Spaying of Bitches

The spaying of a bitch is a subject which is prone to many "Old Wives" tales. This article aims to help people understand the true facts. The Veterinary Surgeons of the Downland Veterinary Group strongly recommend the spaying of bitches not intended for breeding.

The Operation

The spaying of a bitch involves a General Anaesthetic to open into her abdomen and remove her ovaries and her womb. This operation involves her staying with us for a short time, normally just one day, or, in a few cases, overnight. There is usually a check three days after her operation, and stitches are removed ten days after surgery in most cases. We expect a bitch to be behaving normally, eating and active etc. by the time of her three day check, although she will still need to be exercised on a lead. She should be totally back to normal for exercise off her lead and running about once her stitches are out. Most people are pleasantly surprised at the speed of their pet's recovery.

The Advantages

The spaying of bitches is recommended for the following reasons.

• Unwanted puppies are prevented.
  This removes the problems and expenses associated with feeding and rearing puppies, finding homes for them, and increasing the stray population.

• No False Pregnancies.
  False pregnancies are a normal feature of the bitches cycle and can occur after any, or in some cases every, season. A false pregnancy may be very distressing to the bitch and cause considerable anguish to the owner. A bitch undergoing a false pregnancy may produce milk, lose her appetite, and while normally quite docile, may become quite aggressive and destructive. Bitches which have repeated false pregnancies are regularly those which have problems with mammary tumours, and pyometra later in life (see below).

• Pyometra and other womb diseases are avoided.
  Unspayed bitches, particularly those who repeatedly have false pregnancies, are very prone to Pyometra ("Pus in the Womb") later in life. Because this condition is related to her hormones, rather than just an infection, antibiotics and similar drugs are not able to cure the problem. Usually,life saving surgery is the only answer. The spaying of a fit, healthy young bitch is far safer than operating on a sick old bitch with toxaemia (poison from the womb) in her system. Even after a successful operation bitches are often ill for several days.

• Reduced Risk of Mammary Tumours.
  Tumours (cancers) of the Mammary (milk producing) Glands are very common in older entire bitches. The incidence of mammary tumours is particularly high in bitches which produce a lot of milk with false pregnancies. The risk of mammary tumours increases progressively with each season, so that the earlier a bitch is spayed, the less likely she is to develope these tumours.

• No Season.
  Entire bitches have a season ("come into oestrus" or "come on heat") approximately every six months lasting for a period of about three weeks. Bitches do not have a menopause. They cycle for life. During this time it is essential that she is kept away from other dogs, and exercised under close supervision on a lead to prevent her mating. Bitches in season will make active attempts to find a dog, can become very disobedient, run away, and are often as a result involved in road accidents etc.

Disadvantages

• Irreversibility.
  The spay operation cannot be reversed. The option to spay a young bitch, when there is indecision as to whether to breed from her or not, can be delayed by using drugs to control her seasons, in theory indefinitely. Although the effects of the season are abolished, false pregnancies and the other problems can still result. The use of these drugs must be discussed with the Veterinary Surgeon, as each case is an individual one, and must be treated as such.

• Weight Increase?
  The most common reason used against spaying is that spayed bitches get fat. It is true that a spayed bitch may utilise food more efficiently after spaying, so that providing her with the same quantity of food will result in weight increase. Sensible control of the diet however will maintain her in peak condition. All Guide Dogs for the Blind are spayed, but they do not get fat, as their owners constantly control their food intake and keep it balanced for the work that they do.

• Incontinence.
  Urinary incontinence is very occasionally associated with spaying. At present research work is being carried out to investigate if this may be related to the age at which a bitch is spayed. It is usually easily controlled medically. An operation may also be performed in some cases to help remedy the problem.

• Coat Changes.
  Some breeds of bitch have a tendency to have a softer, more fluffy coat after spaying. Owners of some spaniels and setters may notice this more than others. The health of the coat and skin is not however affected in any way. These changes may well be preferable to repeated false pregnancies.

The Council of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association supports these views. The information in this article is based on and supported by their Policy Statement published November 1989 and reviewed in March 1995.