The value of spaying your dog

Have you ever wondered why it is so important to spay your dog? Spaying your female dog has the obvious benefit of preventing unwanted puppies, but it also has many health benefits for the dog as well.  Unspayed female dogs over 8 years of age will frequently develop breast cancers.  50% of these breast cancers are malignant (they are aggressive and can spread to other parts of the body causing illness and death).  The rest of the breast cancers are considered benign.  These tumors may be restricted to the breast tissue, but sometimes become so large they will rupture and bleed.  Female dogs spayed before their first heat cycle have their risk of developing breast cancer reduced to almost zero.  Female dogs spayed after 1 year of age will still have some risk of developing breast cancer, but will still benefit by avoiding the risk of another serious disease called pyometra.
Pyometra is an infection of the lining of the uterus and is very common in unspayed female dogs over 6 years of age.  Pyometra develops when bacteria gets into the uterus creating a large abscess.  Toxins from the multiplying bacteria are absorbed into the blood stream and make the dog feel very ill.  Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, lethargy, decreased appetite, increased water consumption and increased urination.  It can be fatal.  The only treatment is to surgically remove the infected tissue.  Essentially we are forced to spay the dog under emergency conditions when she is already ill.  The risk of surgical complications and therefore the costs are greatly increased over a routine spay on a healthy animal.  Often the question asked, "My dog is 10 years old, is there any real benefit?" The answer is definitely yes!  A routine spay on an older dog is far less risky and far less expensive than treating a pyometra.  Often people wonder if their pet is too old to have anesthesia and surgery.  Advanced age is not necessarily a reason not to do surgery if the pet is otherwise healthy.  We always determine the pet's overall condition by giving a complete physical examination, and doing blood tests to evaluate liver and kidney function.  At the time of the surgery we ensure the pet's safety by using the safest anesthetic agents available to us, using electronic monitors to ensure adequate heart rate and respiration, and intravenous fluids to support the blood pressure.

If your pet has not been spayed please consider these factors.  Having her spayed will help her live longer, healthier, happier life and help you avoid some unexpected expenses down the road.  Please call us at    248-615-7670 if you have any questions.