Ask the Veterinarian - When to Spay My French Bulldog?
lorihuntdvm March 26th, 2008
When to Spay My French Bulldog?
I’m getting conflicting information on when to spay my pup. I’ve heard in French Bulldogs it’s better to wait until after her first or even second heat so as not to stunt her growth allowing her bones and spine to fully develop.
But the information on spaying before her first heat for cancer prevention is so compelling! Sharing your thoughts would be very helpful while I ponder what I should do!
Thank you for your time.
Dr. Lori writes -
There is some recent evidence suggesting that waiting until after puberty (one heat) allows a bit more development of the urinary tract and actually allows the bones to grow at a normal rate. In addition, some research has been presented in large breed dogs that early spay/neuter (3 months) can actually increase the length of the long bones, and make the dog taller than genetically it should have been.
But we are not talking about a large breed (ha! Just try and tell a frenchie it isn’t a BIG dog!)… And you are right in your research findings about cancer.
If a female is spayed before her first season, she has less than 0.5% chance of getting mammary cancer in her lifetime. After 1 season it increases to 8% and after 2 or more it increases to 25%. Also, in my experience as a veterinarian, I feel that puppies recover almost uneventfully from a spay, whereas older girls experience more pain and a longer recovery.
If she were mine and I had no plans of breeding her, I would opt for spaying her somewhere between 6 and 8 months.
Good Luck to you and your baby girl!
