My 8-year-old Maltese: Should I breed her or spay her at this age?

Question

You Hello! I have an 8 y old female Maltese, to be 9 this March. She was never pregnant before, since she’s never showed an interest in other Maltese dogs. She often has these periods where she humps on toys, and a few times in the last couple years she had fake pregnancies. I was wondering for a second opinion about getting her pregnant. Would it be safe at this age? She is youthful and never had any serious health conditions before. However, some vets suggested it would be best to spay her.

Sara Farmer, DVM · Accepted Answer

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.

My 8-year-old Maltese: Should I breed her or spay her at this age?

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