# Puppy VAGINITIS - to spay or not to spay



## gggirl (May 8, 2008)

I was in the same exact situation as my now 11 month old had vaginitis as well as inverted vulva. I was told by my breeder as well as the vet to let her go thru one heat as it should push her vulva out due to the swelling and will rid her of vaginitis. Well she went into heat at 8 months old and it pushed it out and no more vaginitis. Do not spay before her first heat! It's a pain with the heat but its about 3 weeks and its over!! Doggie diapers did not work. I used my kids undies, cut a hole for her tail and put maxi pads on her. SHe never tried to take them off once. I just saw today at Petsmart they have single undies that i guess are plastic??? and they also have sanitary pads. I never knew that, i just knew of the Disposable diapers. Good Luck..


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## avincent52 (Jul 23, 2008)

I think you have to have that talk with her. 
"I know that dogs your age have certain feelings, but puppies are a BIIIIG responsibility..."

But seriously....

Others will have more concrete advice but I imagine that for the duration of her heat you'll have to leash walk her and otherwise keep her out of contact with males.
Or send her away to boarding school.

best
allen


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

I would let her go though 1 heat and then see if the problem goes!!.


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## bluetou (Oct 13, 2008)

thanks for your info everyone... 
So, gggirl...you said the same thing happened to you with your Golden? so you waited....and has the puppy vaginitits dissappeared? Were you worried about other health issues that arise because of letting a female go into first heat.

You see what I have been told, is by letting the dog go into heat .... and having to worry about the health risks that come along with allowing a heat to occur.

Spaying female dogs eliminates the potential for a deadly infection of the uterus (a pyometra). It completely eliminates the possibility for uterine and ovarian cancer and, if a dog is spayed before her first heat cycle, cuts down her chances of getting mammary cancer to less than 1%.

so when I read stats like this and am told them....I begin to try and figure out which is better....? dealing with the CHANCE of vaginitis to be off and on....or to have the other health issues that are more deadly...??

but then I did read this....if you do spay - A health survey of several thousand Golden Retrievers showed that spayed or neutered dogs were more likely to develop hypothyroidism, the study also mentioned -a number of studies have shown that there is an increase in the incidence of female urinary incontinence in dogs spayed early

ugh!? what do I do? I really do not know....help....


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## 3459 (Dec 27, 2007)

You can research past threads here and find great information from some of the breeders who post. There are differing opinions and good reasons for each. I really struggled with this with my own female, and finally elected to spay after her first heat cycle. The determining factor for me with my female was hormone effects on joint growth and maturity. My female had very spindly lower rear legs as a pup and powerful thighs. I was concerned about joint injuries and wanted to give her time to mature naturally before doing anything that would effect her hormone levels. So we lived through the first heat and gave her more time to grow and develop. I have a fenced yard, but we still leashed walked every time she was out during her heat cycle, and used doggie denim shorts and sanitary pads. 

Good luck with your decision! The good news for your puppy is that she has a conscientious owner!


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## marieb (Mar 24, 2008)

Maddie had recurring UTI's but ultimately I decided to get her spayed, I didn't think it was an option for me to let her go through a heat cycle. I think she had 4 or 5 recurring UTI's, I forget the number exactly. She was spayed at 6 months and she is now 8 months and her UTI seems to have finally cleared up. She was on another 4 week dose of stronger med's and she finished a couple weeks ago and the vet was satisfied with her urine screening. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she won't have the UTI come back again. After she had the ultrasound to rule out any problems, the specialist said to continue medication and be patient it sometimes takes awhile for their immune systems to catch up.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

It's like parents trying to decide if the vaccine risks are more of a risk than the diseases they protect against. I would follow your vet's advice. There are risks either way you go, and your vet seems to have given you sound advice. I hope she does not have to deal with the problem again after she is spayed.


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## bluetou (Oct 13, 2008)

Thank you so much for your info...the more I read...and get advice, I am leaning more towards waiting for Maggie to have her first heat. I want to do what is best for her. Thank you.
Peace
Tanya


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## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

I would wait for her to have her 1st heat then spay her right after. As for now I would stop treating it with antibiotics JMO. I had a similar problem with one of my bitches. If you would like cranberry capsules I have also heard help a lot with UTI's.


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## Aprilpa (Mar 24, 2008)

If your vet is recommending waiting for one heat, then that is what I would do. Yes, it will be a pain for a couple weeks, but if it works it is far better than a lifetime of vaginitis and infections.

As far as the benefits vs. risks of spaying before the first heat. You mentioned pyometra and I am sure you have heard about mammary cancers as well. Both are related to hormones and how many times a female comes into heat. Letting your dog have one heat before spaying isn't going to make a significant difference in having any health issues. Both are typically seen in much older females who have had multiple heats or multiple litters. 

All of my females were spayed before their first season, but they had no other health issues at the time. In your instance, I would absolutely wait it out one season and see if it helps. You will just have to be extra vigilant about her not getting pregnant. It will be a pain, but if it helps her current problem, it will be well worth the wait.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

In this case I would certainly recommend waiting until she has her first season and then spay her. You can spay her once she is out of heat and not bleeding. Additionally, if the worst were to happen - she were to be accidentally bred - she can still be spayed at the end of the heat cycle and there will be no litter.


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## bluetou (Oct 13, 2008)

Thank you April and "pointgold"..for your input, I certainly agree. I was unsure what to do when I first posted this ...and NOW I know, I am going to wait, as I know it is the best thing to do for her and her health. Thanks so much everyone, I appreciate all your opinions!
Peace
Tanya, mom to Maggie (aka magpie)


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