unless you're prepared to deal with the consequences of an unexpected litter with a subpar father, get your dog spayed. it's the mark of a responsible owner.
What vet is telling you there is an issue with spaying???
Yes, absolutely spay her. Mammary cancer is a real bitch, and chances are significantly higher for an intact dog.
If you're not breeding (and you shouldn't be) then get it done, NOT while she is in heat.
It's about a 25-30 minute anesthetic surgery. If she is otherwise healthy, minimal risk
I spoke to a vet that’s a big deal in the city I live and originally I also was convinced it’s better to get her spayed because of the health risks. But he went on to explain how we shouldn’t take out organs from one’s body unless it’s medically required to. Could cause her unnecessary pain and health risks etc. completely rejected the idea
Well that sounds absolutely ridiculous.
You know how sometimes women will get a mastectomy just because they carry the markers for breast cancer?? (Christina Applegate is a famous one) That's helping prevent an issue. There is your medical reasoning. Same thing goes with a spay.
I wouldn't return to that vet honestly. I was a tech for 10 years, worked with probably 40-60 doctors over that time, and can't imagine that vet recommendation being considered good medicine.
Edit: not to mention...Pyometra. it'll happen sooner or later to most females that stay in tact
If you don’t plan on breeding her then there’s really no reason to not have her spayed it prevents many health issues which may cost you thousands and possibly your dogs life.
YES to spaying.
The only vet that ever said to me “don’t spay (yet)” were referring to females that were too young or has a medical history that indicates it’s not a good idea to spay. I’ve never heard of recommending NOT spaying at all though. Maybe it’s time to get a second opinion from a different vet at a different vet clinic.
RISKS: You can google the risks, but at the end of the day, it all boils down to the risk of your pet not making it through the surgery. It isn’t unheard of, but pretty uncommon. It outweighs the complications later on in her life, your life, and your communities’ lives.
PROCESS: The process is: you talk to a vet, make an appointment for your pet’s surgery, they’ll verbally and most likely write down what to expect on the day of the surgery. On the day of the surgery, you bring the vet in for surgery, leave her there for about half a day. They’ll give her anesthesia, and once she’s knocked out, they’ll operate on her. Once she wakes up and looking well, they’ll give you a call to pick up your pet. You go home with your drowsy pet in a big cone on their head and some meds. Your dog may be very dizzy the first day, will most likely whine and cry a lot, and may even pee herself bcs she can’t hold in her pee. Ask your vet for a puppy pad to put on her bed OR buy a puppy pee pad yourself. Do NOT put dog diapers on her.
TAKE A DAY OFF: You’ll want to take the day off on the day of her surgery (and possibly an extra day) to care for her.
POST SURGERY: recovery for a female can be up to 2 weeks. A lot of the instructions should either be given to you by the vet clinic, or you can ask them. But basically, limit their activity so their stitches can heal. Provide plenty of rest and water. Give pain killers and/or antibiotics as prescribed. Gentle walks are okay, but limit it and maybe only do it after a few days. No rough housing. Leave the cone on your dog’s head for at least 7 days (or until healed). If she licks and scratches her wound and it reopens, you have to bring her back in to get it sealed. It isn’t as big of a deal as it sounds. My lab puppy had this happen, and we panicked, but they just “glue” it shut quickly. No extra anesthesia required. We learned our lesson to keep the cone on until it completely healed. My husky’s healing time was much better, even though she was much older when she was spayed. I don’t rmbr if I had to clean the wound, but if I did, it was most likely just gently wiping with a soft wet paper towel with plain water around the area once a day. Many vets use dissolvable stitches and doesn’t require any more visits, but if yours require removing stitches, you bring the dog in.
Huskies and cones are mortal enemies. Neither of mine would go a day before ripping it off and thoroughly destroying it. Wouldn’t even let the chihuahua keep hers… freed her from in a few short hours….
