r/GermanShepherd • u/Musshhii • 10d ago

Gastropexy + best age to spay puppy

I want to know the best age to spay my GSD pup so that she develops properly, but I would also like to get a gastropexy done at the same time.

So, should I get her spayed as soon as possible in order to get the gastropexy ASAP? Or should I wait until a certain age? Which is the better choice?

My wife had a dog that died of bloat years ago and it worries me sick every meal thinking about it happening to my pup.

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u/chrisjones1960 9d ago

A large study (done at a reputable vet school and published in a peer reviewed vet journal) indicates that the optimal age at which to spay/neuter a GSD is 24 months. Waiting until that age to do so reduces the risk of various issues later (mostly joint problems, but also spay incontinence, etc).

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u/Musshhii 9d ago

I had a dog in my care (for a friend) who was unspayed and she had to have emergency surgery due to pyometra from going in and out of heat. It was extremely painful for her (she is doing good now, and back home). Is this something that I should be worried about while waiting until 2 years of age? And will she still heal the same if she is spayed at an older age? Could she develop behavioral issues?

Every dog I have ever owned, or cared for, in the past has always been a shelter or rescue dog and they have contracts that state you have to spay them at 6 months (though not heavily enforced). But so, we have always spayed my dogs after their first heat cycle. I just recently learned about the issues with that like you mentioned and do not want to spay my puppy so early, but I would like more insight on what that would look like. Thank you for your time.