Neutering female dogs
Introduction
Female dogs reach sexual maturity
when they are between 6 and 23 months old. Once they have had
their first season, they will come 'on heat' approximately every
six months.
This season lasts around 3-4
weeks, and can be both messy and inconvenient, as she will be
passing bloodstained fluid for the first 9 days. When this changes
to a straw-coloured discharge, she is most likely to accept and
attract male dogs from miles around.
No matter what precautions you
take, accidental mating (misalliance) can happen.
Why have her neutered?
Neutering will prevent seasons,
false pregnancies, unwanted puppies and all the disruption that
goes with these. False pregnancies are a natural phenomenon when
your bitch will show signs of pregnancy, nursing and lactation and
yet has no puppies.
Neutering also helps prevent and
reduce the risk of a number of medical problems. As your bitch
ages, many uterine abnormalities can develop including cystic
ovaries, endometritis and endometriosis. Older bitches are prone
to PYOMETRA, an accumulation of pus in the uterus, which often
needs emergency veterinary surgery. This normally occurs 4 - 6
weeks after being in season and can be fatal.
Early neutering reduces the risks
of MAMMARY TUMOURS. Many bitches left entire will develop mammary
tumours by the time they are eight.
(For further information on false
pregnancies and pyometra, please ask one of our vets or nurses)
What do I do next?
At Andale Veterinary Centre we
advise that bitches be neutered from 6 months of age. It is not
necessary to wait until she has had her first season.
Surgery is arranged by
appointment in advance, although this is not always necessary. You
will need to bring her to the surgery between 8.30am and 9.00am on
the day of the surgery, having been able to 'spend a penny' and
starved from 8pm the previous evening. She will then be examined
to assess her fitness for surgery.
We strongly recommend a pre-anaesthetic
blood test to assess her liver and kidney functions. This is to
ensure that your pet is fully fit and minimizes any risk due to
the anaesthetic. Please feel free to ask our staff for more
details.
What happens during the
operation?
30 minutes prior to surgery she
will be given a pre-med containing a painkiller and a sedative to
make her feel sleepy. After this has taken effect she will be
given an induction agent to control her breathing and the
anaesthetic is then maintained using anaesthetic gases.
The operation entails removing
the ovaries and both uterine horns. The surgery takes
approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. We ask that you telephone us
during the afternoon (around 3pm) to arrange a collection time,
usually after 4pm the same day.
After Care
When you take your dog home she
will need warmth, peace & quiet, and lots of tender loving
care. For the rest of the day she should only be offered fluids
and if possible boiled chicken and rice or bland food or a
recovery diet supplied by the surgery.
We will need to see her 2 days
after the operation to ensure that she has fully recovered, then
again 10 days after the operation to remove her stitches, where
applicable. During this time we ask you to restrict her exercise
and walk her on the lead only. This is to avoid potential damage
to her stitches that would delay healing.
When you take her home you will
be given full details on looking after her.
Misconceptions, Myths &
Worries
- Neutered Animals are more
inclined to gain weight. This can be avoided by regular
weighing at the surgery, where necessary feeding a low calorie
diet or reducing their food intake by a third (Please ask for
further details regarding our Pet Weight Control Programme
- My Bitch must have puppies
first. No - if you don't intend to breed from her, the
kindest thing is to have her neutered. Breeding animals can be
both expensive and time consuming, so it is best left to the
people who know.
- Is it best to have one
season first? NO - there is no need to wait in most cases.
You can have her neutered from six months of age.
- Personality Changes.
Neutering your bitch will not generally lead to any
personality changes.
NEUTERED ANIMALS WILL HAVE A
LONGER AND CONTENTED LIFE
If you have any further
questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at Andale
Veterinary Centre on 0151 423 1388.
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