# Spaying & Growth question



## gen1runner (Nov 2, 2009)

I just took Grace to the Vet for her continued puppy shots and the Vet wanted to set up an appointment for her to be spayed. Grace is currently 5 months and 1 week old, she weighed in at 44 lbs and is about 21" tall and about 26-27" long but she still seems small and looks to still have a bit of growing to go. The vet said that this maybe as big as she will get!! and that she may grow more but usually after spaying they will grow even slower.

Just wanted to find out if anyone else had a experience with spaying affecting growth?

Ive been reading on everyones pups at 5-6 months and Grace seems to be on an average pace to be about 60lbs range and her height seems to be average also with others here. The way they vet talked this was "it" for her growth!and that I should go ahead and get her spayed. I would rather wait on the spaying and let her go through her first year or so if the spaying will affect her growth.


Also this was not my usual vet,she was a replacement for mine that had called in sick.


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

*Re: Spaying & Growth question*

Statistically, dogs that are spayed before puberty can end up being about half an inch_ taller _than dogs that are spayed afterward, but not always. It doesn't stunt or slow their growth anyway, so she's wrong about that. However, the real issue is that a GSD at 5 months is NOT full grown!







My guess is that the vet was unaware that the larger the breed of dog, the longer it takes them to reach full size. A toy breed dog is near his or her adult height at 6 months or so but a giant breed dog can still be growing at 2 years. Sounds like you've got a nice pup there! Don't let the vet stress you out.


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## HeidiW (Apr 9, 2009)

Hi Ryan, I have had many female GSDs and had them all spayed at 7 months old, I think 5 months is to young, other people on here believe you should wait till after the first heat, I have never done that. I think 7 month is a good age. All my females grew to be the average standard height and weight as adults. They all were around 75 pounds. I have my vet records for Bella and at 5 months she weighed 50 pounds and last time she was at the vet she weighed 72 pounds back in June at 14 months. Your Grace will still grow, I think their height grows till around 7 or 8 months old then slows down.


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## Doc (Jan 13, 2009)

A recent study on rotties indicate a higher risk of certain cancers in female dogs if they are spayed "early". I would wait until the dog had two or three heat cycles. or after her 2nd year. JMO


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## HTS (Feb 1, 2009)

http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

*Re: Spaying & Growth question*

To the OP - please search the archives and check the primary literature (read the actual studies - not people's interpretations of them) if you're thinking about waiting after a heat or two to spay. There is a lot of debate about this issue as well as a lot of misinformation. The article above is a good example - it uses false citations and makes bogus claims but a lot of people don't know and it gets posted here a lot. It is NOT a good basis for a decision either way.

There's a better review of the issues that Laura Sanborn did. She's not a pro spay/neuter person in general but even she concludes that for female dogs the risks of spaying early are probably less than the risks of waiting.


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## Doc (Jan 13, 2009)

Altering male or female animals should be done later in their life than early. As the horse people. I am sure you can find all sorts of references for both sides of the debate. Ask the folks who followed the advice of early spaying when they are battling incontinence in their older dogs. Or being told their dog has a cancer that may stem from being altered too soon. Be sure you make it a point to read both sides and to weigh the risks.


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

*Re: Spaying & Growth question*



> Originally Posted By: Ryan Just wanted to find out if anyone else had a experience with spaying affecting growth?


Mandalay was about 5 months when she was spayed. I had just had the baby and we were going on vaca to take her to visit my DHs family in FL and I was boarding Mandi with a woman that kept the dogs in her home and I did not want her to go into heat while she was there and have an "accident" and the lady preferred that she be spayed anyway, so I did it.

I would say that it definitely did NOT make her smaller. She will be 2 January 29th and she is 80 lbs and 26.5".


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

> Quote:Ask the folks who followed the advice of early spaying when they are battling incontinence in their older dogs. Or being told their dog has a cancer that may stem from being altered too soon.


Or you could ask the people who are battling/have lost dogs to cancer that the dogs got because they _waited_ to spay! It's hardly a clear cut issue, especially not when it comes to cancer risk. 


> Quote: Be sure you make it a point to read both sides and to weigh the risks.










And make sure you're reading the primary literature - the actual studies - not other people's interpretations. 

But if the question is just "will spaying now make my dog smaller?" the answer is no.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

the evidence on mammary cancer is compelling enough, imo, that if one is not going to wait until the dog is done growing, then it should absolutely be done before the first heat.