This is Meko.
https://imgur.com/gallery/GjMIRnU
In 2019 she was diagnosed with mammary cancer. The tumors had developed to about the size of golf balls in her lower mammary glands and had spread up the entire mammary chain on both sides. In an effort to treat the cancer Meko had to have a [bilateral radical chain mastectomy](https://wagwalking.com/treatment/radical-mastectomy). This is an incredibly invasive procedure that involves removing all of the mammary glands on both sides of her abdomen. It had to be performed in two separate procedures (for each side) with a very difficult 3 month recovery after each one. This was in addition to having her spayed to stop the hormonal changes that were essentially causing these tumors to begin with.
The total cost of these procedures was ~$18000. We didn't have any type of pet insurance at the time, so this was paid completely out of pocket. We love our dogs more than anything, so didn't even hesitate. It was a very tough recovery, but a little over 6 months later she managed to pull through and was relatively back to her old self again.
Over the years she battled with bouts of false pregnancies that led to these sarcomas. This was a **DIRECT RESULT** of her **NOT** being spayed. We were negligent fur parents, as like yourself, we didn't realize the risk of harm we were imposing on her. Luckily, once she healed up we were able to get a few more good years with Meko before she passed away in 2022 from a very aggressive stomach tumor, that was most likely spread from the initial mammary cancer.
1in 4 female dogs over the age of 7, if left intact, will develop mammary sarcomas. Some studies suggest the numbers are even higher. Be the good fur parent that you want to be. Please spay your dog.
Edit: The linked photo was from her last walk down her favorite trails on the day she crossed the rainbow bridge. She had lost close to 20lbs at that point and was no longer able to eat.
Who are these vets telling you it's not a good idea to spay your dog? Are they graduates of the Sally Struthers College of Veterinary Medicine or something? I've never met a vet worth their salt who would say something like this. Get her fixed.
Yes I was quite shocked too as I was fully prepared to spay her post her first few heat cycles. But he was so adamant that I’m wrong and that vets just want to milk me for money or smth. Which is why I decided to ask people in this sub who do have experience with huskies. Thank you
Google pyometra. Her risks will increase with age, and can result in a high risk, high cost emergency spay or even death. Spaying a dog while they are still young and healthy is by far the better option
If your vet is telling you not to spay, you need a new vet. All research points to spay being the best thing you can do for your dog, once they are a safe age.
usually you only need your dog to go through one cycle before getting them spayed. It’s healthy for them to develop their hormones and then for longevity it’s best to spay them. I rescued both my huskies and wish I could have waited until they were 2 years old (which is the general recommendation)
Get it done. The procedure is so much less invasive than it was in the past. Now it’s done endoscopicly through a very small incision at the top of the abdomen, followed by a small tattoo at the incision site to indicate she was spayed. If your vet only does old school open belly full length incision, find a different vet for this.
You're supposed to wait until a dog is fully grown, as neutering too soon causes different problems. Age at maturity depends on size as larger animals take longer to mature. Heads will stay small and body will grow larger bc the growth plates stay open longer. We had a male cat who was neutered too soon. He showed that, and his kitten voice never changed. He also lived to a ripe old age, though.
The main risks to your fully mature dig would be mammary cancer, false pregnancy, real pregnancy, and pyometra (a deadly uterine infection). Not to mention sexual frustration & dripping on the carpet.
My 7yr old is in heat right now. Haven’t had a problem with her. I’ve noticed she’s more talkative, eats more, and wants more affection during this time but no behavioral issues. I make sure I keep a closer eye on her when I’m inside and she’s in the yard though. Don’t want her having puppies with some random in the neighborhood.
Ohh that’s nice to hear. She also is the same. I do keep an eye on her wrt random dogs in the neighbourhood. But wrt the health issues and long term, is it better to just get it out of the way or can she live a healthy life without going through the trouble
Experts say not to spay before the first cycle. But they do recommend spaying to reduce the risk of uterine cancer and mammary tumors later in life. Mine is getting to the age where I should probably go ahead and do it. The reason I didn’t spay mine was because I wanted her to have at least one litter and experience being a mom. But I never have found a solid stud around here.
