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When you bring a pup home, you should do several things to ensure it stays healthy and happy. Your furry friend needs plenty of exercise to stay fit, high-quality nutritious food to maintain good health, and regular vet visits to ensure wellness. Scheduling a spaying or neutering procedure at the right age is also a critical consideration.
Spaying your Labrador retriever is one of the best ways to ensure your pup lives a healthy life. The procedure is known to have several benefits like avoiding unwanted pregnancy, reducing risks of cancer, and helping with some undesirable behaviors. However, the first thing you should do is to find the best age to spay your Labrador.
Best Age To Spay A Labrador Retriever
The practice of sterilizing feline and canine pets has been changing in the past few years. Some studies suggest delaying or avoiding the procedure altogether, while others favor early age neutering. In the past, people spayed their dogs for behavioral issues, birth control, health concerns, and convenience.
However, recent studies concerning Labrador dogs have changed a lot of existing concepts and beliefs regarding taking care of your beloved pet. Let us try to understand how neutering affects your Lab.
Behavioral Changes
Most dog owners believe that neutering would calm down their Labrador and stop them from humping on things. Some other people think that male Labradors can become aggressive if not sterilized. Recent research suggests that these and other spaying assumptions are false.
The truth is that the behavioral effects of neutering vary and are not what we believe. For example, neutering your dog may make your pup more aggressive and hard to train. Studies show that behavioral problems are more common in neutered dogs.
Convenience
Female Labradors can be difficult to manage when in heat. You cannot take her easily in public where male dogs are around. For these reasons, owners choose to spay a female dog to stop her from coming into heat again. Spaying a female Lab would also get you rid of the responsibility of unwanted puppies.
Health
Spaying offers several health benefits, including reduced risk of some forms of cancer and protection against several health complications. However, neutering at an early age comes with some serious health risks, which outweigh the potential benefits.
Neutering Lab at 9 Months
Though neutering has been known to boost the Lab’s general health, getting it done too early in the pup’s life can pose health risks. Some vets would advise spaying the dogs at an early age of about six months, but a study found that neutering too early can increase the chances of certain cancers and joint disorders in later life.
It is recommended to neuter large-breed dogs like Labradors after puberty. Many professionals believe Labs should be neutered at 9 months and even later, up to 11 months. The ideal time is when the dog weighs over 45 pounds. However, the best time for neutering your dog depends on its size, gender, and health, and your decision should rely on your vet’s opinion about your Lab.
Best Age To Desex Female Labrador
Desexing a female dog involves removing its reproductive organs to prevent them from giving birth to puppies. Vets recommend desexing dogs between 4 and 6 months of age though it is never too late to get it done. Several benefits are associated with spaying the female dog early, including unwanted litter, prevention, pyometra, breast cancer, and other cancers, stopping heat cycles, and ensuring better health.
However, recent studies about Labradors suggest some important considerations regarding the best time to neuter these dogs. Desexing at a very early age can leave the dog susceptible to many disorders and cancers. So, if possible, it is advisable to wait for at least one year to get your female dog spayed.
Waiting to desex the female Labrador has some associated risks. Your Lab may get pregnant in her first heat cycle or develop pyometra or infection, which can become difficult to treat. If your Labrador Retriever is a service dog, spaying will save you from the inconvenience of two cycles in a year. You might not get an entry into competitions if your female is in heat.
The Ideal Labrador Retriever Neutering Age
Neutering is a major surgical procedure for a dog and is a serious consideration on your part. Whether or not you should get your dog neutered is a tough decision that can take months or years to conclude. There are so many conflicting notions in the pet world about the pros and cons of neutering a Labrador.
The ideal Labrador Retriever neutering age is something that gets more confusing as more and more studies are performed in this regard. Traditional veterinary medicine may support neutering a Lab at 6 months, while modern practitioners may advise waiting up to 9 months to get your dog neutered.
So, the best age to neuter your Labrador Retriever depends on who you are consulting for an opinion. It is important to consider the pros and cons of neutering your Lab and the laws that apply to your location before making a decision. Also, consider your pet’s recovery time to ensure its optimal health and wellness.
Best Time To Neuter A Male Labrador
While different studies and professionals suggest different times for sterilization, it is almost impossible to determine the best time to neuter a male Labrador. The research, studies, and expert opinions talk about the general practice that applies to most dogs. The results can differ in specific dogs, and there are exceptions to every study.
As a general rule, the best age to neuter a male Labrador is a minimum of one year and as late as the owner can wait. There is no risk waiting to neuter a male dog and no reason to undergo the procedure before this age. The old myths and beliefs supporting early neutering are outdated and false. Neutering the male Labrador may not make him less aggressive but may increase their susceptibility to problems like joint disorders.
Conclusion
Neutering or spaying is one of the most common procedures concerning dogs and has several benefits if done at the right age. The best time to neuter a Labrador Retriever is once it reaches puberty, between 9 and 15 months of age. Doing it too early can pose health risks, so it is best to discuss your pup’s condition with your veterinarian to make an informed decision.