & the pups and in exhaustion, constant work but that was nothing compared to the pain and tragedy of losing our beautiful Dobie girl, Cobra, who was gone forever. I'll always miss her. She was so smart and elegant.

Unless you are fully prepared to face a potential life-threatening emergency at home, know everything to do in a sudden pregnancy/whelping/puppy-crash emergency, have all the equipment, drugs & know how to use them until you can stabilize her/pups for safe transport to the vet, and fully understand genetics and she and her stud are cleared as free from all health defects going back generations so as not to pass any genetic medical or serious temperament issues along to the pups, I would not breed my girl, knowing what I know now.

It looks like you've ended up deciding not to breed your precious kiddo - and I think that's a wonderful, positive way to go ! Let Bella just be a happy, healthy pet who doesn't have to go thru a pregnancy and whelping. Plus, there are SO many homeless pets in this world....leave the breeding to the pros, and let's all work toward less inconspicuous breeding and more toward an increase in adopted homeless pets!

[paisleypixels]

@Bella1978 - I'm glad you've decided not to breed. Sounds very responsible. As others have said above, spaying has many benefits and if she is a pet will make her a happier, healthier one.