My small dog has vaginal discharge. Is spaying really necessary?

Your poor pup! If she isn't spayed, I would be very concerned that she has a pyometra. This is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment, and it would cause a white discharge as well as vomiting. It sounds like your vet may have been suspicious she had a pyometra and tried treating it medically with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Unfortunately the medical route often isn't successful, and surgery is needed to treat it. This means spaying her. I would take her back into the vet immediately, as this is a medical emergency. Best of luck.

It's not true that Chihuahuas are not prone to cancer, every dog has the chance of developing cancer. The problem with keeping Peanut unspayed is it will increase her chances of getting mammary tumors, 50% of which are malignant, and she will be at risk of developing a pyometra. A pyometra is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. When a dog develops a pyometra, it requires an emergency spay which can cost thousands. If you spay her now, it would only be a couple of hundred dollars. As I said above, if you keep her upspayed, you will actually be increasing her risk of cancer. A dog who is spayed before her first heat has a 0.8% chance of developing mammary tumors. One who is spayed after her first heat has an 8% chance, while a dog who is spayed after her second and any subsequent heats has a 25% chance. You can see that's quite an increase in risk. It's best for her health to have her spayed, and I strongly urge you to get it done. Best of luck.

I highly recommend it! It prevents Aaylah from getting a pyometra later in life. This is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. It doesn't happen to every intact dog, but the chance is there, and it costs thousands to treat. I'd have her spayed as soon as possible, before her next heat. I hope this helps!

If there is a discolored discharge, then she will need to see a vet. If there is an infected uterus, antibiotics keep it at bay but generally do not clear it completely. Often times surgery to spay her is indicated along with antibiotics. IF it goes untreated it can make her very ill and be life threatening.

I am so sorry that you are exeoeriencing these problems with Wiggles I am sure it's very upsetting. Because mammary tumours are Hormone linked I would advise spaying her when she has the tumours removed. The last thing you would want is for Wiggles to have another mammary tumour in the future and therefore another surgery. For anaesthetics for older dogs many precautions are taken. Your veterinarian will discuss these with you to help put your mind at ease. They include blood pressure monitoring and intravenous fluid treatment before, during and after the surgery. I believe this is the best course of action and I send you the best of luck.

Hi ! If Holly is well in herself, eating bright passing normal feaces and urine, I would not worry. A little bit of vaginal discharge is expected folllowing the surgery and should gradually decrease and disappear. It can take sometimes a couple of weeks for it to settle completely. The wound is also healing very well. I hope this helps ! Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach !

It's a little difficult to see for certain in the picture, but I do see a fluid filled structure in the photo near the urinary bladder that certainly could be the uterus. In your final picture the discharge on the ground does not look what I would typically expect from vaginitis. You may want to get a third opinion from a veterinarian if you're concerned about going forward with surgery. If it is a uterine infection it is unlikely to clear with antibiotics alone and even if it does the infection returns with the next heat cycle, so I typically recommend surgery whenever I am concerned about a pyometra.