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bitch spay advice leaflet (PDF)

Good reasons to have your bitch spayed

THE ADVANTAGES FOR YOU AND YOUR BITCH.

Neutering a bitch (or spaying) prevents cancer, cysts and infections of the ovaries and womb. Infection of the womb (pyometra) is a particularly serious, life threatening condition requiring emergency surgery. If a bitch is spayed before her first season the incidence of cancer of the mammary glands (breast cancer) is reduced by 99%. If she is spayed before two years of age, the risk is reduced by up to 95%.

"Seasons" or heats are abolished, which means that a bitch will be more contented & less likely to wander. The risk of unwanted pregnancies is removed and false pregnancies stop.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

If the operation is to be performed before the first season the best age is four to five months. Any older than five months and there is a risk that the first season may be about to start thus increasing the surgical risk

In an older bitch the best time is three to five months after the end of a season but not if she is producing milk during a false pregnancy.

The operation involves removal of the ovaries and womb through an incision along the midline of the bitch's abdomen. The length of the incision varies depending on the size of the bitch and healing takes place quickly.

Normally at Orchard we use hidden sutures which are more comfortable post operatively and do not require to be removed. There is a post-operative check at 10 days.

SOME POINTS TO CONSIDER

There is some risk of urinary incontinence in later life particularly in breeds naturally prone to this condition anyway such as Dobermanns and Old English Sheepdogs. The risk is increased in bitches with docked tails and if they are spayed prior to the first season. This condition responds well to medication but in some breeds it may be better to wait until after the first season before spaying.

Some puppies have a mild vaginal discharge which clears up naturally after their first season. In these cases it is important not to spay before the first season.

Some breeds (e.g. cocker spaniels and red setters) may show slight lightening of areas of the coat after a period of time. The change is purely cosmetic & requires no treatment.

OLD WIVES' TALES!

Spaying does not change the character or temperament of a bitch and bitches do not experience 'hot flushes' or any of the adverse effects occasionally seen in humans following the same or similar operations.

Allowing a bitch to have a litter will not settle her down and may even have the opposite effect - an anxious bitch will have anxious puppies. Nor will having a litter stop a bitch having false pregnancies, she will just continue having them once her seasons restart.

Finally, having a bitch spayed will not make her fat. Some people use this as an excuse but in fact it's not surgery that causes the problem, but overfeeding and lack of exercise!

Important points to remember

a bitch's seasons usually start from 6 to 9 months of age

spaying prevents some cancers and life threatening diseases
spaying protects against mammary tumours
once a bitch is spayed she is less likely to roam
spaying does not affect the character of the bitch
having pups will not calm a bitch & may make a nervous bitch worse
having a litter of pups will not stop false pregnancies

Having a litter of pups is not risk free option, either for the bitch or your pocket - caesarean costs start at £600!

Further reading

papers:

Thrusfield MV, Holt PE, Muirhead RH. Acquired urinary incontinence in bitches: its incidence and relationship to neutering practices. J small anim pract. 1998 Dec;39(12):559-66

Stocklin-Gautschi NM, Hassig M, Reichler IM, Hubler M, Arnold S. The relationship of urinary incontinence to early spaying in bitches. J Reprod Fertil Suppl. 2001;57:233-6.

useful web sites:

Effects of Gonadectomy on Health, Behaviour and Performance of Pets

Jack Russell Club of America - excellent summary of the pros and cons of spaying versus breeding.

Family education.com - good balanced advice about neutering.

Orchard veterinary group bitch spay advice leaflet (PDF)

Links:

bitch spay advice leaflet (PDF)

Links:

bitch spay advice leaflet (PDF)

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