Above All, Do No Harm
VETERINARY CARE
Spaying and Neutering: It is common for us to see how our dogs are doing in visits and emails. In the summer of 2010 we became concerned when we noticed that several of the males we placed the year before where growing with narrower heads and lankier legs than those dogs behind both sides of their lineage. We became concerned that we may have missed some watery genetics behind our breedings. Why would these beautiful dogs grow to be variably off from confirmation norm in their lines? Ironically, the information...or dare I say "enlightenment" came to us through a client within a month. The mom of one of our adult clients had just applied to get a puppy. Lin, had years of wisdom and loved to learn. Without my concerns even coming up Lin began to share with me the information that had been brought to her attention via the Irish Setter Club (Lin and Hal have had Setters for years) We have included an article or two from Lin, and some that we have found on our own.
We would urge you to consider the age and need for altering your dog. Of course, we are very careful to protect our breeds and prevent casual breeding through the limitations of AKC paperwork and contractual obligations. (Don't even consider breeding one of our puppies unless we are a willing participant) However, we do not require you to spay or neuter your dog and trust that you will make an informed choice about this very important surgery.