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## gen1runner (Nov 2, 2009)

*Re: Spaying & Growth question*

Thanks all for the replies! Looks like I got a bit of reading to do. I guess I was just worried that if Gracie was already on the smaller size spaying her early would prevent her from full size. But if its only a matter of a 1/2" and a few pounds seems spaying early wouldnt be a bad thing but now there are cancer issues to consider,which I didnt know about!

Guess I was just overeacting b/c the way the vet came off was that Gracie probably wouldnt gain 15-20 lbs in a month and at 6 months that would be her full size and spaying would also hinder the growth.


Really glad I found this site there is alot of info here and from your replies and reading the growth posts,I learned that my Gracie is pretty much right where she needs to be and that the vet is clueless on the size development of GSD's. Maybe shes on the lower end of the average but still average size which is fine by me.

Now I have some more reading and decision making to consider with the spaying. Thanks again for everyones help!!


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Ryan Guess I was just overeacting b/c the way the vet came off was that Gracie probably wouldnt gain 15-20 lbs in a month and at 6 months that would be her full size and spaying would also hinder the growth.


Did the vet really tell you that? That your GSD would stop growing at 6 months? WoW if he did. Mandalay just stopped growing in the last 6 months (at 18 months) and some (most maybe) finish growing even later than that! 6 months is still a baby.


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## gen1runner (Nov 2, 2009)

Yup pretty much, she said that most dogs skelaton are done growing at 6 months and that I shouldnt expect Gracie to get much bigger and that may just be her size


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

If I read correctly when I was reading this when Mandalay was a wee pup, I think their insides are all but done growing at 6 months, but the outside will grow and mature until 18-24 months. As I said before, maybe even longer.

Can anyone else verify that?


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## StGeorgeK9 (Jan 5, 2008)

Ava continue to grow well into year two, she was spayed at 8 mos. I think that may be true of smaller breeds, but not GSD's. They grow for several years, well at least continue to fill out. Ava gained at lease an 1.5 inches in her second year.....not a lot I guess, but the difference is noticeable.


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## amy1990 (Apr 23, 2015)

we are getting a female pup we are thinking we may let her go through one heat cycle then get her fixed. I don't want to hinder her growing. I read generally a female dog goes into heat at around 6 months. We also may want to wait till she's 1 year of age. 1 year old is the limit and we are 100% getting her fixed. What age did you get your girl fixed? What do you guys think? There is so much information out there I just want to do whats best for the dog! Now I'm reading about cancers ahh!


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## Cobe914 (Sep 29, 2014)

I've been told by a few vets that a general rule of thumb is 6 months = 75% adult height. Cobe broke this rule... He hit his biggest growth spurt at 8.5 months old. He went from 46 pounds at 8 months to 65 at 9.5 months. He stayed there until 14 months when he decided to climb another 10 pounds over a couple of months. 
Here I thought I was going to have a mini Dutchie.

A website I like to look at is Mercola Pets, for those asking for articles/information. Karen Becker, I believe is the holistic vet there.


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## bsesender (Oct 10, 2013)

HeidiW said:


> Hi Ryan, I have had many female GSDs and had them all spayed at 7 months old, I think 5 months is to young, other people on here believe you should wait till after the first heat, I have never done that. I think 7 month is a good age. All my females grew to be the average standard height and weight as adults. They all were around 75 pounds. I have my vet records for Bella and at 5 months she weighed 50 pounds and last time she was at the vet she weighed 72 pounds back in June at 14 months. Your Grace will still grow, I think their height grows till around 7 or 8 months old then slows down.


i understand that your females ended up at the average weight, would you say that they also had average head and chest or were they narrower?


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## bsesender (Oct 10, 2013)

Mandalay said:


> Mandalay was about 5 months when she was spayed. I had just had the baby and we were going on vaca to take her to visit my DHs family in FL and I was boarding Mandi with a woman that kept the dogs in her home and I did not want her to go into heat while she was there and have an "accident" and the lady preferred that she be spayed anyway, so I did it.
> 
> I would say that it definitely did NOT make her smaller. She will be 2 January 29th and she is 80 lbs and 26.5".


was her head and chest more narrow, or normal as well?


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## scarfish (Apr 9, 2013)

bsesender said:


> was her head and chest more narrow, or normal as well?


why are you quoting and conversing with 6 1/2 year old posts?


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