What are the serious health risks if I decide not to spay my dog?

I'm not sure either why your mom is refusing to spay Bella. If you aren't planning on breeding her, it would be a good idea to spay her. When dogs aren't spayed, they can develop a life threatening infection of the uterus called a pyometra. A pyo is extremely serious, and can be fatal even if it's treated. Removing the uterus will prevent a pyometra from happening. If she did develop a pyometra, spaying is the recommended treatment anyway, but the surgery is much more expensive at that point, and it has more risks. Maybe discuss with your mother the health benefits from spaying her to see if she may become more open to the idea.

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!

First off, I'm sorry Maggie has a pyometra! Yes, you are correct that spaying her is the correct way to deal with it, and I do recommend having it done right away. The longer she has the pyometra, the sicker she will become, which will make the surgery more risky. Leaving it untreated is fatal, and in my opinion, it's better to have the surgery done and try to save her life even though you do take the chance she may not survive the surgery. I have seen numerous dogs and cats survive the surgery. One option you have is to euthanize her instead of doing the surgery. This will put her out of her suffering from the pyrometra, but it does mean you lose Maggie for sure. In same cases, such as with an open pyometra, medical treatment with antibiotics can be attempted, but that that often isn't successful and cannot be done with a closed pyometra. Only your vet can determine if medical treatment is an option for her. I would get her into a vet immediately, as the longer you delay trea

Hi again! Thanks for your question. Negatives of having an unsprayed female (intact female) are uterine infections (pyometra) which can be fatal, mammary cancers, ovarian tumors, and a shorter life span because of the development of these issues. One other negative is an undesired pregnancy. Hope this helps!

It's not true that Chihuahuas are not prone to cancer, every dog has the chance of developing cancer. The problem with keeping Peanut unspayed is it will increase her chances of getting mammary tumors, 50% of which are malignant, and she will be at risk of developing a pyometra. A pyometra is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. When a dog develops a pyometra, it requires an emergency spay which can cost thousands. If you spay her now, it would only be a couple of hundred dollars. As I said above, if you keep her upspayed, you will actually be increasing her risk of cancer. A dog who is spayed before her first heat has a 0.8% chance of developing mammary tumors. One who is spayed after her first heat has an 8% chance, while a dog who is spayed after her second and any subsequent heats has a 25% chance. You can see that's quite an increase in risk. It's best for her health to have her spayed, and I strongly urge you to get it done. Best of luck.

I believe it would be better to have an ultrasound done first, preferably by a specialist, to confirm there is indeed a uterine infection. i have seen in the past cases such as Olive, where other symptoms of pyometra where absent (normal bloods, normal xray, no excessive urination, no vaginal discharge) and the dog ended up having a uterine infection after all, it can be sometimes difficult to diagnose. on the other hand these symptoms could fit many other diseases and in her condition it might be a little risky to put her through a surgery, especially if your vet is not 100% sure. at the end of the day it's up to you but you do need to make a fast decision.

Pyometra is a serious and life threatening (if not treated) Infection of the uterus. Surgery after stabilization of clinical condition is definitively what is needed to save her life. Infection can be potentially spread and become systemic. Weakness is probably due to high temperature and to generalized illness. I am not sure if your veterinarian suggested that, but surgical treatment is needed. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hello. I can understand your anxiety, & there are some studies to suggest that some breeds are better off being neutered after a year or so of age, but for the most part, there is no danger & there is no greater likelihood of advanced disease in these animals. I always remind people that many women need to have hysterectomies for various medical reasons, & while the vast majority of these surgeries happen after puberty, there is no known significant increase in cancer, Alzheimer's, endocrine disease, etc. in these women. You will be hard-pressed to find any veterinarian who has been in practice longer than 20 years who will say there has been an uptick in medical problems in neutered animals. Pets are living longer & healthier lives because of this, & while we are still not making a huge dent in the pet overpopulation program & the number of puppies & kittens euthanized each year, we are trying. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

Spaying her may not significantly decrease her risk of developing mammary gland tumors at this age, but it would definitely prevent a pyometra in the future. If her blood work is normal and her physical exam is "clear", she should be spayed. Your vet can tailor an anesthetic protocol taking Miny's age into consideration.

Hello. It is nice that Fiffy now has a home with someone so caring. Risks of spaying include risk of anaesthesia, risks of infection and wound break-down after surgery, as well as bleeding in surgery. Risks of not spaying Fiffy include increased risks of cancers, HIGH RISK of pyometra (a life-threatening infection of the uterus that requires emergency surgery to correct), and pregnancy (which in an older dog can be life-threatening). I feel that unless there are medical conditions determined on physical exam prior to surgery that would suggest that she is unstable for anaesthesia, spaying her is less risky than waiting and possibly having an emergency surgery later on. Have a veterinarian perform a complete physical examination on Fiffy, and bloodwork prior to surgery to rule out any underlying disease, and if that is all normal I would recommend having Fiffy spayed.