To spay or not to spay?

[Kat]

Our new family member is a 6-year old Bloodhound. She was found abandoned, malnurished (understatement, she weighed less than 30 lbs), covered in yeast, mange, heartworm positive, ear infections, no immune system to speak of, the list is endless ... after six weeks in foster care, she's on her way to better health and now I'm wondering whether or not we should have her spayed. She doesn't appear to be spayed and it doesn't appear that she had litters in the past. Every member (canine) of our household is fixed and I never thought I'd even consider NOT spaying/neutering a dog. However, in her case, I'm paranoid about her undergoing surgery so I'm at a complete and total loss. I'd greatly appreciate your input.

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

First off kudos to you for taking her in! I love when a rescue goes well!

Sounds like you have some very valid concerns and in all honesty I think either way presents some risks. Leaving her intact at her age increases her risk for mammory issues as well as a few others things not to mention the health risks involved should she ever become pregnant.

Spaying her could also be risky due to her past health issues. In my own mind it would boil down to weighing out the risks once you have all the information. Talking to your vet, having her evaluated including but not limited to a full blood panel to see if it's possible in the vet's opinion to spay her with little risk or if the vet felt she was better off as is. Many older dogs do very well through spay but again her past is a concern and requires some additional investigation before deciding. jmo

I know, I didn't answer your question one way or another did I? I just feel that this is a personal choice that should be based on fact and veterinary advice to make the best choice for your girl. Either way I wish you the very best of luck and thank you for giving your girl a second chance at life!

[sammy]

I would certainly spay her once she's back in good health but I wouldn't be in a big rush to do it. When you think she's in good shape you can always make sure the vet checks her out thoroughly before putting her under anesthesia.
Poor girl. Less than 30 pounds she must have been skin and bones.

[Dog_Father]

Our current plan is to get her back to full health first, no matter if we spay her or not. her getting pregant by accident is not really an issue, as we are able to keep her away from non-fixed males if she goes into heat...although males can be pretty crafty..lol..

Our biggest concern is her health, as you pointed out the mammory issues, the reproductive organs causing other health issues...vs. the health risk of putting her under and her being able to recover, considering her past health issues.

I guess we will have to wait and see, based on her health and the vet recommendations.

If any of you have had to make this kind choice could give us some more input, that would be great.

[KennelMom]

Working in greyhound rescue I've often seen senior broodies (8+ years old) and studs coming off greyhound farms...adoption groups *always* spay/neuter before placement. If she is otherwise relatively healthy, spaying at age 6 should not be an issue for a competent vet. Definitely opt for pre-surgery bloodwork just to make sure everything is in order.

The oldest one of our pups has been that has been spayed was Erin - who was 12 and in pretty bad shape coming off the brood farm. She actually had all (but one) tooth removed during her spay as well...but she pretty much had to have surgery or her rotting teeth would have killed her. Erin is now 14 Our boy Grandpa was neutered at 10 when he finally retired from from the track and his stud duties.

Personally, I would spay her when she's healthy enough to undergo surgery.

[linnie]

I would definately wait till she was in tip top shape.
I am a great believer in spaying but would always go with my vets advice.
Good luck which ever way you decide

[Cassiepeia]

I agree. Once she's back in good condition, as long as the blood work is good and the vet believes she would be fine under anesthetic, I'd have her spayed.

Really it's a decision best made on vets advice not ours, but you already know that. Oh and Thank you so much for rescueing your girl. We need more people in the world like you. I hope she brings you many years of drooly Bloodhound happiness.

Cass.

[Kat]

Thank you so much for your replies. I'm so thrilled with her, she has doubled her weight over the last 8 weeks (now at 63 pounds) and is overall in so much better shape. I'd still like to find the people who did this to her ...

[Melanie]

I know - German is not the USA and I think at the US it´s almost normality to spa every dog except breeding-dogs... nevertheless I´d like to know why you wanna spay her? Doesn´t she obay to your commands when she is on heat?

My female Smilla (not really a healthy dog; she has leishmaniasis, chronic ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis) is about 6 years of age and she came to us when she was 3 years old. In spite of her breeds she is a very obedient dog and when she is on heat there´s no doubt about she will always obay to my commands.

Is your female rid of the filariosis? If not there would be no way of spaying in my opinion... By the way: Did she have D. immitis or an other filaria genus?

Give her a hug,
Mel

[Kat]

There are many reasons for spaying a dog. The main difference between the US and Germany is that here in the US dogs undergo complete removal of the entire system (hysterectomy), and the health advantages are obvious: no uterus: no uterine cancer, no tubes - no tubal (?) cancer. Same for males: no testicles - no testicular cancer. Add to that the fact that we live in a rural area where people still insist on having their dogs roam loose (we seem to be the sole exception) and I'm not too keen on having testosterone driven, unfixed males banging at my door.

[Melanie]

You made me laugh because of this:

I'm not too keen on having testosterone driven, unfixed males banging at my door

as we just had an Bernese Mountain Dog in front of our door hoping Smilla will come out and the walks we had while Smilla was on heat seem like I have had three dogs But to be honestly - to mate my female meens a lot of trouble with me or my male to the other male dog... I don´t do compromises and also don´t want a litter.

In Germany they also have hyterectomys to females but we had very interesting study over here - and there where a lot of disadvantages for spayed dogs according to the advantages (especially for the females). Females suffer more often from cancer (not uterine or tubal cancer but renal cancer or chronical renal failure and some other types of cancer).

And ok - you´re right a spayed male would not have testicular cancer but also thye are more frequently affected by prostate gland cancer there are no real advantages for males.

If you like to have these study-results please let me know (you speak German so this would be no problem for you to read )

[dogma]

I had my Chihuahua spayed at 5. My vet scolded me - severely- for not doing it sooner. She said that dogs can get uterine infections and die quickly before you hardly know that they are sick! It would be awful to do so much to get her well and then have that happen. I would listen to what the vet says. Do dogs have menopause, because 6 seems fairly old for a dog as large as a Bloodhound. Bloodhounds amaze me. You are wonderful to take on so much. Lucky dog!