bitches first season- could I have missed it?

[Marquire]

I have a 9 month old black lab called Holly. There were 4 other bitches in the litter and I keep in touch with the breeder who kept one of the bitches and have recently been emailing the other three families who took the other ones (with me so far?).

Now we have been talking about our puppies (obviously) and it turns out that the other 4 bitches all had their first season around 6 months old. I am still waiting for Holly to have hers.

However, I been thinking (never a good thing) and when Holly was around 6 months I noticed that she had a bit of a white discharge for a couple of days which was only obvious after she'd been out for a wee and then only if she came straight back into the house without doing her customary self clean up. I thought she might have a bit of urine infection but when I got a sample of urine and took it to the vets it was clear.

I'm now thinking that maybe this was her first season. There was definitely no blood to be seen at any point and the discharge was only noticabble for 2 days at most. I've only ever had dogs before so this doggy girl stuff is all alien to me.

I want to have her neutrered as I don't intend breeding from her and if that was her first season now would be the right time to have it done.

Any thoughts?

Marie

 

[Thistle]

My labs first season was quite noticeable and just as heavy as her subsequent ones.

I am still in touch with her sisters and there was as much as 3 months difference between earliest and latest seasons.

 

[EllieBeast]

There is no harm in having her spayed before her first season. The vets i used to work at recommended it (so much so, that they gave a discount to those who had it done then). As it can minimalise the risk of mammory cancer, and also its an easier op, which the bitches seem to recover from quicker. I know that contravenes alot of usual advice, i think its a relatively new school of thought.

 

[Janah]

My lab had her 1st season at 14 months of age. I would have thought a season would not be missed.

A lot of people advise having a season before spaying as it allows the bitch to mature properly.

Jane