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Breeding Of Chihuahua?!?!


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I'm hoping to get the opinions and advice from registered Chihuahua breeders or vets if at all possible, but happy to hear from anyone regarding this issue.

Firstly, no, I am not breeding a Chihuahua, nor anything! But a friend of mine told me that her friend was told by her vet that it was advisable that she bred her 1.5kg Chihuahua before she was de-sexed to minimise the risk of breast cancer which apparently Chihuahua's are known to be very prone to.....

I have never heard of such absurd advice..... Can anyone comment on this regarding whether this is actually correct? I have always been under the impression that de-sexing male and female dogs actually prevents them getting breast or prostate cancer... ???

I am pretty annoyed to hear that this person is even considering doing such a thing .... this poor dog is sooo tiny :( Can she even give birth without complications? On top of this ... this just adds to the never ending list of backyard breeders :(

Any advice would be great ... or maybe some good words that I can pass on to my friend for her to pass on?

TIA

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IMO - the vet is not being truthful ..... MUCH cheaper and better for the little dog if she is speyed now - then there are no worries of pregnancy/whelping disasters. the vet perhaps wants the extra custom?

IF this is what the vet said - there is a chance they did say 'let the bitch have a season' .... tricky in itself - and a horrible happening if a larger dog get near her :(

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Hmmmm, I have worked with vets for over 30 years and I have NEVER heard a vet say anything like this to a client. As already said, perhaps the client misunderstood, maybe the vet said a "season", not a 'litter' ............. or someone is telling porkies.......... :mad

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Thanks for the replies :-) I called my vet and they said that always best to desex before first season to help prevent cancer

I hope they also mentioned the increased risk of spey incontinence but I doubt it.

They never do. It's all good! No possible drawbacks! Grrr

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Hmmmm, I have worked with vets for over 30 years and I have NEVER heard a vet say anything like this to a client. As already said, perhaps the client misunderstood, maybe the vet said a "season", not a 'litter' ............. or someone is telling porkies.......... :mad

Hmmm ... I'm wondering if the vet said to let her have a season before desexing and she misunderstood ..... ? But how does that benefit the dog anyways ???

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Thanks for the replies :-) I called my vet and they said that always best to desex before first season to help prevent cancer

I hope they also mentioned the increased risk of spey incontinence but I doubt it.

oh ..... can they suffer from incontinence once being speyed if before first season? Sorry, just wanting to understand :-)

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Everyone else has said what I would on the breast cancer comment. But I just wanted to touch on this particular bit bolded

Can anyone comment on this regarding whether this is actually correct? I have always been under the impression that de-sexing male and female dogs actually prevents them getting breast or prostate cancer... ???

Desexing a dog removes it's testicles, the prostate remains. This prevents the dogs from getting TESTICULAR cancer. It does not prevent the dog from getting prostate cancer at all, and current research shows it might actually carry a slight increased risk of getting prostate cancer.

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Everyone else has said what I would on the breast cancer comment. But I just wanted to touch on this particular bit bolded

Can anyone comment on this regarding whether this is actually correct? I have always been under the impression that de-sexing male and female dogs actually prevents them getting breast or prostate cancer... ???

Desexing a dog removes it's testicles, the prostate remains. This prevents the dogs from getting TESTICULAR cancer. It does not prevent the dog from getting prostate cancer at all, and current research shows it might actually carry a slight increased risk of getting prostate cancer.

Yes, I attended a repro vet lecture in the US a couple of years ago where the uni vet prof laid out the evidence showing a much greater risk of the most serious prostate cancers in neutered males, it was something like a four fold increase in risk in desexed males. Promoting it as a preventative is just wrong. Some types of less serious prostate issues may be reduced but not cancer.

Edited by Diva
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Everyone else has said what I would on the breast cancer comment. But I just wanted to touch on this particular bit bolded

Can anyone comment on this regarding whether this is actually correct? I have always been under the impression that de-sexing male and female dogs actually prevents them getting breast or prostate cancer... ???

Desexing a dog removes it's testicles, the prostate remains. This prevents the dogs from getting TESTICULAR cancer. It does not prevent the dog from getting prostate cancer at all, and current research shows it might actually carry a slight increased risk of getting prostate cancer.

Yes, I attended a repro vet lecture in the US a couple of years ago where the uni vet prof laid out the evidence showing a much greater risk of the most serious prostate cancers in neutered males, it was something like a four fold increase in risk in desexed males. Promoting it as a preventative is just wrong. Some types of less serious prostate issues may be reduced but not cancer.

You'll still find plenty of uninformed websites sprouting it as a preventative though. PETA's website for example, but that one doesn't surprise me. I've seen a few rescue websites state it too though.

Edited by LisaCC
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Do Tubal Ligation for bitches and a Vasectomy for dogs and we have a win, win situation.

Keep them sterile and of no use to the puppy farmers and the back yard breeders.

Agree, but as a solution for a Chi in the hands of someone who obviously isn't very dog-smart, tubal ligation is only a disaster waiting to happen.

The bitch will still come in season and could be killed if the wrong dog got to her because we both know that in some people's brains "she can't get pregnant" = "I don't have to take precautions"

OP - the risks of allowing a Chi bitch to have pups is far far greater than any possible danger from breast cancer, so this is total nonsense and I too doubt the vet said this.

Personally I would always recommend a bitch have one season prior to spaying EXCEPT if the owner cannot guarantee to be smart and keep her safe, in which case I would suggest spaying at about 7 months for a tiny breed like this, older for a larger breed.

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I agree that there are most likely benefits of desexing after a season but what people need to realise is most vets are speaking to "the average pet owner", not necessarily the somewhat more educated and switched on dog owners that most likely grace places like this. It would be hugely irresponsible for vets to tell all their clients to let their female dogs have a season first. Example, just last week I had a young lady ring up hysterical because her 7 month old in season bitch had tied with her father ........... she did not think he would do that :confused: I could give you many stories like this. Never underestimate how little some people know about reproduction in their pets !! :mad

Same as with male dogs, many people cannot handle an adolescent in tact male. In our practice we tend to tell owners that they may castrate their male dogs FROM 6 months of age onwards. in the larger breeds we will even suggest leaving it til 12 months or so, DEPENDING on the client.

As far as incontinence, while it does seem likely more common in speyed (young) bitches, we have seen in tact bitches with incontinence, as well as bitches who have had litters then subsequently speyed in middle age.

All that being said, my own two male dogs are mature and in tact, one is a show dog, the other not, but I feel in no hurry to castrate him.

Edited by seregil
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I've had no issues in treating spey incontinence in more than one of my pets. The medication for it is relatively cheap and works beautifully. It's hormone replacement...give me a speyed bitch with a small risk of incontinence over an entire one at risk of pregnancy and cancer (among other issues) any day.

As for the "vet advice" - what twaddle! The vet *may* have said let the bitch have a season, but not a litter, unless the vet is touting for additional business with no qualms about potential harm to a patient...but people do "mis-hear" advice on a regular basis.

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The medication may work beautifully but no medication is without potential side effects. Many people do not have the means or desire to confine a bitch in season, I have no issue with that, they should then be desexed. Spey incontinence is extremely common and far more annoying that it first may appear, especially if you have a large dog, it is not cheap if you have a larger dog

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