Breeder Contract - Can't fix for atleast 12 months

lmunsie · Jul 6, 2008

Hey everyone,

Anyone heard of a breeder contract where you cant spay/neuter your animal for atleast 12 months. I was at a doberman training session with my friend and most of the 1 year old animals are not fixed for this reason. Most people wait until 18 mo. Apparently it has something to do with them growing and developing properly.

Is this true for all pets? Most of mine have been fixed before 6 mo. I never thought about how this would affect their development.

white cat lover · Jul 6, 2008

Some people, breeders, vets, etc.....do not fix until 18 months so they are done growing.

I personally believe the sooner the better, no possibility for "whoops!".

sharky · Jul 6, 2008

Originally Posted by white cat lover

Some people, breeders, vets, etc.....do not fix until 18 months so they are done growing.

I personally believe the sooner the better, no possibility for "whoops!".

there are a few studies that show issues with early spay and neuter but the same number show the opposite

... I personally have a appt for my puppies spay for about her 6 month bday since the only vet here to do early is the one I do not trust ..

mom of 4 · Jul 6, 2008

Large and ex-large breed dogs aren't considered adults until approximately 18 months old. With better nutrition available than when I grew up, these dogs have to be watched so they don't grow too fast, causing orthopedic issues.
Another concern is that spaying/neutering causes removal of the sex hormones, which have an impact on closing off the growth plates of the bones. Remove the hormones and the bones grow bigger and longer than they would have naturally. That's the main theory behind delayed neutering and spaying.

We watch the food and spay at 6 months at my house. I have one OES with some genetic orthopedic problems and spaying made no difference.

lmunsie · Jul 6, 2008

so I guess it's more of a concern with large dogs and cats are fine? Better to go with the sooner the better so we don't have anymore unwanted kittens

white cat lover · Jul 6, 2008

I have 2 "large breed" dogs who were spayed at 6 months. No issues with them regarding growth issues as of yet & they are 4 & 5 years old.

nekochan · Jul 6, 2008

The breeder of our Maine Coon kitten gave us a document with care information when we reserved our kitten. It included this:

Your Maine Coon Male or Female should be neutered/spayed between 7-9 months of age. Do not do this any earlier or later! Spaying/neutering before they are 7 months old can stunt their growth and not allow them to realize full size potential. Any later than 9 months and spay/neuter becomes just a bit more risky and gets even riskier the older your cat gets. If your Vet does laser spay/neuter or you know of our hear of a reliable, caring Vet that does laser work, that is the best and safest for your cat.

One more item: if your Vet ever tells you your kitten should be spayed/neutered before 7 months of age, FIND ANOTHER VET. If your Vet says your cat is an inside cat and doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t have to be neutered, FIND ANOTHER VET. These are Maine Coons we are talking about, not an everyday house cat or stray. Trust us on this, if you neuter/spay as we suggest, you will have a healthy, happy Maine Coon who will reach their full size potential and you will be minimizing another health risk to them.

sakura · Jul 6, 2008

I've seen 6 months minimum for cats/dogs and that tends to be the people who don't believe in early spay/neuter.

I've also heard of 12 months minimum with gun dogs because of something to do with stunting growth. It had more to do with the dog hitting puberty before being neutered/spayed.

I don't really know, I'd rather they just be spayed/neutered as soon as possible.

forensic · Jul 6, 2008

Originally Posted by Nekochan

The breeder of our Maine Coon kitten gave us a document with care information when we reserved our kitten. It included this:

These are Maine Coons we are talking about, not an everyday house cat or stray.

Click to expand...

So those normal, everyday housecats... who cares about them? I am a touch confused here.

laureen227 · Jul 7, 2008

i can kinda see the point for late neutering, assuming that normal development for a particular breed has been shown to benefit...
that said - unless you're planning on showing, it wouldn't be an issue - except if early neutering would cause health problems [like the aforementioned growth issue],

missymotus · Jul 7, 2008

Originally Posted by Nekochan

Spaying/neutering before they are 7 months old can stunt their growth and not allow them to realize full size potential

That is untrue, early neutered cats are bigger, taller and longer than those neutered later. The Winn Foundation did a study proving this.

nekochan · Jul 7, 2008

Originally Posted by Forensic

So those normal, everyday housecats... who cares about them? I am a touch confused here.

Yeah I found that a little odd too. The only thing I could figure is maybe they meant because Maine Coons have such a long growth period compared to other "everyday" cats.

meowers · Jul 7, 2008

My kittens breeder (she's a purebred Ocicat) told me to wait until 4 months old to get her spayed. When I adopted my other cat (a Manx mix)from the SPCA they had already spayed her when she weighed 2 pounds.

An animal (cats at least) have to weigh at least 2 pounds for safey reasons with the anesthesia to be fixed. Waiting a little longer is supposed to let them develop more fully. I would just follow your breeders guidlines as they know what their animals need, and not any other vets.

mulenag · Jul 7, 2008

Originally Posted by lmunsie

Hey everyone,

Anyone heard of a breeder contract where you cant spay/neuter your animal for atleast 12 months. I was at a doberman training session with my friend and most of the 1 year old animals are not fixed for this reason. Most people wait until 18 mo. Apparently it has something to do with them growing and developing properly.

Is this true for all pets? Most of mine have been fixed before 6 mo. I never thought about how this would affect their development.

Many reputable breeders of large or giant breed dogs recommend waiting...that is if the owner is responsible enough to handle an intact dog. I have a Newfoundland that didn't come from a reputable breeder and we spayed her too young. She is very fine-boned and tall. We saw her parents and they didn't look this way, so I definitely contribute this to the early spay.
Maybe it is different in smaller breeds, but I know for giant breeds the benefits of waiting outweigh the risks, IMO.

artgecko · Jul 7, 2008

I have heard of some "breeders" (namely I've seen a website of a not-so-reputable doberman-mill and a website of a reputable boxer breeder) that reccomend waiting until the dog is at least 12 months old....So that not only will they reach their full size and fill out, but also so that they will have the "proper" temperment...This, I think, is supposedly important for "working" dogs, (i.e. those that will be expected to be guard or protection dogs).

I have heard about it on a large dog forum as well...they rec. waiting for giant breeds because of the growth plates.

Artgecko

Breeder Contract - Can't fix for atleast 12 months

lmunsie

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white cat lover

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sharky

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mom of 4

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lmunsie

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white cat lover

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nekochan

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sakura

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forensic

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laureen227

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missymotus

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nekochan

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meowers

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