My spayed dog shows heat signs. Is her spay surgery incomplete?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If there are no other signs of heat (swollen vulva, swollen teats), then I am concerned for a urinary tract infection. Take Molly and a sample of her urine in to the vet. If there ARE signs that she is in heat, talk to your vet about testing for an ovarian remnant (a few ovary cells left in the body can be enough to trigger a heat sometimes). Best wishes to you and Molly!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Holly cannot get pregnant, but it looks that she is showing ovarian remnant syndrome. This is when a small piece of ovarian tissue is accidentally left inside the abdomen during neutering. If Holly continues to show heat symptoms, she would need another surgery to remove the remaining ovarian tissue from the abdomen.

That is unusual. This may be from spaying her when in heat, and the discharge is just coming out. The hormones also can take up to six weeks to go down so she may be having a false pregnancy even though she’s been spayed. I would watch her closely. These symptoms should resolve over the next few weeks. If the bleeding continues that is not normal and could indicate a problem with the internal incision. If she stops eating, or becomes lethargic then please bring her right in for a recheck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Cleo.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Fiona! I would take her to the Vet during these episode to have hormonal testing done. Cats are unique creatures and they can have extra ovarian tissue that can be missed during a spay. If the test come back confirming this then the Vet can take her back to surgery to find the ectopic tissue. I wish Fiona the best!

I suggest you take her back to the vet for an exam. She may have a piece of ovary that was left behind during surgery that is causing stimulation of the mammary and vulvar tissues. The vet can do some hormone blood testing, a vaginal cytology and/or an abdominal ultrasound to check for this. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/ovarian-remnant-syndrome-in-dogs )

I am sorry for the delay in answering your question. It sounds like you’ve gotten her to the vet by now, and I hope you got some answers. My thought when reading your question is that some dogs will have some remnant ovarian tissue (small amounts ovarian tissue that either is left behind at surgery or is growing elsewhere in the abdomen). Ovarian tissue can cause false pregnancy which could cause these symptoms. A hormone profile test (run on blood) should be able to give your vet information to determine if there is ovarian tissue still present. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Again I apologize for the delay in your answer.

That is unusual behavior for a dog but I do not suspect it is related to her mentally thinking she is in heat. That being said, dogs can have a heat cycle if they were not spayed properly or if they have too many ovaries. Your veterinarian can preform a simple blood test to determine if ovarian tissue is present. Next time she exhibits these symptoms, have her seen while she is showing signs as a blood test is more likely to find evidence of ovaries if they are present. That will at least rule that out. Other potential causes could include Addison’s disease or anxiety. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.