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Is it safe to spay an older dog who has had a litter of puppies?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mastiff | Female | unspayed | 6 years and 11 months old | 130 lbs

Is my 7 year old English Mastiff too old to get spayed? She’s had a litter of puppies is it still safe?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on February 18th, 2018

A dog is NEVER too old to be spayed! The spay surgery can be done on any dog that has or has not had puppies. Dogs that are not spayed can get a life-threatening infection of the uterus called pyometra. The cure for most of these cases is an emergency spay, which is done when they are very sick. It is much easier to prevent this disease and spay the dog while they are healthy. Here is some more information on pyometra: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=603

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    Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    She's definitely not too old for spaying and the fact that she's had a litter actually makes the procedure easier in most cases. As long as she's healthy and doesn't have any conditions that would preclude her getting spayed, it will be just as safe as is she were a one year old. Your veterinarian will ensure that she is healthy prior to the surgery and let you know if there are any concerns. I hope that helps and all is well with Sissy.

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