Pregnancy is an exciting time for many expecting mothers and families, but it can also bring up a lot of questions about how to safely care for a pet during this time. One of these questions is whether or not it is safe to get a dog fixed while pregnant. It is important to understand the potential risks and benefits of spaying and neutering, and how it could affect a pregnant woman and her unborn baby. The answer to this question will depend on the particular circumstances and should be discussed with a health care provider. In this blog post, we will explore the potential risks and benefits of getting a dog fixed while pregnant, as well as the various options available to those who are expecting.
Reasons for spaying a pregnant dog
What are the justifications for spaying a dog, even while she is pregnant, after learning the fundamentals of the procedure?
Benefits of spaying a pregnant dog
Both male and female animals are spayed and neutered for a variety of reasons.
Here are some advantages for female dogs specifically that explain why the owners are doing this
The anesthetics used during surgery have a tendency to interfere with the animal’s natural capacity to control body temperature. Following surgery, animals must spend the following seven days indoors in a climate-controlled setting suitable for their human companions. Animal surgery appointments for clients who cannot keep their pets in the heated facility on days when the local temperature is expected to drop below freezing will be rescheduled.
No. Before the first heat, which typically occurs at 5 to 6 months for dogs and 4 months for cats, female dogs should be spayed. Since a female can become pregnant at that age even though she is not prepared for it, we emphasize BEFORE. She might not be able to nurse the baby, which would leave the child severely undernourished, and pregnancy will put a great deal of strain on the system, frequently leading to birth defects. Early spaying also helps to avoid later issues like uterine cancer, uterine infections, and mammary tumors. Because estrogen is stored in the body as a result of the heat, if a female is allowed to experience a heat before getting spayed, those issues may still occur later in life.
Sometimes not. Of course, if your pet were lost or in a shelter without its medical records, then this would only be a problem. Modern dissolvable suture materials eliminate the stitches that can be felt in a female’s belly as a sign that she has already undergone spaying, and if they undergo surgery when they are young, there is no visible scar. If a scar cannot be seen or felt on a male dog, the testicles may still be present but have not yet entered the scrotal sac (cryptorchid). A permanent identification mark could have prevented the painful and unnecessary surgery of opening up the male dog like a spay to look for those testicles.
We want to make sure that as many pets as possible show up for their appointment because there are only a certain number of slots available for pets each day. If you don’t show up or cancel, someone else will have to take care of your pet. As a nonprofit organization, charitable foundations and individual donors provide funding for our free and reduced-cost surgical services. We want to make sure we assist as many people as we can with what was so generously given because medical procedures are expensive and our funding is limited.
A certified veterinarian doctor performs surgical sterilization while the patient is sedated. The animal is asleep throughout the procedure, but it might feel a little sore afterwards. Within 24 to 72 hours, the majority of animals are healthy enough to resume normal activity; however, you must continue to restrict their activity for 10 days.
FAQ
What happens if a dog is spayed while pregnant?
SPAY DURING PREGNANCY If the uterus is gravid (i. e. carrying developing young), the uterus is removed along with the developing embryos, ending the pregnancy. Further, the female cannot ever become pregnant again. This is probably the best choice if one does not intend to breed the female in the future.
How late in pregnancy can you spay a dog?
According to the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, there is no restriction on how late a dog can be spayed in a pregnancy.
Can you do surgery on a pregnant dog?
Pregnant dogs may undergo elective or emergency anesthesia for a variety of medical conditions. Regardless of the anesthetic protocol chosen, it must ensure the best conditions for the mother and fetus with the least amount of neurological and cardiovascular depression.