♠ Could really use some advice: Making the Big Decision
Posted: March 16, 2012 Filed under: March 2012 | Tags: big decision, help, neutering, sterilization 2 Comments▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Time is ticking, Popcorn is turning 7 months in a week’s time which means this is a crucial period to decide if Poppy should go through with the sterilization procedure.
What are your thoughts? Did your fur kids go through with it?
My two main concerns:
(1) I’m worried about the health risks involved throughout the recovery period (e.g. infection)
(2) The breeder said toy dogs could die on the table (o.o!)
…. yet a part of me wishes to see baby Popcorns running around the house.
What should i do? Time is running out! Most veterinarians say it is best to perform the procedure before female dogs go through their first period.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Some links discussing the pros and cons of sterilization:
http://www.spca.org.sg/sterilise.html
http://www.vetwest.com.au/benefits-of-desexing-sterilisation
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/pros-and-cons-of-spaying-and-neutering-in-dogs/page1.aspx
http://yourownvet.com/?tag=animal-health-sterilizing-pets (Upsetting photos in this website)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Things running through my mind:
I’m concerned that the decision to not sterilize my pet seems to relate to health issues in the future. Do i really want to risk Popcorn’s health for the chance to have Popcorn babies? As for mating.. would we be able to find a suitable mate for Poppy, and provide her with the opportunity to mate at least twice yearly? And would mommy even accept Popcorn babies… Also lastly, my biggest concern. Would something terrible happen to Popcorn on the operating table?
I would love to hear your thoughts about this. :) It would really help. Thanks abundance :) ♥
popcorn 
I understand your concerns – I had some of the same concerns when Daisy reached her first heat and decision time was at hand. But we have no intention of breeding Daisy, so that wasn’t in question. However, when we’d take her to public places, male dogs were catching her scent and instead of wanting to play, they got aggressive and wanted to mate. It was a little scary because she’s such a little thing. So we had to keep her inside. We were worried about all the surgery risks, but in the end we decided to get her spayed because we know we have an excellent vet and trusted him. Daisy isn’t a toy breed, though, so that wasn’t an issue. But she is small – 15 pounds – and she did experience healing pain. I sat with her for a few days and helped her through it. If you decide to get Poppy spayed, just make sure you have a really good vet because cut-rate vets, who run those corporate chain veterinary clinics like Four Paws, don’t always do good jobs and sometimes let interns do unsupervised surgeries. Daisy came through just fine, so it was the right choice for us.
Good luck and let us know your decision!
Hi! Personally I would not spay a female until she is at least 2 years old, unless there is a serious health problem that will be corrected with the spay. I think that would be like removing the reproductive organs of a twelve year old girl. As a body physically matures there are different periods when growth hormones are needed for proper physical and emotional maturity. The responsible breeders I work with and know would not breed any dog without all the health clearances, these don’t happen until the dog is 2 years old. The next female I have will probably not be spayed at all, and I have no intentions of breeding. Since you are a responsible caretaker, I don’t think there would be an opportunity for Popcorn to have puppies before you know that the time is right. :)
Good luck!!