My spayed dog has ovarian remnant syndrome. What are the risks?

I do recommend taking Aarfaa back to where she was spayed to have he remnant removed surgically. This is best performed when she is displaying signs of heat/ season - eg when she has a swollen vulva and or discharge. If it is left she will typically have heat cycles and be attractive to male dogs which can be a nuisance. Potentially she could develop an estrogen linked infection of the stump where here cervix was - this is called a stump pyometra. I understand your concern for putting her through surgery again, but in the long term it will be better for her.

Ovarian remanent syndrome is not a very common condition but it is surgeon-dependent. As far as who is responsible for paying for the surgery if confirmed, that is a conversation you will need to have the surgeon who performed the spay. Legally a veterinarian is not required to cover the cost of the repeat surgery as it is a potential risk after a spay, especially in older, heavier female dogs.

Yes, it's certainly possible that she may be having another heat cycle if she has an ovarian remnant. Dogs tend to cycle every six months or so on average, but there's a lot of individual variation.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Reys. Yes, both ovaries need to be removed. If not, she can still experience signs of heat as well as being prone to an infection in the remaining portion of the uterus. I hope this information helps!

OVH is the most common method of spaying a female dog that most veterinarians will perform. Ovariectomy (OVE) is when just the ovaries are removed. A newer trend that is still being researched on its effects on dogs is the removal of the uterus but leaving the ovaries. The dog will still have heat cycles but is unable to become pregnant. Traditional research has suggested that after going through several heat cycles, dogs are at risk for developing mammary cancer. Until that research is proven wrong otherwise, removing the hormonal influence that the ovaries have on the body helps reduce the risk of mammary cancer according to current research. Spay techniques are surgeon preference, so if your veterinarian would like to leave the ovaries in and remove the uterus, I would discuss this further with him and ask him about the pros and cons of doing such a procedure. Does he know if the risk of mammary cancer is altered in doing this procedure differently? Removing the uterus does not cause any major complications other than urinary incontinence, which does not happen in all spayed female dogs but a good majority do suffer from urinary incontinence due to being spayed. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Trixie. I agree, this does not sound right. It sounds like she is showing heat behaviors, and this can be a sign of an ovarian remnant left behind. I'd have her seen by a vet today or tomorrow for a hormone stimulation test. This will diagnose if she does have an ovarian remnant or not. If she does, she will need surgery to remove it. Best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If your Vet only removed the ovaries then she still has a uterus and that is where the blood comes from. After this heat she will no longer have them because the ovaries are gone and they provide the hormonal influence. If an intact male dog mated with her after the surgery I do not think she will get pregnant as the ovary makes the eggs. I hope this helps!