I'm afraid to get Rylee Spayed...........

[jnsdrexler02]

My Rylee is six months old and about 4.8 pounds. I know I need to have her spayed.....I have no intentions of breading her........but I'm afraid because she is SO small. I have had my other female dogs spayed in the past, but they were a lot bigger than Rylee. Can anyone share their "spaying" experience with me? Do I need to worry?

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by jnsdrexler02

My Rylee is six months old and about 4.8 pounds. I know I need to have her spayed.....I have no intentions of breading her........but I'm afraid because she is SO small. I have had my other female dogs spayed in the past, but they were a lot bigger than Rylee. Can anyone share their "spaying" experience with me? Do I need to worry?

She is not small. As a matter of fact my vet has more concern performing a spay on a larger girl. At six months your girl has not finished growing.

But, you might consider the alternatives: Unwanted pregnancy, mammary cancer, and Pyometritis.

[IsabelleOllie]

The smallest female I've ever had spayed was my 13lb Schipperke. Oliver, my shih tzu, was 5 months and 7lbs on the day he was neutered and he was just fine. (Of course, I was a wreck )

I've had a 4 month old 3lb female cat spayed also. She did wonderfully, too.

It's harder on us than it is on them. That said, Belle will be 6 months old on Sunday and can't be more than 4lb 8oz and I'm afraid to have her spayed, too.

[cathys]

She's not small she's just right. My Sofia was only 2.5 lbs and she did great. Find a vet that you trust and go for it, it's for your babies safety.

[gracielove]

Your dog may be small compared to some breeds, however, your vet spays kittens that are much smaller than your dog. I felt the same as you about my little girl until I realized how small the kittens are that they spay on a regular basis. I once owned a very small Maltese little girl. I didn't get her spayed before her first heat. She contracted a uterine infection during that heat and became very ill. She was hospitalized for 3 days. This type of thing is not common but I won't take the chance again.

[FlDebra]

I'm sure she will do just fine -- she is an average sized yorkie and they are spayed all the time, even much smaller. Just make sure you have a vet experienced with small dogs and that you trust. I do understand how you feel though! I have finally scheduled my little Annie for her spay surgery. I am overdue but I too, was feeling the dread of a tiny girl going under anesthesia. Logic tells me that there is much more danger in NOT doing it than there is in just getting it done and over with. But my heart would break when I looked at her and thought of surgery. She is just such a baby. But it is high time I do the responsible thing that I recommend for others and take care of my pup! I had to wait til next month as the doctor I want to do it was a combo of booked & out of town for April. But my 3 pound gal will be spayed in early May. Worth the short wait for me to get the vet I trust the most -- he barely leaves a scar and all the dogs I know of going with him have had such quick recoveries! That takes away a lot of the worry. I'll pray for your little girl and maybe you can send some up for Annie next month.

[kjc]

Age is more important than size.

You don't want to spay before her hormones kick in. This causes growth plates to close, makes them lose their puppy behaviors and act more like an adult, and signals changes that need to occur in her development.

Spaying too early prevents these changes from happening.

IMHO, best age to spay is between 8-12 months.

[ArmaniMan]

Originally Posted by kjc

Age is more important than size.

You don't want to spay before her hormones kick in. This causes growth plates to close, makes them lose their puppy behaviors and act more like an adult, and signals changes that need to occur in her development.

Spaying too early prevents these changes from happening.

IMHO, best age to spay is between 8-12 months.

Agreed!

My chloe was 4.5 pounds when she was spayed and she was fine, she was about 11 months old.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by kjc

Age is more important than size.

You don't want to spay before her hormones kick in. This causes growth plates to close, makes them lose their puppy behaviors and act more like an adult, and signals changes that need to occur in her development.

Spaying too early prevents these changes from happening.

IMHO, best age to spay is between 8-12 months.

I think every dog is different as to when their growth plates close; age should be determined by the vet and owner after physical examination.

The real problem with spaying/nuetering before growth plates are closed is due inhibiting the proper hormones to be distributed to the body that would prevent the possibility of cancer.

[jennzy]

she's not small at all
however you probably might want to wait until she's a little older like closer to 8-10 months so you can also get her baby teeth pulled while she's under

[Tcarnagie]

I agree with some of the others. You should wait till she is a little older. Her size is not a problem if she was under 3 lbs then I would wait till she was bigger but 4 lbs is alright. I had a male neutered at 3 lbs and he did just fine. I had more problems then he did. LOL They really should give pain meds to the parents too.

[LuvTaycieGirl]

I was also scared to have Taycie spayed but the health risks not having her spayed were far to great IMO. There are so many homeless animals that need homes desperatly.

What helped eaised my concerns was a trusted vet and bloodwork. I think Bloodwork will ease your mind if you are concerned about the risks of anesthesia.

I also loved the vet office as well. They had a Tech assigned to Taycie through out the entire day. Someone to be there when she woke up and watch vitals ect. She recovered quickly and the vet did an excellent job.

[yorkietalkjilly]

I was a spay holdout for fear my little 3 lb. Jilly would die under anesthesia but as the risks to her health of not spaying were so great and the success rate of spaying so great, I had to back my ears and have it done. She stayed over night with the vet tech talking me through the night and a quick visit by me, came home sleepy the next day but ate, drank, peed/pooped quite normally and by the next morning, she seemed back to her old self. I gave her the prescribed pain medication to keep her as comfortable as possible and by the 4th po day, it was all as if nothing had happened except she had no more heats, no more bitches britches, pad changes, or near as many health risks, etc. She never really tried to bother her stitches except on 2 occasions and I just gathered her into my lap and she went to sleep instead of trying to keep licking. I was so relieve that she had had the procedure once it was over and I didn't have to worry about it all anymore, I really wished I had done it years before and just gotten it off my mind and her out of so much risk.

With a tiny dog of only 3 lbs., you really do worry but I'd tend to think a female almost 2 lbs. heavier should have even less chances of anesthesia problems, wouldn't you think? Of all the people I know who have Yorkies, none has had a problem with the spay. I think it is a very safe procedure now days.

[jnsdrexler02]

Originally Posted by FlDebra

I'm sure she will do just fine -- she is an average sized yorkie and they are spayed all the time, even much smaller. Just make sure you have a vet experienced with small dogs and that you trust. I do understand how you feel though! I have finally scheduled my little Annie for her spay surgery. I am overdue but I too, was feeling the dread of a tiny girl going under anesthesia. Logic tells me that there is much more danger in NOT doing it than there is in just getting it done and over with. But my heart would break when I looked at her and thought of surgery. She is just such a baby. But it is high time I do the responsible thing that I recommend for others and take care of my pup! I had to wait til next month as the doctor I want to do it was a combo of booked & out of town for April. But my 3 pound gal will be spayed in early May. Worth the short wait for me to get the vet I trust the most -- he barely leaves a scar and all the dogs I know of going with him have had such quick recoveries! That takes away a lot of the worry. I'll pray for your little girl and maybe you can send some up for Annie next month.

Thank you so much to all of you for your advice!!!! I feel much better now and I think I will make an appt. to have her spayed at about 8 months old. You have all been SUCH a big help! I'm so glad that I signed up for this website. I will FOR SURE send up a prayer for Annie..........when is she having it done by the way?