Can You Spay a Dog While in Heat + 4 Caring Tips

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You’ve seen them mounting things around the house and you are a little bit worried and wondering; can you spay a dog while in heat?

Spaying is the process of sterilizing a female dog by removing the ovaries. Spaying helps with calming your female dog from any sexual excitement.

For most pet lovers, spaying and neutering their pets never comes to mind until they start observing some unusual behavior. Somewhat embarrassing behavior – mounting and humping.

This leads to many wondering whether spaying is an option right away to prevent further embarrassment especially with guests around.

Continue reading to learn more on:

  • Whether it’s possible to spay a dog while in heat
  • The best age to get your female dog spayed
  • How long it takes for a spayed dog to recover
  • And many more …

Can You Spay a Dog While in Heat?

You can spay a dog while in heat even though this isn’t recommended. Doing this while in heat could lead to serious complications due to their swollen ovaries and uterus, making it hard for the vet to locate the ovaries during the procedure. This is likely to lead to excessive bleeding during surgery that could turn fatal from the blood loss.

Waiting for a few more days till they are out of their heat cycle to perform the procedure could go a long way for your four-legged friend.

It’s best to consult your local vet thoroughly on this matter as well as getting a deeper understanding of all the possible dangers before making your preferred choice of action.

You probably now have questions about how long exactly you should wait before spaying your female dog.

Let’s find out!

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How Long Do You Have to Wait to Spay a Dog After Heat?

The duration to wait before spaying your doggo will vary depending on the breed and the size of the dog. Smaller dogs are more likely to go into heat as soon as they are about 4 months old.

For larger breeds, it may take anywhere between 18 to 24 months before they go into their first heat cycle. On average, most dogs will take about six months before getting their first heat cycle.

Most dogs that have not been spayed will always go in heat every six months, so basically almost twice a year, with each cycle lasting for close to 18 days.

You should therefore wait for about 2 to 3 weeks after your female dog goes into heat before thinking of spaying them. As that’s the time it takes for them to come out of their heat cycle.

To make it much safer for our dog, your vet will advise you to wait for close to 2 – 3 months after their heat cycle before spaying your female dog.

Doing it after 2-3 months will reduce the chances of bleeding plus make it easier for your vet to perform the surgery on your pooch.

It’s also recommended to wait till after they get into their second heat cycle before proceeding to spay them.

But, why exactly is it important for you to wait after the dog is out of her heat cycle before spaying her?

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Why Do You Have to Wait To Spay a Dog After Heat?

Waiting before spaying your female dog has a lot of benefits to your pet friend. You’ll prevent them from facing complications that are more likely to cause lots of harm to your pooch during surgery.

When dogs are in heat, blood tends to fill their uterus and their ovaries making them swollen.

This makes it very difficult for your vet to operate on them and could easily lead to complications that could turn fatal. This could be mostly from excessive blood loss.

During their heat cycle, there is an increased blood supply to their reproductive tract.

What is the Best Age to Get a Dog Spayed?

The best age to spay your dog will vary from breed to breed as well as based on the dog’s size.

The ongoing debate is on when the best time to do this is, some consider pre-pubescent fixing better while others believe post-pubescent fixing is much better.

For small breeds, spaying can be done at around the age of 6 months. Certain specific breeds are recommended to desex them at the age of 1 year while in some other high cancer risk breeds the recommendation is to spay them at the age of 2 years.

Always keep medical advice from your local vet to find out the best option that will work for your pet friend.

Will Spaying Calm a Female Dog?

There are a number of ways to calm a sexually excited dog, keeping them active, separating them from other dogs as well as buying them interactive toys might help calm them.

Another good option to calm a female dog is spaying them. Spaying them reduces the chances of them getting any future heat cycles calming them sexually.

This is an option that most breeders will never consider due to the effect it comes with – the ability to not reproduce ever again.

If you are not planning to breed your dog, spaying your dog will not only help you calm your female dog but also prevent them from being aggressive from any sexual frustrations.

How Long Does it Take for a Female Dog to Recover From Being Spayed?

It’s important to take good care of your pooch once she is back from her spaying surgery. You’ll need to really limit movement as much as you can as your dog recovers.

Your vet is more likely to recommend the “cone of shame” also known as the Elizabethan collar to help prevent your dog from licking the surgery wound.

It takes about two weeks for your spayed dog to recover from her surgery. You, however, need to take good care of the incision to prevent any further harm that may delay the recovery period.

Below are some actions to take for a much quicker recovery period.

  • Don’t clean or wash the incision
  • Prevent your pet from licking the stitches
  • Restrict or significantly reduce the amount of exercise to your dog
  • Monitor the stitched area daily

The recovery period will be dependant on how good of a caregiver you are to your pet friend. Not taking good care of them during such a time will only prolong the entire recuperating period.

Conclusion

Spaying your dog while in heat isn’t recommended due to the risk factor associated with it. Your pet dog is more likely to experience complications if the spaying is done when she is in heat due to the excessive blood flow to their ovaries and uterus.

The procedure could lead to excessive bleeding during the surgery that could lead to some serious complications including the death of your four-legged friend.

Consult with your vet extensively on the best timings to conduct the procedure before proceeding with it.

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Is It Safe to Have Dog Spayed While in Heat?

It’s not 100% safe to spay a dog while in heat. The increased blood flow during this period makes it hard for your vet to locate the ovaries requiring a delicate procedure. There is also the likelihood of experiencing excessive bleeding when performed when your female dog is in heat.

Is It Dangerous to Spay a Dog While in Heat?

Yes, it can be very dangerous to spay a dog while in heat. Excessive blood flows into your dog’s uterus and ovaries means it’s more likely to bleed excessively once the procedure has been done. This could turn fatal if the bleeding can’t be controlled. Also due to the swollen ovaries from the excess blood flow when dogs are in heat may make it difficult for your vet to clearly locate the ovaries when performing the spaying procedure.

Should You Let a Female Dog Go Into Heat Before Spaying?

It’s recommended to let your female dog go into heat at least once before spaying them. Depending on your dog’s breed and size certain complications may arise should you do the procedure before their first heat cycle. Urinary incontinence is a common problem associated with early spaying. Always seek clarification from your vet depending on your dog’s breed before proceeding for a healthier and happier pooch.

Is it Bad to Spay a Dog After First Heat?

Not really, this will depend on a number of factors such as your dog’s breed or size. Spaying after the first heat cycle is recommended but this should be before their second cycle kicks in. This option, however, comes with some long-term complications such as mammary cancer later in their life.

Can a Dog Be in Heat if She is Spayed?

Once dogs are spayed they no longer go into heat throughout their lifetime. Spaying helps with preventing your dog from going into heat and prevent you from experiencing embarrassment such a humping and mounting around the house. Spaying in dogs is recommended to be performed after their first heat cycle but before their second heat cycle.

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