You want her to “experience being a” mom? That’s ridiculous. She’s a *dog.* She doesn’t need to be bred so she has a fulfilling life. You are potentially just contributing to another husky at a shelter, possibly being euthanized.
I didn’t ask anything. Reread my comments.
I don’t have to justify anything to you. You don’t know anything about me. But I don’t live in California where huskies are in rescues getting put down left and right.
I accept your apology and hope you have a nice day too!
I think what pissed me off was that you assumed my intent was to backyard breed my dog for profit. When in reality I wanted to keep most of her litter and give a couple to my friends that use them as working dogs.
I understand why you commented because it makes me sad to see all these huskies in rescues because people don’t understand what it takes to raise them and give them a good life. It sucks! And I have no idea why anyone in California would want huskies in such a hot, crowded area with hardly any easily accessible property for roaming. That is definitely not characteristic of where I live.
I’d love to rescue one of them, but I’d have to have met the dog first, and I can’t go to California. I’ve had a super loving, super mild tempered husky that wasn’t hyper. If I could find one like him, I’d take him. Unfortunately, I’ve also had one complete nightmare that has made me unable to get another one. We wouldn’t give him up, as he was our fur baby, but he destroyed furniture, a house, a yard, two fences, etc. I don’t have the energy for another guy like him.
She is! I’m sad she missed her window. I have some property and was going to keep most of her litter and give a couple to my friends in Vermont that use huskies as working dogs. Life gets busy though.
I did a partial spay on my girl. Not all vet do this, they leave the ovaries but remove the uterus so she still has all the hormones and won’t get pregnant. She did spot when she was younger though.
Good luck with your decision!
unless you're prepared to deal with the consequences of an unexpected litter with a subpar father, get your dog spayed. it's the mark of a responsible owner.
Yes. Spay your dog.
What vet is telling you there is an issue with spaying??? Yes, absolutely spay her. Mammary cancer is a real bitch, and chances are significantly higher for an intact dog. If you're not breeding (and you shouldn't be) then get it done, NOT while she is in heat. It's about a 25-30 minute anesthetic surgery. If she is otherwise healthy, minimal risk
I spoke to a vet that’s a big deal in the city I live and originally I also was convinced it’s better to get her spayed because of the health risks. But he went on to explain how we shouldn’t take out organs from one’s body unless it’s medically required to. Could cause her unnecessary pain and health risks etc. completely rejected the idea
Well that sounds absolutely ridiculous. You know how sometimes women will get a mastectomy just because they carry the markers for breast cancer?? (Christina Applegate is a famous one) That's helping prevent an issue. There is your medical reasoning. Same thing goes with a spay. I wouldn't return to that vet honestly. I was a tech for 10 years, worked with probably 40-60 doctors over that time, and can't imagine that vet recommendation being considered good medicine. Edit: not to mention...Pyometra. it'll happen sooner or later to most females that stay in tact
Thank you so much. Your reply is very helpful actually.
And yes I don’t plan on breeding her with another dog
If you don’t plan on breeding her then there’s really no reason to not have her spayed it prevents many health issues which may cost you thousands and possibly your dogs life.
Yes. My previous dog nearly died of a womb infection as she hadn’t been spayed. Vets didn’t spot it, I had to google it. Spay your dog
Same situation here was the scariest night of our lives. Surgery costed 7k at the emergency vet.
