Female dog neutering
What happens when a female dog is neutered?
When a female dog is spayed they are admitted to the practice for the day. They receive a general anaesthetic for the procedure and their pain is managed with multiple types of pain relief (multi-modal analgesia). The operation is performed when the vet makes an incision into the patient’s abdominal cavity. They then remove the patient’s uterus and ovaries (ovariohysterectomy). The patient’s abdominal cavity is closed with sutures. These are often placed under the skin so that there are no sutures to be removed and they will dissolve over time.
The patient will usually go home the same day, and you will be advised to rest them and continue pain relief at home.
Why get your female dog spayed?
There are advantages and disadvantages to having your dog spayed.
Here are some of the advantages:
Prevention of seasons - no bleeding indoors associated with coming into season
No risk of pregnancy and the associated risks
Reduction in the risk of mammary gland (breast) tumours (the risk reduction is greater the earlier they are spayed)
Prevention of pyometra (womb infection) which can be a life threatening condition
Prevention of ovarian or uterine tumours
No false pregnancies
Disadvantages include:
Increased risk of urinary incontinence. The timing of spaying has an effect on this, with a recent RVC study demonstrating that bitches spayed between 7 and 18 months of age have 0.80 times the likelihood of developing urinary incontinence than an intact female. This is 20% lower than those spayed between 3 and 6 months of age.
A tendency to gain weight after neutering. We recommend patients are weighed regularly and their diet is tailored to them to keep them at a healthy weight.
Some large breeds are at greater risk of developing orthopaedic diseases in later life if they are neutered, especially when they are neutered early before they are fully grown.
Should I have my dog neutered?
This is a choice that only yourself, the owner, can make. It is generally recommended that female dogs are spayed to prevent unwanted pregnancies and also the risk of pyometra later in life. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to the procedure and it is advisable to be aware of the facts before making a decision. Sometimes an appointment to talk this through with one of our veterinary surgeons can be helpful.
What is a laparoscopic spay?
This is performed using a keyhole method, and only the ovaries are removed (ovariectomy). The recovery times can be faster than a traditional spay, although it is not recommended for patients where there is a risk of uterine disease.We do not perform this procedure at Hill Park, and would refer to a specialist referral centre if you would like to choose this option for your pet.
When is the right time to neuter my female dog?
Age of neutering is largely dependent on breed, and also on an owner and their pet’s individual circumstances. We refer to the “Frontiers” study on neutering age as a point of reference, which can be viewed here. As a general rule the larger the breed the later they should be neutered. Choosing age of neutering is a balancing act as there are pros and cons for having the procedure at different ages.
It is important your dog is not neutered while she is in season. At this time there is an increased blood supply to the reproductive organs, meaning there is a higher risk of haemorrhage and the associated complications. There is also more risk of hormonal issues post operatively. Depending on the age of neutering we would usually recommend either spaying your dog around 6 months of age - before their first season, or waiting until about 3 months after a season.
What are the risks of the surgery itself?
Neutering of female dogs is a very commonly performed procedure, meaning most vets have had plenty of experience performing the procedure. According to the latest NASAN (National Audit for Small Animal Neutering) report (2024) 74.37% of bitch spays performed had no complications. 13.25% had minor complications post operatively which required no further action and 11.2% required additional medication post operatively. 1.01% required surgical intervention post operatively. 0.16% of spays ended in fatality, this is equivalent to 1 in 625 cases.
Your pet will also receive something called an ASA classification. This allows us to further assess the risk to your pet. Pets with an ASA classification of “I” are those with no known health conditions and are the least at risk from anaesthesia. The risk increases as the ASA classification increases.
It is important to note that brachycephalic breeds (such as French bulldogs and pugs) have an ASA classification of at least “II” and are automatically at a higher risk than non-brachycephalic breeds. This is due to their conformation.
In addition, the use of diagnostic tools available to us, such as pre anaesthetic blood tests, can help us to screen patients for disease processes that may complicate an anaesthetic and surgery further.
Please contact us if you have any further questions!
Sources:
British Veterinary Association (BVA)
Think Anaesthesia
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Knowledge
Frontiers in Veterinary Science
Royal Veterinary College (RVC)
