[k/c mom]

Originally posted by Puddles Mom@Oct 16 2004, 09:21 PM
I have noticed that many of you have your fur balls neutered.  I am not an expert about this kind of stuff and confused a little. 

  Was not raised around puppies or dogs, so you guys are teaching me lots on here.

A few questions.......
Why are you having it done? 
Are you not interested in breeding them?
Are you doing it for health reasons?
Whats the best age?
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Hi Puddles Mom, To answer your questions..... It has become fairly routine for "responsible" pet owners to have them spayed or neutered before maturity, before "accidental" breeding happens. For females, if they are spayed before the first heat there is a significant drop in the potential for breast and ovarian cancer. For males, when neutered they generally don't develop bad habits such as "marking" and they are better pets because they are not interested in roaming or looking for a mate. My research indicates that the best age for both is about 6 months, although anytime after that is fine and better than not at all.

Regarding breeding.... the generally accepted opinion is that breeding should be done only to improve the breed and only between two dogs who meet the breed standard. Most of us have "pet quality" dogs that deviate in one way or another from the breed standard and it would not be considered "politically correct" to breed them.

Hope this helps!

 

[k/c mom]

Originally posted by LadyMontava@Oct 17 2004, 01:39 PM
yeah i think it depends on the vet...all of ours went home the same day.
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Mine, too. Catcher was quite alert when I picked him up. Puddles Mom.. don't worry... if they do the surgery in the morning and you pick him up in the afternoon, it should be fine. He should be standing and alert before they release him. I was glad to have Catcher home where I could give him TLC rather than him being in a cage alone at the vet. There is no one there after 10:00 pm so it seemed better for him to be here where I could watch him.