[Erin129]

I have heard that if you spay a female before her first heat, then she will get spay incontinence. How true is this? Seems like a myth and something that just probably happens, regardless of spaying. I want to do the right thing.... any suggestions? My vet says spay before first heat, but a friend of mine insists all the spayed lab females she knows has this problem. HELP!

 

[imported_Top Of The Hill]

I don't know the statistics on this but it certainly doesn't happen everytime you spay a dog before their first heat. My first Lab was spayed at 6 months (pre-heat) and never had a problem with incontinence at any point in her life.....14 years. Same goes for our other female that we had spayed at 6 months. There are arguments on both sides of this issue as to what's best....for various reasons. I'm sure others will post opinions. What does your vet say about the incontinence issue?

Edited to add "Welcome to JL." I just noticed that this was your first post.

 

[imported_gabbys mom]

I'm not sure what you mean by spay incontinence. I spayed my girl before her first heat- and she had a couple of accidents after the spay, but I think that was the painkillers and the trauma of surgery.

Our last girl (our setter, not a lab) was spayed before her first heat, and she was fine until her kidneys started failing at age 12.

I would guess that it's a big myth.

 

[Labsrme]

Spay incontinence due to early spaying is not a myth. It's true that not every female that is spayed before a heat gets incontinence - however, the numbers are surprisingly high, about 30% if I'm remembering correctly. Of course, the earlier the spay is done the higher the chances of a problem with this. The ideal thing would be to have a spay done shortly before a first heat - this would give the dog's urinary system a chance to mature but without the hassle of going through a heat. Obviously, it is really hard to know when a dog's first heat will occur. My last three girls came into heat the first time at 7 months, 12 months, and 17 months.

 

[cinderbay]

Every dog I have owned in my life has been spayed at 6 months (until my recent Lab) never an issue.

 

[labby]

Kim, though don't you wonder if spaying Cinder early might have caused her thyroid problems?

 

[cinderbay]

I don't know that I have enough evidence to support that, but spaying has never effected any of my dogs urinary issues.
I know what the statisics and studies have to say about it, I am just stating I have never had that as an issue.

 

[labby]

Sure makes me wonder though.

 

[georgie]

I have heard that also. My first lab was spayed at 6 months & Molly was too. We never had any issues with spay incontinence. With Abby, we waited until after her first heat. But she is smaller & we wanted her to be closer to maturity before spaying her.

 

[imported_oakley]

Oakley was having issues with incontinence before her spay.
She has a weak sphincter(sp?). She was spayed at 5.5 mths, they were
checking to see if there were any reasons for her incontinence.

 

[Canyon Labradors]

I don't think it's a done deal that if you spay early, it WILL happen. Just like if you don't spay early, your dog WILL get mammary cancer.

 

[Dawson Creek Girl]

Rowan was done last week just short of 9 months and she didn't have any difficulty immediately proceeding the procdedure. FIngers crossed that it continues.

 

[HersheysMommy]

My Hershey was spayed early, at 4 months, due to an "innie" vulva that was causing recurring UTIs. She is almost 6 now and has suffered from incontinence for about a year.

 

[BigBrownDog]

My Hershey was spayed early, at 4 months, due to an "innie" vulva that was causing recurring UTIs. She is almost 6 now and has suffered from incontinence for about a year.

First - welcome to the board. Second - we would all appreciate it you could start new threads when you want to post on a topic - dredging up very old threads is not a popular choice. Third - having a recessed vulva calls for WAITING to maturity to spay - not spaying early. Your vet is incorrect.

 

[javasmom]

First - welcome to the board. Second - we would all appreciate it you could start new threads when you want to post on a topic - dredging up very old threads is not a popular choice. Third - having a recessed vulva calls for WAITING to maturity to spay - not spaying early. Your vet is incorrect.

Yep...Java had an RV, but we didn't now it. She was spayed at 6 months old and will now have an RV forever and be on cran caps forever to reduce the chances of a UTI.
Moka also had a recessed vulva. She went through 2 heats and it corrected itself.
By spaying early, with an RV, your dog will now have a recessed vulva forever. Spaying before heat takes away the chance of the RV correcting itself.

 

[LuvBrown]

My Hershey was spayed early, at 4 months, due to an "innie" vulva that was causing recurring UTIs. She is almost 6 now and has suffered from incontinence for about a year.

First off, you may want to consider starting a new post vs. resurrecting one that's 4 years old. BUT FYI for the future, with an innie vulva you DO NOT spay early. You let them have one heat cycle so that growth and organ development and hormones make the vulva POP out and thus not be an innie anymore. The worst thing to do for an innie is to spay early, it's like giving the dog a free "front of the line" pass to having more UTI's and incontinence issues. I had a friend who made the mistake and ended up having to put the dog through a vulvaplasty several years after spaying. NOT FUN!!!!

 

[HersheysMommy]

Sorry, didnt realize the post was old, nor do i know how to start a new thread...Ill learn. She is 6 now so I cant change anything now but thanks for the info.