How young is too young to spay & neuter?

[JustaLilBitaLuck]

What age do you feel is appropriate to spay and neuter dogs and cats?

Personally, I would prefer to leave any animal intact until they were fully grown. However, most of the rescues here spay and neuter puppies and kittens between 8-12 weeks, since they can't adopt out intact animals and puppies/kittens are more adoptable than adults.

Do you think that age is too young?

*I just had a discussion with a customer about this, so I'm looking for additional opinions!*

[Fran101]

for responsible people? I would wait until the animal is full grown.. I usually wait until around age 3 IF AT ALL. For males, I usually wouldn't neuter at all. For females? I would wait until 3 personally, I am not in the position to deal with heats (too many dogs in the area, and just..ick lol)

For shelters/rescues?.. before that animal goes to a home, wether it's 8 weeks or 10 years. I hate to say I don't trust people but I don't trust people lol and shetlers/rescues do TOO MUCH for over population to take the risk of even a well meaning person to have an oops litter

Too young IMO is 6 weeks. But that goes hand in hand with animals shouldn't be adopted out that young anyway so the point is moot lol
I have seen TINY TINY animals go through the surgery just fine.. but IMO it shouldn't be done until they are ready for adoption.

[Picklepaige]

Originally Posted by Fran101

for responsible people? I would wait until the animal is full grown.. I usually wait until around age 3 IF AT ALL. For males, I usually wouldn't neuter at all. For females? I would wait until 3 personally, I am not in the position to deal with heats (too many dogs in the area, and just..ick lol)

For shelters/rescues?.. before that animal goes to a home, wether it's 8 weeks or 10 years. I hate to say I don't trust people but I don't trust people lol and shetlers/rescues do TOO MUCH for over population to take the risk of even a well meaning person to have an oops litter

Too young IMO is 6 weeks. But that goes hand in hand with animals shouldn't be adopted out that young anyway so the point is moot lol
I have seen TINY TINY animals go through the surgery just fine.. but IMO it shouldn't be done until they are ready for adoption.

This

The local shelter spays/neuters at 2 pounds/8 weeks. Would I do that to a puppy I got from a source other than a shelter/rescue? No. Do I support the shelter's choice? Yes.

[Kat09Tails]

There are a million answers to this - none of which is 100% right.

I tend to think of this as a question of what is best and who is it best for?

Personally I think coming out of rescues at 8 weeks or 18 years the animal needs to be sterile. For most pet owners I think pets should be sterilized.

For hobby breeders, responsible owners, etc - I think a question of when or if should be left up to their personal experience. I know for my own puppies I prefer male papillons be neutered before 3 months. Why? Nothing to do with health and everything to do with the #1 reason papillons get returned or sent to rescue is house soiling which is easier prevented than cured. It's no accident that most breeder's males wear belly bands or live in a kennel .

[joce]

Kittens - as young as can be. I've said it before cut them off with toe nail clippers(only slightly kidding) as long as they can't reproduce.

For rescues puppies are what go and you can't really count people will bring them back so they need altered early. I have no issue with eight weeks.

For me not until they are fully mature if ever. I have never had an oops litter and have always had intact dogs. But I see we're a lot of people can not handle it.

[BostonBanker]

For shelters/rescues?.. before that animal goes to a home, wether it's 8 weeks or 10 years. I hate to say I don't trust people but I don't trust people lol and shetlers/rescues do TOO MUCH for over population to take the risk of even a well meaning person to have an oops litter

This. I will never, never judge a rescue for neutering their dogs before they are adopted out.

For personally owned dogs? I also don't think there is An Answer. For some people, it may be quite young. For some people, it may be never. I had my male done at 10/11 months, and I've had people give me grief for doing it both too soon and too late. You'll never win, no matter what you decide.

[thehoundgirl]

I think it depends on personal preference. My dog, Dixie was spayed at 9 weeks before I brought her home from the shelter I worked at. I really didn't think it was too young, actually because I have seen many young dogs and puppies spayed and neutered young at spay and neuter clinics I volunteered at. And they did fine. She did fine as well. No effects from it.

Kittens, well around here they have to be a certain weight and I usually don't feel totally comfortable having a totally small kitten spayed or neutered. I have seen some die from being fixed so young. We usually wait until 12 weeks if we can if they are small to make sure they are healthy at the shelter before sending them to be fixed at the vet.

When we got Angel, not from a shelter I wasn't in a hurry to spay her as she was tiny as a kitten at 7 weeks when we got her! I only wanted her done before 6 months as they come into heat then and I did not want to deal with a cat in heat... I had her spayed at 3-4 months and she did fine.

Again, I think it depends on personal preference. If a responsible owner can keep their dog from having an "oops" litter then I see no problem with it. But I won't own an intact dog, unless there is a medical issue or I am showing the dog. But, I think the general public should spay and neuter their pets because they are the least responsible.

I have no problem with shelters/rescues spaying and neutering puppies and kittens so young as long as the puppy or kitten is healthy enough. I completely support it as I worked at the shelter for 6 years and volunteered at many spay and neuter clinics.

[elegy]

I agree with shelters speutering tiny babies, though I don't think that it is in the best interest of the pet. Shelters have to practice herd medicine. It's not about the individual. I don't like it, but I don't see any way around it.

[JessLough]

For myself personally? I see no reason to spay/neuter unless the animal gives me a real reason.

However, I know that that's not for everybody, and would much rather them speuter their pet young than have an oops litter.

[Emily]

For me? If they're still breathing, they're too young.

For shelters? I dunno, I don't really blame them for wanting all the animals sterilized before they leave, but I think it would be enormously beneficial for the very young animals to explore things like partial spays and vasectomies. Of course, that would mean a vet would have to be willing to do those things!

For the general public... yeah, like I said, I wish more vets would do sterilizations that preserve normal hormone function. I also think dogs would benefit enormously from being left intact until at least 18-24 mo. It's painfully obvious to me at work which dogs were intact until adulthood and which ones weren't. I wish every dog got that advantage.