Benefits of spaying your dog
Spaying (ovariohysterectomy) is a procedure that involves surgical
removal of your dog's ovaries and uterus. This surgery may be performed at
any age, but the preferable age is between 6-12 months. There is NO
medical evidence to suggest that your dog will benefit in any way from
going through a heat cycle or having a litter prior to being spayed.
Spaying can provide you and your dog with the following benefits:
- Eliminates "heat" cycles and therefore eliminates the
bloody discharge and odor associated with being "in heat."
- Stops neighborhood male dogs from being attracted to your dog
because of her "heat."
- When performed PRIOR to the first or second heat, spaying
greatly reduces the risk of future mammary cancer, one of the most
common cancers of female dogs.
- Eliminates the risk of future ovarian and uterine cancer.
- Eliminates the risk of pyometra (pus-filled uterus), a serious
uterine infection which usually requires emergency surgery. This is a
common problem in older, un-spayed, female dogs.
- Eliminates the problem of "false" pregnancy experienced by
many dogs. This is a normal occurence in female dogs following a heat
cycle. this condition mimics pregnancy, complete with mammary
development and milk production.
- Helps control the pet population crisis by avoiding unwanted
pregnancies. Millions of unwanted pets are destroyed in animal
shelters every year across the country.
There are many good reasons to have your dog spayed early in life.
Unless you are convinces that you would like to show and breed your dog,
we recommend spaying at the earliest convenient time.
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