# Saint Bernard heat cycle??



## Lightwingcreations (May 7, 2007)

Hi there, I was wondering if anyone knows approximately how old a female Saint Bernard is when she first comes into heat? My puppy (rescued and not sure of lineage but sure looks and grows like a St.) is 3.5 months old and I would love to know if there is an average age for St.'s or big dogs in general. I want her spayed well before her first heat cycle to forgo mammary tumors and the like. My vet recommended spaying her anywhere from 6-8 months of age (he charges by the pound), but if there is a chance of her coming into heat before that age I would like to know. Any help would be greatly appreciated,
Stephanie


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

I would go with your vet's opinion. There is a lot of research being done right now on the proper time to s/n dogs. If you do it too soon you run the risk of throwing them into early adulthood before their body has had the chance to mature. If you shut down the hormones (by removing the ovaries during a spay) then the growth plates will close shortly thereafter causing bone growth to stop. This could be particularly bad in a large breed dog. On the other hand, wait too long and...possibility of puppies. You could contact a St.'s breeder group, rescue, or do some Internet research. And I'm sure other forum members will have more to chime in with on this. I just know the tip of the iceberg from reading a few recent journal articles.


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## animalcraker (Nov 9, 2006)

Dogs can come into their first from 6 months to a year old. Large breed take more time to mature and come into heat later. For a Saint Bernard I'd say 8 months would be about the soonest, but then again it depends on the lines and I'n not a Bernie expert by any means. You may want to contact some Bernie breeders and ask them about it.


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## Lightwingcreations (May 7, 2007)

Thanks for giving me another direction to look,
Stephanie


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

Most giant breeds come into season around 8-10 months, I know of lines in Mastiffs and Danes that don't have the first season until 14-18 months, I also know lines that come into season at 6 months. If you plan to spay before her first season, do it around 7-8 months. Honestly, to minimize the risk of Spay incontinence its best to wait until after the first season, though it will cost more because she will be larger. 

Like someone else said, find a REPUTABLE Bernie breeder via the National breed club http://www.saintbernardclub.org/ to get info from. 

One other concern with all Giant breeds is anesthesia. Try to avoid a vet that uses Ace as most giant breeds, due to their slower metabolism, have problems with it. I'm going to post as article that was written by a vet about Mastiifs but it also applies to ALL giant and Brachycephalic breeds.


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