 Dr. Sandy Fink DVM, West Orange Veterinary Clinic
Spaying and Neutering of Puppies
The safety of de-sexing puppies at 8 weeks of age is well established in the U.S., with thousands of surgeries performed over the past 10 years. In the past, it was believed that a female should have one heat cycle and a male should go through puberty before neutering, to prevent arrested growth and development. Many research studies have proven that spaying and neutering at 6 months of age or younger prevents infections and cancer of the breasts, ovaries, uterus, prostate, and testes with no adverse effects on bone growth, body size, and urinary continence. Recent, long-term studies of young puppies neutered in shelters continue to find no difference between pets that have the surgery at 2 months versus 6 months of age.
Some veterinarians are uncomfortable performing anesthesia in pediatric patients; however, modern anesthetic techniques are extremely safe when performed correctly. Our experienced veterinarians will spay and neuter your puppy before you take him/her home. The incision will be very small and young puppies recover rapidly, rarely experiencing any pain afterwards.
The most important benefit of early spaying and neutering is the prevention of indiscriminate or accidental breeding. Many breeds of dogs have been “ruined” by inexperienced breeders, resulting in serious health and behavioral issues. Selection of Labradoodles for breeding requires extensive (and expensive) testing for hereditary and genetic problems as well as an understanding of breed specific traits in order to continue producing the superior quality Labradoodles we have now.
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