My dog had puppies almost 3 years ago. Should I spay her now or wait?

Thanks for using PetCoach. I do recommend spaying even for adult or older dogs. The primary reason is the risk of pyometra, a fatal uterine infection. Every time she goes into heat she is at risk. Here is more info, so you know what to watch for if you opt not to spay her https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951481 As she is a littler older, there are things you can do to make surgery a bit safer. Even if not required by her veterinarian, a full exam and bloodwork should be performed prior to surgery. This helps to assess if there are any diseases that may affect her under anesthesia or her ability to heal. She should receive IV fluids during her surgery. Here is more info on spay https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951464 Even at this point in her life, Cookie can benefit from spay surgery.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Waiting until February should be fine, just have your partner's son check them every couple days to make sure they aren't growing, and don't feel hot/cold or are painful to Bennie. YES, spaying her now is still a good idea, it decreases her risks of some cancers and also eliminates her potential for getting the life-threatening condition called pyometra. She is also less likely to run away and either get hit by a car or get pregnant and have a litter as a geriatric dog which is more dangerous for her. Best of luck with Bennie!

Yes, absolutely it is worth getting Banba spayed! It has many health benefits including eliminating the risk of a pyoemetra (a life threatening infection of the uterus) and a significant reduction in the chance of mammary tumors if you get her spayed before her next heat. If she has gone into heat once, her chance of developing mammary tumors will be 8% versus 25% if you spay her after her second or any subsequent heat. There will also be behavioral benefits as well. I highly recommend getting her spayed!

The veterinary world is still undecided upon the benefits of waiting until after a pet has had a heat cycle relating to the ligaments. For smaller breed dogs, there may not be benefit. We do know there is a benefit as far as cancer reduction in dogs spayed before their first heat cycle. It is true that spaying a pet will decrease the sex hormones and this affects the joint physis. This however tends to be more of a concern for large breed dogs. At only 6.5 kg at four months old, Luna is not very likely to be a big dog. For the most part, when waiting until later to spay or neuter a pet it is involving dogs who are expected to be 34kg or above. I recommend to discuss your concerns with your primary care veterinarian as they will be the best to advise you. In general, maintaining good health of the joints involves maintaining a healthy body weight and feeding an appropriate food. Luna should eat a puppy food until she is about a-year-old. I hope this answers your questions and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Typically, spay surgery is recommended around 6 months of age but current research has shown it is a little better to wait until 9 months to a year of age especially for large breed dogs to avoid certain orthopedic problems. I hope this helps!

I highly recommend it! It prevents Aaylah from getting a pyometra later in life. This is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. It doesn't happen to every intact dog, but the chance is there, and it costs thousands to treat. I'd have her spayed as soon as possible, before her next heat. I hope this helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concerns. In regards to spaying, these procedures are not only done to prevent them from having puppies but also for prevention of conditions that would potentially put their life at risk. With females, the risk of mammary cancer and uterine cancer greatly increases. Also, females can develop a potentially life threatening condition known as pyometra which usually needs to be addressed with emergency surgery. In male dogs, prostate and testicular problems are greatly reduced with neutering. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.