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Is it safe to spay my 2-year-old chihuahua mix, and when should I?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | unspayed | 2 years and 9 months old | 15 lbs

How to decide if and when I should spay my 2year 9 mo. old chihuahua terrier mix

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 8th, 2020

I highly recommend it! It prevents Aaylah from getting a pyometra later in life. This is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. It doesn't happen to every intact dog, but the chance is there, and it costs thousands to treat. I'd have her spayed as soon as possible, before her next heat. I hope this helps!

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

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I'm getting concern about getting my pup spay or not. Chihuahua are not prone to cancer, from what I read and she's not agressive, we live in an apartment not surround by other dogs. Why should I put her throught that amoung of stress an pain?
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.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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At what age should I neuter my dog? She's 4 months old, female chihuahua. I was told by one vet that she can be neutered at 6 months even before her first period. Another told me not to neuter her before she is 4 years old because she can gain weigh
Having her spayed at 4 years of age is taking a big chance health wise, she will be in high risk of mammary gland tumors. i would personally recommend having her spayed at the age of 6 months, before her first period. changes you can expect is mainly weight gain, but as long as you are on top of it she should not become obese.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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I notice vaginal discharge in my 9 years old dog. We went to the vet and told me there are lots of reasons of the discharge and she recommend to spay my dog. But I'm scared she's a chihuahua so small and a surgery makes me worry a lot. Does she reall
This vaginal discharge could be due to a pyometra, which is a life threatening infection of the uterus. Spaying the dog is part of the recommended treatment, as that is the most successful way to treat a pyometra. Vets do surgery on many different sizes of dogs routinely, and while I understand being worried, many chihuahuas are spayed without problem. Any surgery does carry it's own risk, but if your vet thinks this is the best option for your dog, I recommend listening to your vet's recommendations. I hope this helps you!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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I have two female dogs ages 9 and 11 years old and are to be spayed in a few days! Will it be safe at their ages as they are very healthy and up to date on everything and well cared for! My vet recommended spay even at their ages I just worry because
I know how stressful surgery can be. It is true that spaying your pets will prevent any future pyometra event. This is key to your pets health moving forward. I think that the pros outweigh the cons when you are considering spaying your fur babies. As long as their bloodwork looks good, your vet is experienced spaying older pets, and your vet has a safe senior protocol to use for the pre-anesthetic drugs (i.e. Midazolam + Butorphanol), then they will have minimal risks involved with surgery. Best wishes with your fur babies moving forward and I hope that their surgeries go as planned with no complications. Take care!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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What do I need to do to have my year old female chi fixed?
You need to call and make an appointment with a veterinarian to have her spayed. If she has come into heat already, wait about 3 months afterwards to have this done. If she has not come into heat yet, schedule this asap. Make sure they offer blood work and an IV catheter with fluids for the procedure. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Happy easter everybody! My Chihuahua Gracie is 5 months old , born November 11th.. when should I get her spayed? And can she come home the same day? She's 5 lbs .. out make Chihuahua mix he came home the same day but it's a male and he's 18 pounds, 1
Happy Easter to you too! Normally, it's best to have female dogs spayed between the ages of 4 - 6 months, so she should be ready to have this done now. And yes, a spay is usually an outpatient procedure that does not require an overnight stay at most clinics - but you can double-check with your vet's office about their policy to be sure :)
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Is it absolutely necessary to spay my dog? I am not going to breed her. We live in an apartment with no yard. She is always on a leash. What age is the oldest that I can spay her?
IT is highly recommended for a few reasons. If your dog hasn't yet gone into heat or has only had one heat cycle, we can reduce the risk of her developing mammary cancer in the future by spaying her. After several heat cycles spaying doesn't affect this, so that benefit will be lost the longer you wait to spay her, but there is no age after which spaying isn't allowed, and the other main benefit to spaying is to eliminate the chance of pyometra, a dangerous uterine infection that can be life threatening and require emergency surgery. For this reason alone, it is recommended to spay all female dogs.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Health & Wellbeing
I have a 3month+ old mix jindo female pup, and the last visit to the vet brought up the topic of spaying. I am just worried if this is the good age ? Since internet has so much different opinions from right age to not at all.
Great question! I definitely recommend spaying Coffee. There are many health benefits to spaying her, including an elimination the chance of her developing a pyometra later in life. A pyometra is an infection of the uterus. that is fatal without treatment, which includes spaying her to remove the source of the infection. Another health benefit is a significant reduction in the chance of developing mammary tumors. When you spay a dog before her first heat, she has a 0.8% chance of developing them. After her first heat, it jumps to 8%, and then jumps to 25% after her second and subsequent heat. Puppies Coffee's age can be safely spayed, but you can wait until she is closer to six months old if you'd like. I'd just make sure to have it done before her first. heat. Puppies can go into heat for the first time anytime after six months of age. I hope this helps you!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Health & Wellbeing
My pug COCO is 8 months 2 days old. when is the right time to spay her? Can i spay her after a year or it will be a life risk for her? i know some people whose dogs died in such complex operations, so i am a bit anxious about that.
Great question! I would spay Coco now. It's best to spay a dog before their first heat because it significantly reduces their risk of developing mammary tumors later in life. When a dog is spayed before her first heat, the chance of them getting mammary tumors is 0.8%. When they are spayed after their second heat, the risk increases to 8%. After the second heat, then it goes up even further to 25%. It is a routine surgery that vets perform, and while every surgery carries a risk, it is generally safe. I would speak to a vet about getting her spayed as soon as possible. Good luck, I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Hi My dog’s breed is bichon frise, she is 7 Month old and she has not been spay yet , I'm so scared of anesthesia and her doctor told me if you don’t spay her , she may be ill in the future , What should I do?
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!
Updated on September 24th, 2025

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