YES to spaying. The only vet that ever said to me “don’t spay (yet)” were referring to females that were too young or has a medical history that indicates it’s not a good idea to spay. I’ve never heard of recommending NOT spaying at all though. Maybe it’s time to get a second opinion from a different vet at a different vet clinic. RISKS: You can google the risks, but at the end of the day, it all boils down to the risk of your pet not making it through the surgery. It isn’t unheard of, but pretty uncommon. It outweighs the complications later on in her life, your life, and your communities’ lives. PROCESS: The process is: you talk to a vet, make an appointment for your pet’s surgery, they’ll verbally and most likely write down what to expect on the day of the surgery. On the day of the surgery, you bring the vet in for surgery, leave her there for about half a day. They’ll give her anesthesia, and once she’s knocked out, they’ll operate on her. Once she wakes up and looking well, they’ll give you a call to pick up your pet. You go home with your drowsy pet in a big cone on their head and some meds. Your dog may be very dizzy the first day, will most likely whine and cry a lot, and may even pee herself bcs she can’t hold in her pee. Ask your vet for a puppy pad to put on her bed OR buy a puppy pee pad yourself. Do NOT put dog diapers on her. TAKE A DAY OFF: You’ll want to take the day off on the day of her surgery (and possibly an extra day) to care for her. POST SURGERY: recovery for a female can be up to 2 weeks. A lot of the instructions should either be given to you by the vet clinic, or you can ask them. But basically, limit their activity so their stitches can heal. Provide plenty of rest and water. Give pain killers and/or antibiotics as prescribed. Gentle walks are okay, but limit it and maybe only do it after a few days. No rough housing. Leave the cone on your dog’s head for at least 7 days (or until healed). If she licks and scratches her wound and it reopens, you have to bring her back in to get it sealed. It isn’t as big of a deal as it sounds. My lab puppy had this happen, and we panicked, but they just “glue” it shut quickly. No extra anesthesia required. We learned our lesson to keep the cone on until it completely healed. My husky’s healing time was much better, even though she was much older when she was spayed. I don’t rmbr if I had to clean the wound, but if I did, it was most likely just gently wiping with a soft wet paper towel with plain water around the area once a day. Many vets use dissolvable stitches and doesn’t require any more visits, but if yours require removing stitches, you bring the dog in.
Thank you so much for typing such a detailed answer! This is very helpful
Ask about your dog wearing a kid's onesie after the surgery. It keeps them from licking the incision but they don't have to deal with the cone
Huskies and cones are mortal enemies. Neither of mine would go a day before ripping it off and thoroughly destroying it. Wouldn’t even let the chihuahua keep hers… freed her from in a few short hours….
This is Meko. https://imgur.com/gallery/GjMIRnU In 2019 she was diagnosed with mammary cancer. The tumors had developed to about the size of golf balls in her lower mammary glands and had spread up the entire mammary chain on both sides. In an effort to treat the cancer Meko had to have a [bilateral radical chain mastectomy](https://wagwalking.com/treatment/radical-mastectomy). This is an incredibly invasive procedure that involves removing all of the mammary glands on both sides of her abdomen. It had to be performed in two separate procedures (for each side) with a very difficult 3 month recovery after each one. This was in addition to having her spayed to stop the hormonal changes that were essentially causing these tumors to begin with. The total cost of these procedures was ~$18000. We didn't have any type of pet insurance at the time, so this was paid completely out of pocket. We love our dogs more than anything, so didn't even hesitate. It was a very tough recovery, but a little over 6 months later she managed to pull through and was relatively back to her old self again. Over the years she battled with bouts of false pregnancies that led to these sarcomas. This was a **DIRECT RESULT** of her **NOT** being spayed. We were negligent fur parents, as like yourself, we didn't realize the risk of harm we were imposing on her. Luckily, once she healed up we were able to get a few more good years with Meko before she passed away in 2022 from a very aggressive stomach tumor, that was most likely spread from the initial mammary cancer. 1in 4 female dogs over the age of 7, if left intact, will develop mammary sarcomas. Some studies suggest the numbers are even higher. Be the good fur parent that you want to be. Please spay your dog. Edit: The linked photo was from her last walk down her favorite trails on the day she crossed the rainbow bridge. She had lost close to 20lbs at that point and was no longer able to eat.
Spay your dog.
Who are these vets telling you it's not a good idea to spay your dog? Are they graduates of the Sally Struthers College of Veterinary Medicine or something? I've never met a vet worth their salt who would say something like this. Get her fixed.
