15 month old not in heat

[hsawyers_12]

My 15 month old AKC GSD has not gone into heat yet. I am not sure if I should be concerned about this or not. She is up to date on all shots and is otherwise very healthy. I am wondering when is the normal age for them to go into heat. I am new to this breed but did my homework as far as training and behavior went. Just wondering if anyone had any advice?

[Freestep]

Usually they come into heat between 9-11 months, but some are late bloomers. I wouldn't worry about it too much. If you are not planning to breed, spaying her before the first heat will give her protection against certain types of cancers, and at 15 months of age, she's had plenty of time for proper growth. I say, count your lucky stars.

[N Smith]

Are you the first owner to this dog? Any chance that she was done as a ped spay?

If not, dogs can go into heat anytime between 4 months (which would be SUPER early) and as late as 18 months (which is late, but not unusual). The most frequent time for the first heat is between 9 - 12 months old.

Have you asked the breeder if their lines maybe come into heat a little later?

I would talk to the breeder, see what they say. You can also discuss with your vet, and if it were me I would wait until she was 18 months AS LONG AS she does not have any medical issues come up before then requiring a spay.

Are you planning on spaying her eventually, or is she going to remain intact?

[N Smith]

Originally Posted by Freestep

Usually they come into heat between 9-11 months, but some are late bloomers. I wouldn't worry about it too much. If you are not planning to breed, spaying her before the first heat will give her protection against certain types of cancers, and at 15 months of age, she's had plenty of time for proper growth. I say, count your lucky stars.

Yes, it will decrease her chances of cancers related to sex organs, and increase her chances of developing other cancers (Osteosarcoma), each choice has its pros and cons.

[Freestep]

Originally Posted by N Smith

Yes, it will decrease her chances of cancers related to sex organs, and increase her chances of developing other cancers (Osteosarcoma), each choice has its pros and cons.

Spaying at the age of 15 months (as opposed to 6 months) carries less risk of osteosarcoma, or so I am told.

[N Smith]

Originally Posted by Freestep

Spaying at the age of 15 months (as opposed to 6 months) carries less risk of osteosarcoma, or so I am told.

More than 50 peer-reviewed papers were examined to
assess the health impacts of spay / neuter in female and male dogs, respectively. One cannot ignore the
findings of increased risk from osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, hypothyroidism, and other less frequently

occurring diseases associated with neutering male dogs.

From: http://www.naiaonline.org/uploads/WhitePapers/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf

Osteosarcoma is a low incidence (0.2%), highly malignant tumor of bone. It is reported to be more common in large breed dogs with some specific breeds predisposed (Table 1). Two studies have documented a 1.3 to 2.0 times increased incidence of osteosarcoma with gonadectomy.

From:
http://www.naiaonline.org/uploads/WhitePapers/pdf2.pdf

I can definitely grab up more sources if anyone is looking for more, these are just two that I keep handy.

[N Smith]

Originally Posted by Freestep

Spaying at the age of 15 months (as opposed to 6 months) carries less risk of osteosarcoma, or so I am told.

Yes, however, you said that "spaying before their first heat" will reduce the chances of cancer, which is not a completely true statement.

Spaying this dog before her first heat, 15/16 months, is A LOT different than spaying a 6 month old dog before their first heat. But in your statement, they are the same.

[Freestep]

Originally Posted by N Smith

Spaying this dog before her first heat, 15/16 months, is A LOT different than spaying a 6 month old dog before their first heat. But in your statement, they are the same.

Um, no, I was talking about the OP's specific situation.

[hsawyers_12]

Originally Posted by N Smith

Are you the first owner to this dog? Any chance that she was done as a ped spay?

If not, dogs can go into heat anytime between 4 months (which would be SUPER early) and as late as 18 months (which is late, but not unusual). The most frequent time for the first heat is between 9 - 12 months old.

Have you asked the breeder if their lines maybe come into heat a little later?

I would talk to the breeder, see what they say. You can also discuss with your vet, and if it were me I would wait until she was 18 months AS LONG AS she does not have any medical issues come up before then requiring a spay.

Are you planning on spaying her eventually, or is she going to remain intact?

I am the sole owner, minus the breeder. We have had her since she was 8 weeks and hasnt been spayed. My uncle was the breeder and also has one of her sisters. The sister dog, Iana, had her first heat at 11 months. Mine was the "runt" of the litter so it may just take her time. Thanks for the info!

[middleofnowhere]

The youngster here was about 15 months at her first heat - heck it might have been 18 mos. She's fine.