Why are my dog's heat cycles frequent & short? Should I spay her?

Question

In last 4-5? months my dog went in heat 3 times and it always seems like it’s lasting only for a week (it is kinda hard to tell with her how much it lasts as she doesn’t show much symptoms other than licking) We are going to the vet in Tuesday but I am still curious what could that be And if we would need to spay her what are the risks with as old dog as her (4 years old). Pet's info: Dog | Japanese Spitz | Female | spayed | 4 years and 1 month old | 11 lbs

Dr. Strydom, DVM · Accepted Answer

Irregular estrus cycling indicates that the ovaries are not functioning properly. So, usually the underlying cause is either an ovarian cyst or a granulosa cell tumor of the ovary. There are other possibilities but they are less common. Usually spaying is the "cure". There is really no higher risk spaying her versus a younger dog as long as she has no other underlying health issues. We spay dogs a lot older than her all the time. If you don't spay her and she continues with abnormal heat cycles her risk of getting a pyometra (life threatening uterine infection) increases exponentially. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Why are my dog's heat cycles frequent & short? Should I spay her?

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