My puppy was spayed at 8 weeks. What health risks should I watch for?

While any anesthesia carries a risk, spaying is generally a very safe procedure. The risks of anesthesia increase as a dog ages (I'm specifically referencing senior dogs like 10 years and older), but there are few risks for a young and healthy puppy. Your vet is right she could be ill in the future if you don't spay her. Not spaying her leaves her at risk of developing a pyometra in the future. This is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment, and spaying the dog is part of the treatment of a pyometra. That surgery is high risk due to the severity of the illness in the dog from the infection, and it costs thousands to perform. In addition, dogs who are spayed are at an increased risk of developing mammary tumors. Of these mammary tumors, 50% of them are malignant. For her health, it is best to spay her now. I would speak with your vet about getting it done. I hope this helps!

Hello. I can understand your anxiety, & there are some studies to suggest that some breeds are better off being neutered after a year or so of age, but for the most part, there is no danger & there is no greater likelihood of advanced disease in these animals. I always remind people that many women need to have hysterectomies for various medical reasons, & while the vast majority of these surgeries happen after puberty, there is no known significant increase in cancer, Alzheimer's, endocrine disease, etc. in these women. You will be hard-pressed to find any veterinarian who has been in practice longer than 20 years who will say there has been an uptick in medical problems in neutered animals. Pets are living longer & healthier lives because of this, & while we are still not making a huge dent in the pet overpopulation program & the number of puppies & kittens euthanized each year, we are trying. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

There is some evidence that waiting until an adult has reached skeletal maturity, which for a female dog occurs around the same time as the first heat cycle, is beneficial for bone and joint development and could decrease the risk for orthopedic disease in the future. This is relatively new research however, and if you have reasons to want to schedule the surgery now it should be fine too - many shelter animals are spayed when they are 8 weeks old prior to adoption.

The veterinary world is still undecided upon the benefits of waiting until after a pet has had a heat cycle relating to the ligaments. For smaller breed dogs, there may not be benefit. We do know there is a benefit as far as cancer reduction in dogs spayed before their first heat cycle. It is true that spaying a pet will decrease the sex hormones and this affects the joint physis. This however tends to be more of a concern for large breed dogs. At only 6.5 kg at four months old, Luna is not very likely to be a big dog. For the most part, when waiting until later to spay or neuter a pet it is involving dogs who are expected to be 34kg or above. I recommend to discuss your concerns with your primary care veterinarian as they will be the best to advise you. In general, maintaining good health of the joints involves maintaining a healthy body weight and feeding an appropriate food. Luna should eat a puppy food until she is about a-year-old. I hope this answers your questions and please feel free to post any additional questions.

No, I wouldn't be scared or nervous! While any surgery has it's risks, it is a routine surgery that vets do every day. It will be much better for her health in the long run, including eliminating the risk of Jade developing a pyometra. This is a life threatening infection of the uterus that is too often fatal. Jade is a young dog, and this surgery is must less complicated in young, healthy dogs. You are doing the right thing by having her spayed, and you can certainly let the vet know you are scared and nervous about it, but Jade should be just fine :-)

Hello. It is nice that you are looking into the risks for Chiquita so you can make sure to decrease the risk chances as much as possible. Size itself is not a reason to not spay an animal. There is no increased risk due to her size, as the drugs and medications and equipment that vet clinics have can easily handle a Great Dane. In terms of carrying her head when they move her, this is a precaution that should be taken in EVERY breed, and one that I would expect most clinics to adhere by. When animals are under anaesthetic they do not have the muscle tone to protect their necks. It is unlikely that even if the head were to 'dangle' it would cause a problem, but the precaution is taken in every animal, more to ensure the tube that she will have to breathe doesn't get misplaced than for her neck. Some Great Danes can have "Wobbler's Disease" which is an instability in the vertebrae in their neck, so for this reason extra care is taken to not exacerbate this. To decrease her risk further I would discuss with your vet about pre-operative bloodwork, ensure she has IV fluids during surgery, and good monitoring (heart rate, blood pressure, SPO2, etc.). I would recommend spaying her as the risks of not-spaying her out-weigh the risks of anaesthetic complications.

It is always best to spay your dog when they are young if you are not planning to breed. Yes, brachycephalic need special care with anesthesia but vets know this and take special precautions. If you don't spay her you are risking her gettting mammary (breast) cancer and/or pyometra (life threatening uterine infection). It is much worse to have to put her under anesthesia later when she is sick rather than now when she is young and healthy. https://www.petcoach.co/article/spaying-ovariohysterectomy-the-benefits-in-dogs/