She got snipped today. I was wondering if she'll change. I know her appetite will, and metabolism. I'm wondering about her attitude...

I've heard that dogs change. I don't want her to. What are your thoughts on this?

Most of the changes will be positive. You will be nipping challenges to your leadership in the bud. There will less chance of her fouling the house just to show she can. As for the metabolism changes, that is really a myth of the 50's. For all my spay/neutering preaching, I seldom do the puppies I care for. Most of my puppies are done after they go to school. Gretchen wasn't, the school kept her as breeding stock. What I see is the unspay/neutered ones need less food as their growth slows after nearing their adult size soon after the typical age to spay/neuter. Either way, their appetite will drop. If the food level doesn't drop too, they will gain weight. Many people continue feeding what they had been. The dog fattens up and it is blamed on the spay/neutering when it is a function of no longer being a growing puppy. Ever try to keep a teenager fed? Well your dog is passing her teenager years. Watch her ribs as in LongLiveYourDog.com - Life Span Study - Rate Your Dog
Keep her lean, and you can enjoy her companionship for a long time, even 20 years. When I visited the assistance dog school, they had a couple of Chihuahuas they were going to train as hearing assistance dogs. Plenty big and smart enough to lead you to the door or the tty. Long lived and cheap to keep. It makes all the sense in the world to use them for the hearing impaired.

I am glad you didn't get stuck with going through a heat cycle with her. I have done it enough, trust me, you don't want to. And thank you for being a caring, responsible dog owner.

Thanks.

Thank you chihuahuamomma for doing this for your dog! You know from another post of mine that I have a chihuahua rescue near me. It is so upsetting to me that people don't take their purchases more seriously and understand that purchasing any dog is a lifetime commitment. These poor little chihuahuas here are more often than not, just dumped in areas where, if they aren't found in time, they will die from exposure and/or wild animals. I know that you do understand the commitment and you love your little girl.

My views are the same as labman's. The weight issues are purely under your control. There is also absolutely no reason to think that the sweet part of her personality will change. If she is an affectionate, peppy, lively girl, she will continue to be that. I have a lot of experience with unspayed/unneutered dogs where I live due to the rescue work I do. I find the aggression to be higher in dogs that aren't "fixed." The reason is due to the constant hormonal changes that occur within a dog's reproductive years. When they are spayed/neutered, their hormonal levels don't surge and remain at a more constant level. Think about how we women get at, ahem, certain times of the month, and you will understand what I am saying. ;)

I seen in certain breeds that have a tendency toward aggression, like the pitbull, if you don't allow them to go through a first heat cycle, you have a much better chance of creating a more even tempered dog that is easier to work with. If you read the articles about dogs attacking people, and do a little more digging and research, the majority of those dogs are not spayed/neutered. Add that into the mix of the usual facts in which they have not been given the proper socialization/training, are off leash, and are not being monitored properly by their owners, and it all makes for a very volatile situation.

People have told me that they tend to be different after they get spayed or nuetered. I was also informed that the aneshthesia was optional. I was shocked. I'm wondering if it's the animals that don't have aneshthesia that change. The sad thing is that we opted to have everything that needed to be done for her done in one day. So she had two baby teeth pulled, her updated shots, and her spay. So, I'm sure she kind of hates us for putting her through that all in one day. She was coming out of aneshthesia all day, so she was all sleepy. But after a 8 hour nap (LOL), she woke up. Jumped onto the couch (freaked me out), ran around wiggling her tush and tail, and was ready for some soft food. So, she seems fine now. But she'll still have those stitches for two weeks. Thanks for all the advice and support guys. I'm hoping that my care for my pet isn't SURPRISING. LOL. I love my baby girl, and she is definitely my princess, she has three beds, nearly as many clothes as I do... and is attached to me, she goes everywhere I do (with the exception of these two weeks).

Another question I have, the vet said not to bathe her until the stitches are out, but she is black and white, and has blood spots on some of the white parts of her fur, is there a good way to remove these? Is a wash cloth and soap and water okay?

Wiping the spots off with a soft moist cloth is fine. Make sure it isn't too wet and drips down into the area of the surgery. That is what the vet is concerned about. Don't let that area get wet. Just be careful and if you can't get her fully cleaned up, don't worry about it. With brushing and her cleaning herself, any remaining spots should disappear within the next week. If not, when the vet gives you the okay to bathe, probably in a few weeks time, you can go ahead with a bath.

No, I am not surprised over the care you give your pet. :)

If this makes you feel any better, it really is better all those things were done at once. I have never heard of no anesthesia for that surgery, but with a dog as small as a chi there is more than the normal concern when you have to knock them out. So, getting as many things as you needed to get done at one time, spares her from having to be anesthesized (sp?) again for the dental surgery to be done at a later time. It was a smart move. Dogs don't connect the bad stuff that happens at the vets, with us. We are the ones who give them kisses, belly rubs, and food.

Haha, Thanks Ruby. She's as happy as ever now. Skipping around... even doing that cute little walk where her back legs are thrown in the air due to her front legs being faster ;)

I'll go ahead with the wash cloth bath for now, I know she can't wait until she can get a real bath, and boy tell you, neither can I!

How long do you think we should wait after the surgery until resuming regular flea treatments? I know after her stitches are removed AT LEAST, which is two weeks off.. It's been two weeks since we did it, so I think she is fine... for four more weeks...

She is fine for a while. My suggestion is to ask your vet about the bath & the flea treatment when you go in to get the stitches removed. My vet would probably say give it another 7-10 days but your vet may tell you something else. He is the best person to give you advice on that. You are paying him to do a job so make him answer the follow up questions. ;)

As another FYI, when you go in to get the stitches taken out-- don't worry. From what I have seen with dogs getting stitches removed, we are the ones that feel pain, not them! LOL! Just talk with your vet about keeping her from licking the area. He may recommend using an elizabethan collar (lampshade) for a day.

Ruby has given you the same good advice I come to expect of her. Are the fleas still out in Vancouver? They say 3'' of snow here tomorrow and a low of 20. I gave my dogs to Heartgard+ from Revolution the first of November. Got to pick up more tomorrow. My vet says most of the hear worms he sees now are people that drop the remedy over the winter. One of the best internet dog experts ever claimed the Pacific Northwest was free of heart worm years ago.

I don't know if there are still fleas out here, but my vet told me to treat her regardless every 6 weeks... so I shall..

Your vet knows much more about what dogs need in Vancouver than I do.

Perhaps... Although I don't doubt your knowledge..

I think labman might have forgotten your flea problem appears to be an indoor one. Unfortunately, because the problem exists in your apartment complex, you are going to have to keep her on the flea meds all year long to ensure that your home and your dog don't get reinfested.

CM! I was wondering when you were going to post your girl on your avitar. She is a real cutie! Great pic!

Ha, I know... plus I was tired of people assuming that this was a currentpicture of me... and there are far cuter pictures of her than of me...

And yes, this is an indoor flea issue. She doesn't ever go outside unless its summer and she is going for a walk.

I haven't seen a flea on her since she and the apartment were treated.