Can dog in heat still be spayed?

jkoch

By Dr. John KochQuestion: I have been planning to have my dog spayed for several months and for various reasons have kept postponing it. Suddenly a few days ago she came into heat. Since she occasionally sneaks out of the house, I am afraid she will wind up pregnant. Is it possible to have her spayed while she is in heat?

Answer: It is possible to spay dog after it comes in estrus (heat). Most veterinarians would prefer to spay pets before they come into estrus. Before estrus, the operation is easier to perform, easier on the patient and entails less risk. If the animal is spayed while in estrus, the reproductive organs are engorged with blood. In addition, blood does not seem to clot quite as quickly. Due to these factors, extra care must be taken to minimize potential bleeding complications.

The operation referred to as spaying is in reality a complete ovariohysterectomy. Both ovaries and the uterus are completely removed. Ovariohysterectomies performed on dogs in estrus usually require that extra ligatures be applied around both ovaries and the stump of the uterus. In addition, it is best that these ligatures be transfixed to the tissues being ligated to ensure that they do not slip off. Small blood vessels in the abdominal incision of the non-estrus patient usually clot quickly and do not present a problem. However in the estrus patient, they may need to be tied off to prevent excessive bleeding.

At one time our practice kept statistics on our spay operations. We found that nearly one-half of these procedures were performed on dogs in estrus. I suspect that this has a lot more to do with human nature than the nature of dogs. Regardless of why we are presented with such patients, I would still rather perform an ovariohysterectomy on a dog in estrus than having to perform one later after she is already pregnant.

Dr. Koch is a Cape Girardeau veterinarian.