Neutering Female Dogs
The female dog (or bitch) reaches sexual maturity between five and eighteen months of age depending on the breed and size. The range is so great because of the huge difference in sizes of dogs. Smaller dogs will reach sexual maturity much quicker than the larger breeds. Alongside neutering, it is important to continue with training as your dog reaches sexual maturity otherwise she may become boisterous, disobedient and aggressive.
We routinely spay bitches from five months of age for small and medium breeds and from seven or eight months for the larger breeds before her first season. Spaying removes the ovaries and the uterus (ovariohysterectomy) and thus the ability for your dog to have puppies. If your dog were to come into season before being spayed, then we would need to wait eight weeks after the end of her season before spaying her. This will allow the blood supply to the uterus to decrease and reduce the risk of haemorrhage during or after the surgery.
By having your bitch spayed before her first season you are reducing the risk of her developing mammary cancer by almost 100%. Waiting until after her first or subsequent seasons sees this percentage drop quite dramatically. Another side effect of not spaying her is that she can develop a pyometra. This is a condition where the uterus fills with pus and can be potentially life-threatening. If this were to occur we would have to operate straightaway and the anaesthetic risk is much greater.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will she put on weight following the surgery?
Many owners believe that spaying will cause their dog to become fat and dull. Spaying does not change their behaviour in any dramatic way; in fact it is more likely that she will stay more playful and youthful. However, it is possible that your pet will put on weight. Spaying results in a decrease in metabolic rate (the engine that controls how quickly you burn energy) and so if you continue to feed your dog the same quantity of food she may put on weight. We would normally recommend reducing the amount you feed your dog by 20% initially and having regular weight checks so this can be adjusted as required. We also stock a range of light dog foods that can help if you don’t want to decrease the amount of food you give.
How long does it take?
The actual procedure takes approximately sixty minutes but we will need you to leave her here for the day. The normal procedure is to come to the surgery between 9.00am and 10.00 am and have a consultation with either the vet or nurse. We will then ask you to sign a consent form for the procedure and leave a contact phone number. After she has been admitted to the hospital we will give her a pre-medicant which will make her feel relaxed and a bit sleepy. After this she will receive a full anaesthetic to carry out the procedure. Whilst she is asleep we will give her some more pain relief so her experience here is as pleasant as possible. Once she has recovered from her anaesthesia we will monitor her and usually discharge patients between 4.00pm and 5.00pm.
Will I need to starve her before the operation?
Yes. It is very important that your dog is starved from 8.00pm the evening before her operation. Anaesthetics can cause nausea (feeling sick). If your dog is sick under anaesthetic or in recovery then it is possible he may inhale the vomit which can be very dangerous. A full set of pre-anaesthetic instructions will be given to you when you book the operation.
How much does it cost?
The cost of the operation is £165.00 to £250.00 depending on the size of your dog. This includes the check up with the vet or nurse on the day and the two post operative checks also. It does not include the buster collar which varies from £2.20 to £7.00 depending on the size and type of collar.
Will she have stitches?
The operation is done through an incision on her abdomen. This area will be shaved and usually there are four or five sutures in the skin. There are another two layers of sutures underneath the skin sutures. We will ask that you bring her back two days after the surgery so we can check her wound and make sure she has recovered from the surgery. One week after that we will remove the sutures.
Can she have a microchip at the same time?
We highly recommend you have your dog microchipped and this is definitely a good time to do this if you haven’t done so before. As microchipping involves using a larger needle than normal it can be less distressing to do this procedure whilst your pet is asleep..
Will she need any medication?
She will be given two types of pain killer and some antibiotics during her stay but we will also send her home with some pain relief tablets for a few days; these cost between ?7.00 and ?13.00 depending of her weight. If there are any complications during the surgery then we may need to send her home with a course of antibiotics too.
Will she need a ‘buster’ collar?
We routinely send dogs home with a buster collar following this operation to prevent her interfering with the wound. It is usually best to leave it on until she has her sutures removed unless she is becoming very distressed. We have two types of collar: the original lamp shade and a newer more flexible collar which is more highly tolerated but is a little more expensive.
Can she still eat with the collar on?
Most dogs adjust very quickly to eating with a collar on. As it will be put on whilst she is asleep, we will have time to gauge how she is getting on and we will offer her some food in the afternoon which will give us an indication of how she will cope. It is far less stressful to leave the collar on than to take it off every time she eats.
