Can You Spay A Dog In Heat? Dangers And Recommendations
Your bitch has reached sexual maturity and is due to be spayed, you’re thinking that you’ll book that spay surgery appointment and then you discover – she’s in heat!
We all know that a heat cycle lasts approximately 3 weeks.
Does it matter if we still make or keep that spay appointment?
You’ve heard the rumours, isn’t it supposed to be bad to spay a dog in heat?
It’s one of those timing issues that has happened to many of us.
In this article, we’ll explain why spaying a dog in heat is far more complicated and potentially dangerous, but still a possibility.
Learn the questions to ask your vet, so that you can be well informed.
Can You Spay A Dog In Heat?
Yes, veterinarians can spay dogs in heat.
However, there are greater risks of complications when spaying a bitch who is in the middle of her heat cycle meaning that not all veterinarians will be comfortable performing this procedure.
A veterinarian will need to consider the following before making their decision:
1. Age of the bitch
2. Body condition – is the bitch overweight?
3. Any concurrent illnesses that may contribute to an increased risk eg. anaemia
4. Their own surgery skill and that of their assistants.
Be prepared to hear your vet say “no”.
If your vet is unable to perform the spaying procedure your options include:
- find another vet to perform the surgery,
- wait a couple of weeks: keep your bitch locked up inside at home or send her to a kennel facility for the duration of her active heat cycle
You must not leave your girl outside unattended. Intact males have been known to dig and jump huge distances to get to a bitch in season.
Ultimately, the decision to spay your in heat bitch lies with both you and the veterinary surgeon who will perform the surgery.
What Are The Dangers Of Spaying A Dog In Heat?
The spay surgery (or ovariohysterectomy: meaning the ovaries, the fallopian tubes and the uterus are all removed) is one of the most difficult surgeries your veterinarian performs.
It may be considered a routine procedure, but it certainly isn’t easy with a heightened risk of complications during surgery if the dog is cycling.
A dog spay surgery is the equivalent of a female hysterectomy.
When a bitch is actively cycling the reproductive organs are swollen and ooze blood resulting in a prolonged surgery time.
Blood vessels are engorged.
Blood supply to the uterus is increased so bleeding tends to occur more frequently.
Tissues tend to be more friable (fragile) so knots may pull through resulting in internal bleeding.
It can be a stressful surgery made worse in large breed dogs, those with a deep chest and overweight dogs.
Because of the increased surgery time and difficulty, the majority of veterinarians will charge more for spaying bitches that are in heat.
How To Decide If I Should Spay My In Season Bitch?
You really need to ask yourself these questions:
1. What Is The Risk Of The Dog Becoming Pregnant?
This may be the most important question.
If the risk of the dog becoming pregnant is high then it is better to spay the dog while it is in heat.
Remember, pet overpopulation is of great concern, is it wise to bring more pups into the world?
2. Can I Handle The Signs Of Heat?
This not only includes having to clean up spots of blood, but occasionally females in heat will show a negative change in behaviour such as being snappy.
Ask yourself how significant these nuisances to you and your family?
3. Can I Keep An In Oestrus Bitch Away From Intact Male Dogs?
Most importantly, can you keep your bitch away from males so that no unwanted pregnancy can occur?
She will need to be kept inside or in a fully enclosed dog kennel.
Remember: the fertile period of the oestrus cycle of the bitch can last from hours to many days. On average it lasts 4 days.
How Old Are Bitches When They Have Their First Heat?
Female dogs will become sexually mature and have their first heat or season around the age of six months for small breeds and up to 24months for larger breeds.
Many veterinarians will recommend that you spay your bitch around six months of age to prevent unwanted litters, uterine infection (pyometra) and mammary cancer (breast cancer).
However, there is new evidence that shows for some breeds, delayed spaying may be beneficial and protective against some cancers, bone and joint disease and urinary continence.
Take a look at our article on the best age to desex your dog or talk to our vets for specific advice.
What Are The Signs Of Heat?
When a bitch is in heat (oestrus) the following signs occur:
Prooestrus:
Proestrus in the bitch averages around 9 days in duration, but may last anywhere from 3 to 17 days.
Males will show interest in the female, but females are not interested in males. So generally no mating occurs. The bitch can be quite nasty towards males who show them attention.
During this time the vulva is swollen due to the influence of oestrogen secreted by developing follicles.
Serosanguinous (blood-tinged) fluid is discharged from the vulva.
Oestrus:
Oestrus averages 9 days in duration but can be as short as 3 days or as long as 21 days.
The male and female are both interested in each other and mating can occur.
The bitch will ‘flag’ her tail, and will often ‘back up’ to the male, asking for attention.
While not all dogs have the same length of heat cycle, most last on average 3 weeks.
How Long After A dog Is In Heat Can You Spay Them?
Due to the increased complexity of performing surgery whilst a bitch is in oestrus, many vets ask that pet owners wait until the cycle has finished and then rebook surgery.
The time it takes for blood vessels and tissues to regain their pre-cycle state can vary, but most vets will advise waiting at least 8 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How long do dogs bleed when in heat?
A dog in heat will bleed on average for around 9-10days. During this period she is not receptive to males.
