You have a beautiful English Springer spaniel puppy, and you are thinking about everything you can do to keep her comfortable and as healthy as possible. Are you wondering about spaying and if your English Springer spaniel needs it?
An English Springer spaniel female needs to be spayed anytime between nine months and a year. Spaying your female dog too early - before the reproductive hormones do their job in helping with growth and can – cause problems. Spaying has more benefits than drawbacks.
Many people recommend you castrate your dog because of all the benefits, and others contradict these statements to say that it is not beneficial, so you should not do it.
At What Age Should You Spay English Springer Spaniels?
There are many terminologies for this sort of thing in animals, so let’s get it out of the way.
Spaying refers to vets’ primary surgery on female dogs to remove the uterus and fallopian tubes. The vet makes a small incision under the belly and the female is placed under anesthetics.
Neutering is when the vet performs a surgery that removes a male dog’s testis under anesthetics. Other terms that can refer to either female or male surgeries are desexing or castrating. Some use the term “fixed,” but this might imply that there was something wrong with the dog in the first place, which is not the case.
A study showed results about the age of English Springer spaniels and spaying at different ages. Still, the institution did the study over 11 years and did not use many English Springer spaniels, making the results unreliable. There was no clear evidence that spaying caused specific problems at different ages.
When you should spay your female English Springer spaniel is very important, and the guideline of 9 months to 12 months is pretty vast. Some serious things to consider before you spay your dog because spaying too early has consequences.
The reproductive hormones are responsible for increasing bone density and joint strength and help the organs to develop optimally. Some dogs tend to develop hip and elbow dysplasia, and the English Springer spaniel is one of those. Thus, it is of utmost importance to give the hormones time to do their job before removing them.
For this reason, you should instead leave your English Springer spaniel intact until she is fully grown. This way, it will ensure that all her organs, muscles, ligaments, and joints developed successfully, and removing the reproductive organs at that stage would be safe.
The age for spaying your English Springer spaniel will thus be between 42 weeks (9 months) and 55 weeks (13 months). The latter might be a safer option, as, by nine months, a female is 95% fully grown and not yet there.
Your dog might grow a little faster than others and reach adulthood early. A female English Springer spaniel should be 18 to 20 inches tall and between 40 and 50 pounds. The best food will make a big difference, so invest in your puppy’s life and buy the pricier, more nutritious food.
Spaying At The Wrong Time Have Consequences
The time of spaying a female English Springer spaniel is crucial. Many times would be the wrong times and knowing what can happen might lead to you being more conscious about the timing.
Spaying Too Early: Genital Sizes
Spaying your English Springer spaniel too early can lead to the size and shape of their genitals forming irregular, usually too small. The vulva grows inward and not outward as expected and causes infections that need treatment regularly.
Spaying Too Early: Incontinence
Incontinence is embarrassing to your dog and inconvenient for you as the owner. If you spay your English Springer spaniel too early, it may be before her urinary tract develops fully. 20% of dogs spayed too early struggles with incontinence – cannot hold their bladder, or it drips everywhere.
Spaying Too Early: Uneven Bone Growth
The reproductive hormones play a significant role in the development of the bones and making them strong. If these hormones get removed prematurely it will lead to ligaments and bones growing unevenly, resulting in a greater probability of hip and elbow dysplasia.
The Pros Of Spaying English Springer Spaniels
Most people are for spaying your female English Springer spaniel for obvious benefits and even some uncommon reasons. Overall, the pros outweigh the cons.
Spaying Prevents Breast Cancer And Uterus Infection
Spaying your female English Springer spaniel will decrease the probability of her getting breast cancer. It doesn’t guarantee that the spaniel is breast cancer-free but minimizes her chances.
Pyometra infection in the uterus is severe and will lead to an emergency spay. It is prevalent with intact dogs and can even lead to death. Spaying your dog will prevent them from getting Pyometra as the vet removes the uterus when spaying the female.
Spaying Prevents False Pregnancies
False pregnancies happen a while after a heat period, where the female English Springer spaniel believes she is pregnant, although she is not. She goes through many emotions and hormones that are not good for her health and can sometimes cause infections.
Spaying Prevents Pregnancies
People give up many puppies for adoption or adult dogs they do not want anymore. A puppy is cute, and everyone wants one, but these puppies grow up and become big dogs, and most people feel they are a burden.
You might think it a good idea to let your female spaniel have a litter of puppies before you spay her, but it is unnecessary. It is hard work to be a breeder, and you will have to know the genetics of your dogs and be able to show papers to clients asking for it.
Spaying Prevents Heat Periods
The best part of spaying is that you will eliminate heat periods. Heat periods are unwelcoming and sometimes irritating for you and your neighbors. The female walks around with bloody discharge, swollen genitals, and a funny smell. You will have to keep her from males, which could be very inconvenient for any owner.
With no heat periods, females tend to be more obedient dogs, as they are not led by their emotions and hormones, but instead their personality and what they like and who they love – their owners.
Conclusion
Spaying is not a bad idea; you won’t be a bad “pet parent” to think about spaying your female. You are considerate to give your female a longer, happier life and save more homeless dogs. Be sure to spay your dog at the correct time and not too early. If unsure, talk to your vet or wait a little longer before you spay her.
