[zsazsasmom]

No easy way to ask this, but how can you tell if your baby is in heat? I see no blood, but she is a little "puffy" down there. She is a yr and 3 months, is it too late to get her fixed, also has anyone had a problem with weight gain after? Are they still pretty much the same?

 

[LexiAndNikkisMom]

You can have a dog spayed or neutured at almost any age. It is a myth about them gaining weight afterwards. I've never had a dog in heat so I can't help you with that. I'm sure someone here can or you can call your vet. If she is not in heat and you want to get her spayed I would make an appointment for ASAP. Once she goes into heat most vets will want to wait a few months befoer they do the spaying.

 

[NewMom328]

I've never had a dog in heat but I've been around a dog in heat before and she had a weird smell that came from her..like completely different than she usually smells

 

[dr.jaimie]

even if the dog did gain weight from a spay..i'd personally rather an overweight dog than one with mammary cancer. if you spay before the first heat it reduces the risk of mammary cancer by like 95% ..if u spay before the second heat it is only like 50%. if her vulva is swollen she is probably about to go into heat..i would call ur vet asap to see if they can spay her now.

 

[sassy's mommy]

It is a myth that spaying causes weight gain. Call your vet, you may still have time.

 

[miko's mommy]

Originally posted by LadyMontava@Oct 12 2005, 03:49 PM
even if the dog did gain weight from a spay..i'd personally rather an overweight dog than one with mammary cancer.
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I couldn't agree more!!!! And I bet dogs gain more weight from too many snacks and owners not taking them for walks than from being spayed/neutered. Sorry I just had to add this!

 

[hambys97]

I just wanted to say that I was also a little late getting Frosty spayed. She was almost 1 year old, but had not gone through a heat cycle yet. At the same time as her spaying she also had some baby teeth removed that had not even loosened. So, I'm not sure what caused her weight gain ( I didn't change her diet, still did the same if not more activities with her, etc.), but Frosty went from about 4 pounds to almost 5.5 pounds. No she is not overweight either. So I wonder if it was a late growth spurt?

 

[zsazsasmom]

Thanks for all your helpful info!

 

[jmm]

Most dog fill out and mature from 1-2 yrs of age. That is normal. Weight gain to being overweight is from eating too much, not from being spayed or neutered.

If her vulva is swelling, she is more than likely coming into season. You can do the daily tissue test - wipe her vulva with a white tissue - to pinpoint the first day she starts bleeding. Remember that she needs to be kept away from other dog and only taken out on a leash with you for 4 weeks once she is in season.

 

[saltymalty]

Originally posted by hambys97@Oct 12 2005, 09:58 PM
I just wanted to say that I was also a little late getting Frosty spayed.  She was almost 1 year old, but had not gone through a heat cycle yet.  At the same time as her spaying she also had some baby teeth removed that had not even loosened.  So, I'm not sure what caused her weight gain ( I didn't change her diet, still did the same if not more activities with her, etc.), but Frosty went from about 4 pounds to almost 5.5 pounds.  No she is not overweight either.  So I wonder if it was a late growth spurt?
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Could Frosty's weight gain have come from the removal of the teeth? Since the retained baby teeth were taken out at the same time, it is possible that they were bothering her especially when crunching her food. Maybe after her removal, she wasn't in so much pain and thus eating better? BTW, Frosty is such a cute name and it seems to suit her to a "T".

 

[carrie]