To Spay!! Or NOT to Spay!! That is the question!
 

Mitzi is 5 months old on the Feb 18th. Her "humpatoy" phase is fast approaching, LOL!!
Anyway, The questions is, everyone in here seems to be getting their doggys spayed. I was just wondering if it is necessary. If it improves temperament or if it is a health issue.

I'm fairly new here, but I know there is a thread on this somewhere. Maybe one of the other members can point you in the right direction as to where it might be. IMO I would have your baby spayed. I believe the benefits outweigh the health risks that can occur later in life. Sorry I could'nt help anymore. :yorkietal

Spaying would be the responsible thing to do if you are not planning on breeding. Make sure to have a vet that is familiar with operating on small breeds. The spay also helps prevent certain cancers in female dogs.

Spaying or neutering are very responsible things to do . There are so many unwanted pups and dogs .

By this statement , I am not telling that all dog breeders have to stop . Peoples should be more careful when preparing to breed their males or females because sometimes those animals don't have what it take to benefit the breed standards . I am not only talking about the Yorkshire Terrier , I am talking of all breed of dogs .

Certainly my opinion is if you are not planning on breeding you should spay your pet. Talk to your vet, read up on the safety precautions in spaying a toy dog,best anesthesias and so forth. do all the bloodwork, ruling out any underlying problems and TALK to your vet. It took me 3 mths of talking before I was comfortable enough to make the appt. I wanted to be absolutly certain he and I were on the same page.
I'm sure have my own chart at my vets office and all the notes say I am a overprotective neurotic mom but I don't care.LOL.
I don't know how big Mitzi is but I would wait til she is at least 2 lbs, that was what my vet told me.

My vet does not believe in "routine" neutering (this word applies to both sexes) of pets. It is major surgery and effects the long term health of the animal and should not be taken lightly or done simply because a dog will not be bred. There are many arguments for and many against and it is really up to the individual pet owner to decide what is in the best interests of their dog.

Although the current "popular" view is to neuter because of the pet over population problem, I think with little indoor yorkies most owners can be responsible enough to prevent unwanted pregnancies w/o resorting to this painful and elective surgery.

As for the argument that dogs will not have as many health risks if they are neutered, my vet has done the research and doesn't buy it. In fact, there are studies that show that there are some cancers like prostate and bladder that neutered dogs get more often than intact dogs.

There is also an increased incidence of incontinence in females who are neutered. Of course male dogs cannot get testicular cancer if they are neutered but this disease is very rare in dogs, and when it does occur, neutering at that time is a 100% cure in most cases. Why do the surgery "just in case" when it is so rare.

There is plenty of evidence that the reproductive hormones serve important purposes all over the body and for the entire life of the animal. The vets in other countries like Spain are more progressive than ours and do a less invasive procedure like a tubal ligation to prevent pregnancy but leave the animal with it's necessary and God given organs.


There are many many threads on here that address this important issue and give citations to articles on both sides for the members here to be able ot do their own research and decide what is right for their baby. Here is a recent one to get you started.http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sho...ly+spay+neuter

Good luck and feel free to PM me if you need more links to other good info. :)

If I weren't going to breed then I would certainly spay and have done that on several occasions. I think in the long run it is better for the dog to have this done. But read up on info and see what you think is best.

I think it is a health issue and it improves temperment. My female was spayed and she did just fine with it. I am glad she doesnt have to go through heats.

I spay/nuter. My English Bulldog is spayed and Frogknot will be nutered when he gets old enough. I do it because it's healthier for the muggs and I don't have any intention of showing or breeding. I'll leave that to those who know what they are doing!!! I don't have a clue! lol

If you do decide that you would like to render your dog incapable of reproducing at least discuss the alternative procedures with your vet. Tubal ligation is much less invasive as is simply removing the uterus which is what they do in many other countries like Spain where it is believed that the reproductive hormones are necessary for a healthy life for the animal.

There is also a new less invasive laprascopic procedure as well as a laser procedure which are both easier on the dog.

You may still decide to do the full blown spay but at least you have then explored all options. :)

JMO...if I were to have a dog that I was not breeding, I'd have it spayed/neutered.

That is soooo funny.....and oh so true!!!

I still haven't had Mojo neutered yet.....I have done research, searched all those posted here, talk to vets, etc. I feel that it is up to you and what you think is best for your little one. Have you "searched" here on YT for past threads on the topic?

There are so many Yorkies (yes, I can't believe it) that need to be rescued, etc. And I have heard it helps with so many things (temperment, health, etc). I would say do it.......if that is what you want.

If it were me, I would have her spayed if I had no intention on breeding her.

(There are both negative and positive aspects of both having and not having the procedure done. I do encourage you to listen to the advice here, but do your own research and talk with your vet...I would think that you and your vet would know what is best more so than anyone else. :thumbup: )

Good luck! :)

SoCalyorkiLvr~ Kudos for posting an alternate view here! I think exploring all your options is definitely a great thing to do when it involves the health and happiness of a living being that you are in custody of. Especially with a procedure that is basically a full hysterectomy for your pet.

If i were not planning on breeding then i would spay or nuter (dont know if i spelled nuter correctly)my dog