Puppies, should you let your dog have a litter before you spay her?

Many people believe that it is better to let your female have a litter of puppies before you spay, FALSE!  Not only would you be adding to the population problem, chances are that at least 2 puppies out of a litter of 5 will end up in a shelter, and could face euthanasia.

There are zero medical benefits to allowing a dog to have puppies, You are more than welcome to consult a Vet on this one, but I assure you, there is more to lose than there is to gain by doing so.

Spaying is usually done between 4-6 months of age and is actually a relatively safe procedure, I’m not going to say its 100% safe because frankly no procedure is a 100% safe. Surgery always poses a risk, here are just few of the pros and cons but first take a look at this:

That is a lot of babies looking for homes don’t you think?  for example, I have had dogs all my life and no matter the sex we have always had them spayed or neutered, I could not live with knowing that at least one or more of the kittens or puppies I allowed my pet to produce may end up dead because they can’t find a home.

Some of the benefits to spay/neuter are as follows;  You reduce the risk of mammary gland and uterine cancers in females, and testicular cancers in males.

Some of the risks include;  possibility of infection due to surgery, and weight gain after the surgery, other than that they are minimal, your vet will have a more in-depth list for your review so always get all the facts before you make any decisions about your pet’s health.

Just remember that you are doing all the things you do, in the best interest of you dog or cat so that is always a good thing, personally I believe that the only ones that should be producing puppies and kittens are legitimate breeders, ones that only have one or two breedings a year, and do it for the love of the breed, to see those animals continued on, not the ones that look at dollar signs first and the well-being of the animal last! I will add legitimate breeders will take back your animal if you can longer look after it, that’s the difference between legitimate and backyard or puppy mill. and anyone that does numerous breedings throughout the year should be locked up, how many puppies will you let die for money?

Anyone else has absolutely no business allowing breedings, ever! please do not contribute to the problem be part of the solution!

-Apitome

It’s Bark out time, for a great organization!

For those of you that don’t know her, Dolly The Pit Bull has become a real icon and abbassadog for the breed, she was rescued by her mom Erica, soon after a YouTube video of Dolly’s story hit the internet and went Viral!!!!

This is Dolly! just look at those all-knowing, all loving eyes!

Well flash forward a bit and Dolly and her mom just officially became a foundation so the link is on my sidebar, please check it out, and Dolly can also be seen on YouTube, and Facebook.

Education is the key to making change, and boy to these dogs need a change, they need our help, our understanding, and our love. Contrary to what the Media would have you believe, the ARE worthy of it, so please educate yourself on the plight of these beautiful dogs, and remember with dogs like Dolly, and women like her mom Erica out there it’s only a matter of time before you fall in love with these dogs and make them “America’s dog” all over again! Remember adopt don’t shop, Dolly was a shelter dog and look at her now!

We love you Dolly!!!!

Thank you for listening and checking her out!

-Apitome-

Tail cropping, ear docking, and dew claw removal, fact and opinion.

Tail Cropping;

FACT:  This procedure is now banned in many countries as a cruel and unnecessary act predominately done for cosmetic reasons. people will argue back and forth over this issue and what any puppy owner must understand before deciding to crop a tail, is that this procedure should ONLY be done under the care of, and by a licensed Veterinarian, the puppy will be under anesthesia, and will most likely experience post surgical pain and sometimes obvious scaring.

OPINION: Sorry fanciers, but I am not a fan of this one NOT AT ALL! i think if you want to change your own appearance to something different from what you were born with, Hey! by all means go ahead, but to alter a dog to suit some snobs idea of what the “Standard” should be, it’s just ridiculous.

Ear docking;

FACT: Ear docking is usually done anywhere from 4-6 months of age, and again is purely a cosmetic thing, the puppy will be under full anesthetic, and will most definitely experience post surgical pain, there is a risk of infection, and in some cases one ear will still droop or (drop). a costly venture to see fail. 

OPINION: Again I will just say in my opinion, DON”T! your dog was born the way they were for a reason don’t let fashion, or cult ideals guide your decisions mother nature makes all living things to perfection, dont mess with that! Remember it is a surgery and there are always risks, you have to decide if it’s worth it, to me the answer is a simple NO.

Dew Claw removal;

FACT: Dew claws are most often done by a breeder when the dog is a puppy, some feel the dew claw is at that time more like a fingernail, (less developed) and not yet an appendage. Often they will recover more quickly than if it is done at the time of spay and neuter. An older dog seems very concerned about bandages on their feet for the weeks following. (Ya Think!)

OPINION: I will say this much I have owned dogs with and without dew claws, the ones that had them did injure them on occasion, I was lucky they didn’t need to be removed due to that, but that can happen, and the ones without, one in particular never was able to stand properly on her hind feet, and was very unbalanced. This is rare after a surgery such as this, but that was my experience with her. The others I found to be fine. On this point I would have to say I am never torn, I have never looked at it in the same light as cat declawing, that I find barbaric, removing all of an animals claws just so your couch doesn’t get messed up?  Hey! don’t get a pet if your leather or suede couch means more than your pets well-being and safety! I digress, I have had experience with dislocations and breaks, and a dew claw is no different, it would not be something I would actively ask a vet to remove. However that’s an individual call.

While researching this post I did come across some images which frankly I will not show, there is no point, the procedures themselves are self explanatory and I’m not going to entertain the horror show seekers with that stuff.

In any case you can decide for yourself what to do but for anyone looking into it, or just seeking the info,  I hope it gave you some insight.

-Apitome-