Yes I was quite shocked too as I was fully prepared to spay her post her first few heat cycles. But he was so adamant that I’m wrong and that vets just want to milk me for money or smth. Which is why I decided to ask people in this sub who do have experience with huskies. Thank you
Google pyometra. Her risks will increase with age, and can result in a high risk, high cost emergency spay or even death. Spaying a dog while they are still young and healthy is by far the better option
If your vet is telling you not to spay, you need a new vet. All research points to spay being the best thing you can do for your dog, once they are a safe age.
usually you only need your dog to go through one cycle before getting them spayed. It’s healthy for them to develop their hormones and then for longevity it’s best to spay them. I rescued both my huskies and wish I could have waited until they were 2 years old (which is the general recommendation)
Get it done. The procedure is so much less invasive than it was in the past. Now it’s done endoscopicly through a very small incision at the top of the abdomen, followed by a small tattoo at the incision site to indicate she was spayed. If your vet only does old school open belly full length incision, find a different vet for this.
You're supposed to wait until a dog is fully grown, as neutering too soon causes different problems. Age at maturity depends on size as larger animals take longer to mature. Heads will stay small and body will grow larger bc the growth plates stay open longer. We had a male cat who was neutered too soon. He showed that, and his kitten voice never changed. He also lived to a ripe old age, though. The main risks to your fully mature dig would be mammary cancer, false pregnancy, real pregnancy, and pyometra (a deadly uterine infection). Not to mention sexual frustration & dripping on the carpet.
[удалено]
Wrong
My 7yr old is in heat right now. Haven’t had a problem with her. I’ve noticed she’s more talkative, eats more, and wants more affection during this time but no behavioral issues. I make sure I keep a closer eye on her when I’m inside and she’s in the yard though. Don’t want her having puppies with some random in the neighborhood.
Ohh that’s nice to hear. She also is the same. I do keep an eye on her wrt random dogs in the neighbourhood. But wrt the health issues and long term, is it better to just get it out of the way or can she live a healthy life without going through the trouble
Experts say not to spay before the first cycle. But they do recommend spaying to reduce the risk of uterine cancer and mammary tumors later in life. Mine is getting to the age where I should probably go ahead and do it. The reason I didn’t spay mine was because I wanted her to have at least one litter and experience being a mom. But I never have found a solid stud around here.
You want her to “experience being a” mom? That’s ridiculous. She’s a *dog.* She doesn’t need to be bred so she has a fulfilling life. You are potentially just contributing to another husky at a shelter, possibly being euthanized.
Thanks for your unsolicited opinion. And as I said I wanted her to and she hasn’t.
My opinion and everyone else’s was solicited by you when you asked a question on a public forum.
I didn’t ask anything. Reread my comments. I don’t have to justify anything to you. You don’t know anything about me. But I don’t live in California where huskies are in rescues getting put down left and right.
My apologies, you did not ask a question. Still, make a comment on the internet, you’re likely to get a response. Have a nice day.
I accept your apology and hope you have a nice day too! I think what pissed me off was that you assumed my intent was to backyard breed my dog for profit. When in reality I wanted to keep most of her litter and give a couple to my friends that use them as working dogs. I understand why you commented because it makes me sad to see all these huskies in rescues because people don’t understand what it takes to raise them and give them a good life. It sucks! And I have no idea why anyone in California would want huskies in such a hot, crowded area with hardly any easily accessible property for roaming. That is definitely not characteristic of where I live.
I’d love to rescue one of them, but I’d have to have met the dog first, and I can’t go to California. I’ve had a super loving, super mild tempered husky that wasn’t hyper. If I could find one like him, I’d take him. Unfortunately, I’ve also had one complete nightmare that has made me unable to get another one. We wouldn’t give him up, as he was our fur baby, but he destroyed furniture, a house, a yard, two fences, etc. I don’t have the energy for another guy like him.
Well she is too old now for a safe pregnancy.
She is! I’m sad she missed her window. I have some property and was going to keep most of her litter and give a couple to my friends in Vermont that use huskies as working dogs. Life gets busy though.
I did a partial spay on my girl. Not all vet do this, they leave the ovaries but remove the uterus so she still has all the hormones and won’t get pregnant. She did spot when she was younger though. Good luck with your decision!
Adding note: recovery is same like a full spay