My mom won't spay our Maltese dog. How can I talk to her about it?

I agree that spaying would be best - I typically don’t recommend breeding past the age of 5. It can be harder for an older first time mother to recover and the puppies can have more problems as well. The humping behavior is probably more about dominance than sexual in nature. As she ages she will be at increased risk for a uterine infection so spaying would be best.

That decision is up to you. Certainly if it is not safe to have Lucy spayed, you must consider that. If it is not safe to spay her, you should keep her away from males every time she comes in heat. You will also want to watch her very closely for signs of a uterine infection and mammary cancer. You may also look for a vet who can provide a safer operation. You may start with a conversation with a veterinary college within India. They may be able to provide good advice or a good recommendation. I hope this helps.

There is absolutely no reason not to spay your pet, unless of course you are purposefully wanting to breed Bella. Spaying pets early (before their 1st heat cycle), reduces the chance of mammary cancer to less than 3%, which is a huge deal. There is no decrease seen after the 3rd heat cycle. However spaying Bella will still prevent her from ever having a spontaneous infected uterus or Pyometra event int he future. Which is an emergency situation that would require immediate surgery if Bella ever developed this. And considering that a Pyometra event is much more common in small breed dogs like the Maltese, this is reason enough to highly consider spaying her.

Wow, that's great! Awesome job talking to your mom about it :-) After surgery, it's extremely important to keep her quiet and rested, and to keep an Ecollar on her to prevent her from licking at her sutures. She has to stay quiet in order for her incision to heal correctly, and she has to stay quiet with the Ecollar on until her sutures are removed 10-14 days after surgery. Licking at her sutures can cause them to break down and open the incision, and it can introduce infection into the area. You will have to check the incision twice a day for signs of infection which include redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or excessive discharge. If you see any of those signs, Bella will have to go back into the vet for an exam and antibiotics. Again, great job talking to your mom!

While any anesthesia carries a risk, spaying is generally a very safe procedure. The risks of anesthesia increase as a dog ages (I'm specifically referencing senior dogs like 10 years and older), but there are few risks for a young and healthy puppy. Your vet is right she could be ill in the future if you don't spay her. Not spaying her leaves her at risk of developing a pyometra in the future. This is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment, and spaying the dog is part of the treatment of a pyometra. That surgery is high risk due to the severity of the illness in the dog from the infection, and it costs thousands to perform. In addition, dogs who are spayed are at an increased risk of developing mammary tumors. Of these mammary tumors, 50% of them are malignant. For her health, it is best to spay her now. I would speak with your vet about getting it done. I hope this helps!

Yes, it is most likely mammary (breast) cancer. Very common to happen in dogs that are not spayed. That is why we recommended spaying dogs early in life. 1. I suggest you find a vet that will do both surgeries at once. There is no sense in doing two surgeries a month apart. They can both be done safely at the same time in most cases. She may be one of those cases that the mass is extensive and that is why your vet does not want to do them at the same time. I don't know since I have not examined her myself but in most cases I would do both surgeries together. Just my opinion. 2. You need to get her spayed, even at 8 years old. If you don't, then she may end up with more mammary tumors or a pyometra or she may pass away. Yes, a blood test before the spay is indicated absolutely. 3. It should not change her much. If you don't do it then she can certainly die just like a person with breast cancer so you really have no option but to have it done. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I couldn't give you an accurate answer without knowing what went wrong exactly, i have a feeling she had a bad reaction to one of the sedatives, this of course can happen and if this is the case a different sedative should be used next time. if your vet suspects a heart problem he should refer you to a vet cardiologist first. age wise she is fine to have the operation done, but because there was a serious complication you definitely need to wait several months if you do decide to put her through surgery again.