How long is a dog in season?
A dog will be in season and receptive to male dogs for around 9 days, however, it can last up to 21 days.
The whole heat cycle start to finish lasts 2-4 weeks.
Do female dogs get their period after being spayed?
Once a female dog is spayed she will no longer come into season and have heat cycles, so no, she will not have a period.
Can a dog be in heat and not bleed?
Not all female dogs produce a lot of blood when they are in heat. Some have a faint hint of blood, while others you may miss this sign totally.
Can a female dog be fixed while in heat?
Technically, female dogs can be fixed while in heat, however, the surgery is more complicated due to engorged blood vessels and the increased risk of bleeding.
Owners should be prepared to pay a higher fee to fix dogs that are in heat due to the greater technical requirements of the surgery and the increase in surgery and anaesthetic time.
Further Reading
Why Should I Desex (Spay/Neuter) My Dog?
The Whelping Bitch – signs, stages and when to call the vet!
PUPPY VACCINATIONS: What Vaccines Do They Need And When?
I’m making an appointment for my female puppy to be spayed tomorrow. They told me she was between 4 and 5 months old and that was 3 weeks ago when I adopted her. I noticed her mounting my cat so I think she may be in heat. The spay appointment would be for December. Should I go ahead and schedule it or should I wait longer?
I got my female fixed, she was in heat we didn’t know. But now that she is fixed my males keep trying to mount her.I an trying so hard to keep them apart but it is not working so great. How long will she be like this? I am afraid they will hurt her.
It has been years ago, but I had a dog who went into heat and had her spayed during this time. She went from being a sweet little girl to a nasty and temperamental dog. Never was the same. I would never spay another one during this time and wait.
I had my female dog spayed 2 weeks ago. She was still in heat at the end of her cycle. She is acting very possessive of various objects and aggressive. She is not her normal self. Are these hormonal changes and will she return to normal once again. Many thanks.
Hey! Is everything okay now? Is she back to normal?
She may have been acting this way because of a false pregnancy due to the hormone drop. Explains the possessive behavior over various objects.
I’m considering spaying my girl at the end of her cycle too to avoid an unwanted pregnancy. Please update if you can about your situation!
I was unaware my female Pomm was in heat. The hospital did not inform me either. They performed procedure then let me know she had just started being in heat. Now she I’d in heat and smells bad all the time. Could this be because of bad timing of surgery?
I have 13months female dog. I was thinking of spaying her in her 6 months old but due to Covid-19 I couldn’t. Now after finally when her due of spaying is near , i think she got her second heat. She is not showing that much sign but i could see little blood on her vagina. I am confused what to do? Should I got her spayed or not? I would have like to wait after her heat goes but there are many male dogs near my house and in my house and i couldnt watch her everytime. Can you give me suggestion?
We just had our dog spayed on Tuesday the 2nd. I had noticed about 5 days prior she was getting ready to go into heat. I’ve never had a female dog before and she was never suppose to be our dog, but her owner abandoned her with us. Well today I saw blood on my couch so I called the vet to see if this was normal (also the blood wasn’t from her surgical wound). He informed me that yes she is still going to bleed from her heat. Honestly my mind is blown because I didn’t know it was still possible… he told me to keep her and my male dog separated till it’s over. I’ve tried googling all of this but haven’t found much.. Is this correct information or is she bleeding internally?
Libby this sounds very bizarre to us. There is no need to keep your dog separate from a male. She has no ovaries and no uterus so cannot produce eggs etc. I realise that we are late to reply. I hope your girl is ok.
I have a male dog and my female just got spayed. They told me the same thing. Keep them apart. She will still appear to be in heat to other male dogs. My male dog wont leave her alone. This was her 2nd heat and now that she was spayed it is 10× worse than before
We made an appointment to have our one year old boxer to be spayed. When I picked her up after surgery I was told in a very rude way that she was in heat and there was a small charge added. I had no idea ! She showed no signs of any kind. Nor had there been any male dogs snooping around. The staff shamed me. I was mortified. First of all I feel the vet should have called me. Secondly, I should have been informed prior to coming in that the “small extra charge was $75.00. Thirdly, the staff should not have treated me the way they did. If I had known she was in heat I would have waited.
Oh Cat I’m sad to hear that you had such an unpleasant experience with your veterinarian.
For other people who are taking their dog to the vet for a surgery, it is very important that the vet examines your dog when you drop them off. At this point in time you can be alerted to any issues that might result in changes to the surgery or the costs.
Sometimes, when the vet is busy consulting, they do this initial exam later, before surgery. However, it would be expected that this is noted and a call is made.
It’s a tough one, because for some people $75 is a week’s worth of food, while for other it is a drop in the ocean.
I think we can all learn from this and if we are on a budget, to inform the nurse, vet that you need to be phoned if there are unexpected changes.
Having said that, vets don’t do this sort of thing on purpose. I can honestly say I have continued to perform a procedure that is required (with an extra charge) not because of greed, but because the animal needed it and I wanted to get the procedure done then and there because I had lots of other cases. I was purely thinking of the animal and trying to do as much as I could in my day.