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Is it safe to breed my dog after she had a mammary tumor removed?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Can I breed a dog that had a mammary gland cancer that was removed

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on March 19th, 2017

Mammary cancer is not normally considered to be a hereditary problem, so to the best of my knowledge this should not be a concern for the puppies. However, in most cases, it is recommended to spay female dogs with a history of mammary cancer because this is a hormonally-driven disease; so, remaining intact and breeding may not be recommended for the mother dog herself. I would recommend discussing this further with your regular veterinarian, since he/she is familiar with the details of your dog's case (what type of cancer she had, how aggressive it was, whether the tumor was completely removed, etc.) and can help you make a more informed decision.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 28th, 2017

    You must check with your vet exactly why they have made this recommendation. It may be that so much tissue was removed to make feeding pups impossible or they may be concerned that the hormones related to being in heat, in pup and lactating may all trigger further tumor growth. In younger females, pregnancy is protective against tumor development and it is recommended to either spay or breed younger and middle age bitches but this is not necessarily the case once tumors or other health conditions have already developed. 8-9years wold be very old for a shepherd to have a first litter

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