It is the usual question that keeps coming up: should you have your female dog (bitch) spayed or not?
The benefits of spaying clearly outweigh the drawbacks.
Benefits
No more risk of an unwanted mating
No more seasons (heat), and therefore no more bleeding
No more males hanging around
Reduced or even negligible risk of mammary tumours (depending on age at spaying)
No risk of pyometra (womb infection) or other diseases of the womb/ovaries.
Drawbacks
The food ration needs adjusting to prevent weight gain
A change in coat quality
It is irreversible
Incontinence problems are becoming rarer and rarer now that spaying is often carried out before the first season.
At what age?
Ideally before the first season (6 to 8 months, depending on the breed). The risk of a mammary tumour is almost zero and the risk of incontinence is low.
Between two seasons (at least 1 month after the end of the last season).
At the latest around 5 years of age, once breeding from the female dog is no longer advisable.
Other contraceptives
- Hormone injections, oral contraceptives. These raise the risk of pyometra still further. This infection is serious and calls for emergency surgery!
- Anything else? Nothing with proven efficacy at present. Deslorelin is not recommended.