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675347 tn?1365460645

Spaying an older dog?

I 'rescued' my dog from a very negative situation for her about 6-7 years ago. (The rescue wasn't straightforward, she was coming and going to me and away from me for 2-3 years. Eventually I got tough with the unstable person who called himself her 'owner' and walked into the sunset with her.) She had already had one litter of puppies, which the pack of mindless drug-heads who had previously owned her let die from Parvo.....
So after all that trauma, I just let her be, let her heal, let her build up her strength, run, enjoy life and the countryside. I didn't even think about getting her spayed (We'd had an entire b.i.t.c.h. when I was a kid, and she never got any problems with womb or anything, so I didn't think there would be any problem leaving her entire.)

Ok I've got older and wiser in those 6-7 years. Now I am concerned she might be in some kind of danger from not being spayed. She is fit and well, though is aged about 10. She has never shown any problems after her 'season' and has never had any vaginal discharge or bad symptoms. Today she ran at tremendous speed chasing a rabbit, all across a great wide field, she looked like a racing dog. And when she came back, she was not out of breath, but wanted to chase the frisbee! We regularly go for 4 mile walks and runs, and she shows no sign of 'slowing down' yet. Of course I realize I should have had her spayed before. Or I should do it now. But I feel uneasy about the op, the effect it will have on her, whether she is too old to be ok with that, and she is so traumatised by a visit to the vet, I keep avoiding the issue! The more I hesitate, the older she gets. I should 'bite the bullet' I know, for her sake in the future.
Is it likely that she will be ok with the op. if she is generally fit and well, even though she's no youngster? (The vet listens to her heart and lungs at every health check, and has never told me he's heard anything to make him suspect abnormality)
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675347 tn?1365460645
COMMUNITY LEADER
Yeah, that's what I was kind of thinking.....but I didn't want to be doing wrong for her. You know the old saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" ? The problem is I didn't want it to ever GET broke.....
My vet recommends spaying for every single entire b.i.t.c.h. I see his logic. He has said an older dog could be at risk from the operation, and I'd hate that because she is so happy and fit. He has never said she could or could not be at risk from pyometra. As far as he is concerned, every unspayed female is at risk (again I see his logic.)(Although obviously I am watchful on that front, especially a few weeks after her season)
I presume a dog that is at risk would be one that shows marked signs of 'false pregnancy' after every season? Once or twice in the past, mine has shown some mild signs of false pregnancy, but they have passed in a day or two with no other complications. I gave her homoeopathic remedies which worked very well for her. I did mention this to the vet. He kind of nodded and agreed with what I did, but didn't say yay or nay.
Helpful - 0
82861 tn?1333453911
That's a tough call at age 10.  Your dog sounds extremely fit and would likely tolerate the surgery fine, but you never know.  This is one you should have a long, serious discussion about with your vet.  If the odds of pyometra are low according to your vet's assessment, I'd probably let it go.
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