Do I need to get my dog spayed?

abbey2000

Hi,

I have two pups, one male one female. The female will be 6 months old
in august, the other fella will be 5 months.

I intend to get the little fella neutered, i believe that its best for a male dog for various reasons. And I dont want any baby doggies! But....the question is, given that I am getting him done, do I really need to ger her spayed?

I belive that getting her done is a far more invasive procedure, that it is harder on her due to the nature of the procedure (but maybe im wrong?). I suppose I dont want to put her through it if I dont have to. But what would the situation be regarding her periods? I have never had a female dog before this. Will she bleed a lot, is it very messy? I understand its only every 6 months, is that correct?

And when shes in heat, will she be harder to "control" (not sure if thats even the right way to put it).

What are the pros and cons of not getting her done vs. getting her done?

They are both house dogs, and are contained in the garden, they are not out unsupervised. I do let them off the lead when out walking, but thats out in the country/forest only.

Would appreciate your comments and advice. Thanks.

Bluefrog

You'll get various shades of opinion on this. Mine is, if you don't intend breeding then spaying is the way to go. Yes, it is a more invasive procedure than neutering and none of us likes to see our pets suffer unnecessarily. However, when considering this you also have to consider the possible suffering of her offspring and indeed their offspring down the line should there be an 'accident'.

I think its generally accepted that we have a chronic problem with unwanted dogs in Ireland at this point and I strongly believe it is up to all of us dog lovers to do all we can as individuals to eliminate it for the longterm good of all dogs here.

With medication and good aftercare, discomfort is minimised and I'm sure that the vast majority of people who have gone through this with their dog will tell you that within a few days, their dog was back to her old self.

While I appreciate you have good control of your dog, unfixed male dogs will do just about anything (including traveling great distances) to have their way with her when she's in heat - indeed even fixed ones will show interest and you are very likely to find that your home becomes a focal point for them when she's in heat and taking her out for walks during that time will not be for the feint of heart.

Also, the same basic health considerations apply for female dogs as for their male counterparts - just in female form, removing the possibility of ovarian cancer etc.

As for well documented effect on behaviour improvement for neutering, I have noticed that female dogs can become quite aggressive when in heat so there is a win there too - the abusive form of use of the word 'bitch' is no accident

Toulouse

Completely agree with Bluefrog. My girl is spayed and if I got another in the morning I'd do the exact same. The procedure wasn't bad at all and she was back to herself within a couple of days. Of course I had to take care to lift her onto things until her stitches came out and to keep her as quiet as possible for the first week but after that you'd never even have known she'd had a op.

boomerang

Bear in mind too that even if you neuter your male dog, it'll be a few months after the op at least before he's sterile. So potentially if your female comes into season in the months following your male dog's neutering, he could still get her pregnant.

Also, even though he'll be neutered, that won't stop your male dog taking an interest in her when she's in season. He'll pester her constantly and might even mate her. Seasons themselves are very messy and the amount of male dogs peering in your windows and fighting outside your door is a huge nuisance. And you'd need a home and garden like Fort Knox to stop her springing out to join them.

Working with a rescue that neuters female dogs week in, week out (and having witnessed the operation itself on many occasions) it really is a routine procedure and not that invasive compared to other surgeries. She'll fast the evening before, she'll be in and out the same day, she'll might be a bit groggy that evening and by the following day she'll be pretty much back to her normal self. She'll have a bit of pain relief leaving the surgery and you just have to keep an eye to the incision to make sure it's looking clean and not inflamed. She'll only have a couple of stitches and the vet will take them out for you ten days after the op.

Both my female dogs are neutered and it didn't bother them or harm them one bit.

Hope this reassures you.

abbey2000

Hi All,

Thanks so much for the responses. I think I will get her done, it seems to be the best and safest option all around.

Will save me having to deal with any unwanted babbies, and converting the garden into fort knox!

boomerang

Whereabouts are you? Someone here may be able to recommend the best vet in your local area.