FIRST HEAT

[sagapou]

So as i came home from the park yesterday my dog had gotten in her first heat .. she is spotting little bits of blood which is normal shes completley healthy .. now my question is is it bad that she has gotten her first heat before i spaded her  .. ( because now she has expierenced what a heat is and by spading her your taken that away from her ) does this affect her negatively ... i had believed that the first heat was nesicarry for hormone development and bone strength and if you spade her right after it she should be fine and still have a decrese in uterus and breast cancer ... comments advice help thanks !  shes a husky 7 months 45 pounds

[chuter15]

Our puppy just went through her first heat, and we are getting her spayed in a few months. Our vet pointed out the pros and cons of doing it before or after she went through her first cycle, and we decided to wait, a dose of hormones and promoted bone growth is essential for our breed- german shepherd. Dogs don't enjoy the bleeding and discomfort. You're really doing her a favour, just keep an eye on her. Hope this helps.

[MrsAristotle]

The best time to spay her now is 3 months half way into her next cycle.

Spaying her well its better all round, no mess and no chance of her having unwanted puppies.

There are a lot of myths about behavioral problems with dogs spayed or unspayed. The main reason for me is no puppies to worry about really.

[ginger899]

Oh yes! So true! It might be only her first Heat...but watch her like a hawk!

[Margot49]

I agree with what ginger said.  I will caution you to make sure your dog is contained while she is in season.  You don't want her getting out and end up with an unwanted breeding.  Not sure what your living situation but male dogs will and can go to great lengths to get to a female in season.  If you have a yard you let her out in, I would not do so unsupervised.  The season should last about 3 weeks.  

[ginger899]

Well I think you are right. Spaying a female before her first heat gives almost total guaranteed protection against breast cancer (and obviously uterine cancer, and other dangerous things like Pyometra)
But spaying her after her first Heat will help with healthy bone development, particularly of the long bones.
It does seem that there is still a great deal of protection against female cancers, even if spayed after the first Heat.
I wouldn't worry about "taking anything away from her".....Heat cycles come with side effects, hormonal swings, 'false pregnancies' etc, which can really drag a dog down. Plus you will not have to worry about unwanted pregnancies, pregnancy complications, and all those possible things.