Spaying a six-year old?

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smallbutgreat

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I would really appreciate some advice about whether or not to spay my bitch, who has just turned six.

If we were back in the UK, where we bought her, we would almost certainly have let her have at least one litter. She is a lovely natured dog, brilliant with kids and (apparently) a really good example of her breed. As she gets older, I realise I would love to have a son/daughter of hers to keep, although this wouldn't be our main/sole reason for breeding. However, in the UK we would have sought plenty of advice and help from the breeder who sold her to us about a suitable mate and, above all, about finding suitable homes for puppies. She's a Dalmatian, and not everyone understands that they are strong dogs with a huge need for exercise and very special ways rather than cuddly Disney pets.

However, we've been abroad for the past four years, and I think I would find it very difficult to search out a suitable mate (need to be careful because of overbreeding in the past and potential issues such as deafness in the strain) and then to screen prospective puppy owners in a different language. As a result of this, I'm contemplating whether or not to get her spayed. This would be mostly for the health benefits spaying can bring, although at six she is perhaps too old to benefit anyway.

Thanks very much for your input, especially if you have been in a similar position.
 
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This would be mostly for the health benefits spaying can bring, although at six she is perhaps too old to benefit anyway.

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She is so not too old to benefit!!!! Having just seen the state of a 13yo Lab which had to have an emergency speying due to having pyometry, I wouldn't hesitate to spey a 6yo bitch. Far better to have them speyed while they are well and not full of infection.
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I would strongly recommend spaying her - makes life so much easier
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She is definitely not too old to benefit
 
I think I am in a a good position to answer this as I had my 7 year old GSD spayed last Thursday. Firstly as your bitch is 6 now I would feel she is too old for a first litter, we always used to say 5 as a cut off date, although I am sure others will disagree.
I had my bitch spayed because she has had increasing problems with seasons, and also had false pregnancies. Regarding the health benefits, my vet did say that having her done at this age was not going to reduce the risk of mammary tumours, but would of course remove the fear of pyometra, which has a higher incidence in older bitches, particular those who haven't had a litter.
Although I felt a total witch when I collected my very miserable looking girl on Thursday evening, she is now almost back to her old self, just a bit put out she isn't able to hop in the car with me when I go out. She had a hernia repaired at the same time as the spay so was a slightly bigger op.
Only you can make the decision, but hope my experience helps.
 
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I collected my very miserable looking girl on Thursday evening, she is now almost back to her old self.

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Where as the Lab up our yard is still on antibiotics, barely eating and looking very sorry for itself a week on.
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Thank you very much for your advice Piebaldsparkle ... just taken my beautiful girl for a lovely long walk in the snow, and was musing on putting off my decision. We might well return to the UK in two years. However, that would make her eight and, as Murphysminder says, way over the recommended age for a first litter. So I think I should be firm with myself and make that call to the vet.

Glad to know your GSD has bounced back so well.
 
Yes that is what decided me PS. I have had a bitch spayed as an emergency with a pyo and it was touch and go for a while. I decided far better to have the operation on a fit bitch than a seriously ill one. In view of her history I was becoming paranoid if she drank even a teaspoonful more than normal after a season '
 
At age 7, the KC will not register a litter, so she is nearly too old for you to be thinking about that anyway. As another person said. I lost a whippet bitch from a womb infection because she was not speyed. I just had her neice speyted and she was 8.
 
Thanks Tracy, it's very helpful to have that pointed out.
Although not the deciding factor, KC registration would be a very important factor in our decision ... with our dog's welfare and happiness being top.
 
Agree with everyone else...a straight forward spay is far better than a pyometra.....we lost a 10 year old dalmation bitch at work...just last night with a pyo...owners had left her to long...as they did't know what was wrong with her as they did not recognise the symptoms
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ive read this with interest, as i have a almost 7yo unspeyed whippet..i would of liked to give her a litter but now is a def no due to her having spinal cord injurey last year

As shes been through alot recently i dont know wheather to have her speyed or not...ive been always in two minds to get bitchs speyed but depends on each bitch

i also have a unspeyed 3yo whippet who i would like to breed on her nxt season
 
i would always spey a bitch no matter what age she is - when older the benefits of reducing mammary tumours have gone, but the massive benefit of preventing pyometra has not. We operated on a dog a few weeks ago who had a ruptured pyo - she died due to peritonitis - her guts were stuck together with pus. believe me, if you can prevent this happening, you definitely should.
 
I agree mostly with what's been said, she'll be fine to be spayed.

She's too old for a first litter any way imho, we don't leave it any later than 4 for a first and 7 for a last (which is how we ended up with 2 litters within a fortnight of eachother last year - never again!
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I don't think I'd spay a bitch much older than 9 or 10 because there's a greater risk of losing them under anaesthetic (sp?) however I'm sure some people with disagree with me.
 
I didn't realise the KC had lowered the bitches maximum age . It used to be they wouldn't register a litter if the bitch was over 8 at the time of whelping, with a nice little loophole along the lines they would consider it if the bitch had already had at least one litter. Hoepfully they are a bit tougher now, is it still maximum of 6 litters in a bitches lifetime ? Personally would like to see that reduced too but don't suppose it has happened
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