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Is it better to spay my Saint Bernard before or after her first heat?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Saint Bernard | Female | unspayed | 11 months and 29 days old | 100 lbs

When is best time to spay my Saint Bernard ? Before or after first heat cycle?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 15th, 2018

Great question! I personally recommend before the first heat cycle. This is because the risk of mammary tumors increases if you spay after the first heat. If you spay before the first heat, the risk is 0.8%. It then jumps to 8% if you spay after the first heat, and then a significant jump to 25% if you spay after the second or any subsequent heat. I see that your dog is almost a year old, so I would consider getting her spayed sometime soon. I hope this helps!

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2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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