Spayed a female while in heat....can it be done or not.....

[Orphananny]

I have a one year old Maltese who just went into heat for the second time.. I do not what her breed and would like some input about what all of you think about getting it done now...

I have been away as my computer fried and I had to wait to get another one....so now I am back....can't wait to hear from all of you....

[Orphananny]

Thanks to both of you.  I have decided to wait and to go to a clinic that does laser surgery.  They say there is less healing time anyone no about this?

[ginger899]

I totally agree with what Ghilly says.
My girl had to have emergency (spaying) surgery 16 months ago because she developed Pyometra. This happened during her Heat cycle. We had no choice but to go for the surgery as her life was in danger.
She came through very well and recovered very well. But at the time, the vet gave her about a 50-50 chance of survival. Partly to do with her age, and partly because of the bleeding risk.
I told him "Do better than your best, and imagine it's ME on that operating table. Because it might as well be."
The surgery cost £555 (British pounds)  About 875 dollars, which was of course, more than a scheduled spaying would have been. Worth every penny. Thank goodness I had an "emergency Car-and-Dog-Fund savings account"

But for a regular scheduled spaying, I also would recommend going for the period more or less right between heat cycles. That is what my own vet recommends.

[Ghilly]

You CAN have her spayed while she's in heat, but the operation is riskier because the blood vessels in and around the uterus are all engorged with blood at this time and there is more of a risk of running into bleeding problems during the surgery.  Because of this added risk the surgery costs more to have done while the female is in heat, but as long as your veterinary hospital is a larger hospital with a full staff and not just a small clinic with one vet there should be plenty of staff available to assist in the surgery and help out should there be any bleeding that needs to be clamped off.  

Normally I would advise people to wait until about 60 to 90 days after the heat cycle ends because by that time, the uterus has returned to its normal state and the blood vessels are no longer engorged.  It's safer in general and cheaper to have it done, but in truth as long as you don't mind paying more for the surgery, if your vet is agreeable to doing it now, it's fine to do it now as well as long as you are aware of the potential risks.

Ghilly