Can you spay while in heat?

I know it's a later than most, but my female is being spayed at 6 months. We have no other dogs at home and is always on a leash. A dialysis health crisis at home temporarily got in the way of doing this sooner. The vet said 6 months is ok. We have the date of spay set up for Feb. 3. Well, my puppy is now having her first heat cycle starting today. Is this going to interupt the date of getting spayed or can they still do it? Anything special I should do for her during this time? Thanks for your help.

Can your vet do an ovariohysterectomy while a bitch is in season __ yes. Is it more difficult__ yes. Is it riskier___ yes. Will she lose more blood__ yes.
Will my vet do it--- no. He would tell me to come back in 3 months (mid cycle).

I agree with Sandy. I think a vet might do it in an emergency situation, but it is much more risky to the health of the bitch; mid-cycle seems to be the best course of action.

I don't believe that spaying at 6 months is late. I suggest that you wait until after the first season to assure that she has the full complement of her hormones from her ovaries.
--
Rod Russell

Spaying at 6 months.......................

I am sure if you ask enough Vets, one will do the operation.

But for her well being, please, please, please wait 3 months and do it then if you must.

The first season can be a terrible strain on her body as it is and personally I would NOT consider the spaying during any season.

You have nothing to lose - she could lose her life.

Mark Marshall.

Hi

Pls no ,midseason after the end of her frst season ,my Lily finished end Sept so she was spayed on Dec 22 nd plus then I was on 2 weeks hols to look after her and shes fine now,also why do you ask

Just a pet owner with no experience...but I would wait. Everything I've read and heard advises not to spay while in heat. It's worth waiting and doing it later.

Our vet recomends mid cycle, approx 3 months after a season

If there's no reason to do it, I would absolutely wait til three months after the heat ends. A good vet will advise the same. I have spayed a couple of rescue dogs while in heat or false pregnancies -- which is basically the same level of caution. With the false pregnancy there was little option as the vet was concerned about the false pregnancy going on and on as the dog had a history of problems. With the rescue dogs, it was impossible to foster the dogs for three months to spay them and like most rescues, I won't rehome unspayed females. I've never had a problem but I would not even consider spaying during a heat unless there really is no option.

Be sure to keep her inside for the next four weeks, don't allow her off lead anywhere, and don't even let her in a fenced garden unsupervised -- a male can smell a female in heat from over a mile away and a larger dog can easily clear a 6 foot wall. You may well end up with neighbourhood males hanging around your home as well. The process is a nuisance but thankfully doesn't last too long.

PS even if you spay during heat, it takes ages for the hormones to clear and males will still be attracted so if anything as she will have had surgery there'd be even greater caution needed to keep dogs away. So best advice is truly to let her go through the first heat and spay in 3-ish months.

wow, thank you so much for quick replies. I held her pretty litle face in my hands today and said "if you could've only held out a couple more weeks" lol. I understand that keep close is very important now. Quickly outside to go to the bathroom (on her leash as usual). Tomorrow I will call my vet to post phone surgery. Brian, I may have not worded it correctly, but my Mrs. Beasley has her surgery set up already. She's gone into heat now.

You can do careful controlled little walks near the house generally, to let her sniff about -- I just wouldn't take her out where there are likely to be lots of other dogs or to some place like a park. Also if you have friends with dogs that are neutered or with other female dogs it would be nice to get her some play sessions so that she gets a chance to run off some energy and keep up a social life :lol: -- seriously, you don't want her to have a month without seeing other dogs as it's good for her to keep having friendly encounters at her age.

I was so worried about her not getting pregnant I forgot she could be around "heat friendly" lol, dogs. I'm sure it would have came to me. Duh, where's my brain lol. So I called the vet after reading my replies to cancel and she she yes that is right, so we will Spay at a later date. As my first experience with this she said she has probably already been in heat a few days but now is hen I'm seeing the droplets of blood. She said the bleeding would last around 4 days. She will still be in heat afterward. I was a little nervous about this this morning, but feel much better now. Thanks for all the edcuation.