What's the best age to fix my puppy and what's the average cost?

Most veterinarians recommend spaying at about 6 months of age. Coats can vary based on geographic location and clinic. You can contact a clinic and request an estimate. Most will provide one as a matter of hospital policy.

The cost for having Sparky fixed will vary a little based on the clinic you go to. Walk – ins for surgery are generally not permitted as your vet will need to examine Sparky first to check and make sure he is eligible for surgery, and will likely want to check his blood work beforehand to help make sure his liver and kidneys are working okay before putting him under anesthesia. I recommend asking your friends near you who have pets for recommendations for vets near you and then calling to make an appointment. Let them know you are interested in fixing Sparky and they can guide you from there. It’s good that you are planning on having Sparky fixed, as it reduces the risk of testicular cancer and some types of prostate disease, and can reduce undesirable behaviours such as humping, urine marking, aggression and roaming away from home. Good luck!

In small breed dogs some vets recommend waiting until the dog is older (6-8 months). The though is their lungs are better developed in an older puppy which makes the anesthesia part of the surgery "safer". That being said, many vets, including myself, have done thousands of neuters of dogs as young as 8 weeks or age with no problems. I think at 4.5 months he should be just fine to be neutered next week.

I personally recommend neutering around 5-6 months of age depending on the breed of the dog, there is no real weight requirement and obviously it varies patient to patient. I would expect for any patient to be in good body condition (for example a score of 4 or 5 out of 9) and to be in good general health. Your veterinarian will be able to perform a preneuter check and discuss Pocholos individual case and the procedure prior to booking any surgery.

For castration, they can be as young as eight weeks old, but some vets may not be comfortable doing the procedure at this age. It's actually best to have them castrated prior to five months of age. For vaccination, they can get their first ones at age 6-8 weeks. You may be able to schedule an appointment to get them both done at the same time. I recommend calling a couple of veterinary offices in your area for more information and quotes. I hope that helps and all is well with Lucky.

Great question! There are pros and cons to neutering at different ages, so ultimately it comes down to your personal preference. The biggest advantage of neutering around six months or so, is that this will normally prevent the development of problematic "boy behaviors" such as urine marking, wanting to mount other dogs, not getting along with other intact males, and wanting to roam constantly in search of female dogs. There is some evidence that early neutering (before the dog is finished growing) can increase the risk of certain orthopedic issues like hip dysplasia or cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures later in life, especially in large-breed or very athletic dogs. So, this is something to take into account as well. Personally, I have always neutered my male dogs at around 10-12 months of age, when they're still fairly young but finished growing for the most part. Most of my clients choose to neuter around 6 months of age to avoid the behavior issues mentioned above. But ultimately, the choice is up to you :)

By convention, the general recommendation often 4-8 months, though early spy/neuter is common especially in shelters. A male dog who reaches sexual maturity before being neutered will grow into a “stalkier” build typically. There are also studies suggesting that waiting to neuter decrease the risk of knee problems and some types of cancers. However, he is also more likely to develop behavioral problems. With ages over 2, unneutered dogs are at a MUCH higher risk of overall health problems. I’d recommend talking to your vet about what their thoughts are. I don’t think there’s any significant difference in early neutering and neutering at 6 months of age. Here’s a couple of articles to consider: http://www.vrcc.com/oncology/does-early-castration-increase-the-risk-of-cancer-in-dogs/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/early-spays-neuters/ For what it’s worth, I don’t think it’s wrong to do it at 6 weeks and I don’t think it’s wrong to do it at 2 years. I DO think it’s wrong to just decide to NOT do it all together. I hope that’s helpful... I realize it may just muddy the waters more for you, and I apologize! Talk to your vet about what he or she recommends and the two of you can come up with the best plan for Diggy.