Late spay -I'm a bit worried

[paulaedwina]

I have a new-to-me beagle/bulldog bitch from the Berkeley County Humane Society. She’s a darling. She’s 5 years old, been tied out her entire life, and from the appearance of her teats, has whelped before (but it’s a guess). She came to me in heat so she won’t be spayed until next year.

Here’s the thing; I completely understand and appreciate the risk of pyometra in intact females. Odds are that it’s better to spay her now when she’s healthy rather than later when she’s sick from pyo.

My concern is what will change of her personality? I love this dog’s temperament. She’s an alpha bitch so she’s settled and calm (alphas are very cool, calm, and collected dogs). She takes everything in stride with confidence and calm. She’s met dogs, cats, chickens, adults, children and babies. She is empathetic -if I fake cry she’ll come to give me kisses.

How much of this is hormones and how much of this is sexual maturity? What will I lose when she no longer has hormones?

I know we have a couple of vets in these forums so I’m hoping for some input.

Thanks,
Paula

[jetsmom]

Spaying doesn’t change their personality. They can gain weight, and if you let them get fat, they will become lazier. But that’s pretty much it. The risks of Pyo are high, and I would spay all adult females that aren’t being bred.

[csaper58]

Would your vet consider just removing the uterus and leaving the overies? May be the answer for your situation

[bcody]

My standard schnauzer is also alpha, and I love her personality. She was not spayed until almost two, for health reasons under vet care. It did not change anything about her, and at now 8 she is not fat either.

[WinsomeTK]

No. She’ll be the same dog, minus a uterus. We spay older dogs very often and I’ve honestly never heard of anyone noticing a change in personality. At 5, she should be “set in her ways” so regardless of hormonal changes her behavior will most likely remain the same.

Not many vets perform a hysterectomy only (leaving the ovaries) in North America, but a few European clients have asked as it seems like it is more common practice in Europe.

[paulaedwina]

Thank goodness because the personality is worth its weight (virtual weight) in gold!
bcody, you know what I’m saying!

Paula

[Calamber]

I spayed my alpha Lab at 6 years and she has not changed a whit. Same bossy girl.

[todaysspecial]

I don’t know, that personality seems to perfectly my experience with every female beagle I’ve ever known, spayed or not!

[Donella]

I have gotten two rescue Bostons that were both used as breeding dogs prior to them coming to me (one 4, one 5 yrs). I had both spayed and neither changed personality wise (though I didn’t have them very long before I had them spayed). I have never known spaying to cause a change in personality.

[ElisLove]

My poodle had a fairly big personality change when he was neutered at 2 years old (I was planning on showing him but he grew too tall). I won’t ever alter a dog late again. Either it’s done as a puppy or I will leave them intact (obviously taking care to prevent any pregnancies).

[jetsmom]

[QUOTE=ElisLove;7250665]
My poodle had a fairly big personality change when he was neutered at 2 years old (I was planning on showing him but he grew too tall). I won’t ever alter a dog late again. Either it’s done as a puppy or I will leave them intact (obviously taking care to prevent any pregnancies).[/QUOTE]

A 2 yr old dog is becoming an adult. There’s a chance that the personality change you saw was the difference between his puppy/teenager personality and his adult dog personality.

[ElisLove]

I’ve had several dogs in my life and have never experienced such a large change in personality around 2 years of age. (Also a dog groomer so deal with dogs alllllll day long haha) Yes, dogs change as they age out of puppies to adults but I’ve never had such a drastic change except for when I neutered my poodle when he was around 2.

[Lazy_Palomino_Hunter]

What was the nature of the personality change, ElisLove? Just curious.

[Barn_Dirt]

I got my Pem bitch as a rescue from a puppy mill when she was 3.5. She’d already had at least 3 litters and had never left the cardboard box she was in. We spayed her within a month of her coming home and if anything she has become even more relaxed, friendly, and loving since. So many people tried to talk me out of such a late spay but it was worth it and she’s worth her weight in gold now (all 14 pounds of her!).

[LauraKY]

The rescues I work with spay all animals, regardless of age unless they have an underlying health issue that prevents it. I’ve never seen a problem.

[moonriverfarm]

I’ve spayed at 6 months and at 6 years and they all did great. The older two were rescues who had been bred a zillion times. If anything they relaxed after the surgery and became sweeter. Maybe they “knew” when they felt a heat coming on that breeding was next, and with no heat were able to lose the anxiety. They had also lived in small pens with little human contact. Puppy mills are hideous prisons.