Spaying The Older Female Dog
Most dog owners admit that there is a serious dog population explosion, but when it comes to spaying or neutering the family pet, that decision, as it’s now personal, is much harder to make.
‘Should I have my older female dog spayed since we don’t want to have any more puppies?’
‘My older female dog, Maggy, has been around for almost 10 years, has had 25 healthy puppies, and even earned her AKC niche. She has even made us enough income to have totally covered all of her dog food expenses and veterinarian care. Now that she’s retired, wouldn’t it be better to leave her baby-making-machine intact?’
‘Wouldn’t it be cruel to take away her femaleness? Could it make her mean, or let her get fat? I don’t want her to suffer through an operation!’
Most of us have had thoughts like these when considering neutering of any of our pets. But the human psychological factors should not be the most important ones here. Think about it from the health standpoint of your dog.
Just what are the advantages of having an older dog spayed?
Many veterinarians and specialists in small animal care agree that there are dozens of reasons why you should have your non-producing female, five years or older, spayed. Here are a few great arguments for this decision:
Physical Harm Could Result From Accidental Breeding
Remember that female dogs never have a change of life or menopause as humans do. A very old female dog of 14 years could still bear puppies. Such unfortunate and accidental breeding could result in severe physical problems for the female.
By spaying an older female, especially one who has served her time as a producing unit in a kennel, the danger of indiscriminate breeding is eliminated as a physical reality, and as a worry for the owners.
Spaying Can Stop Health Defects
Spaying is an effective tool to stop congenital defects before they can be passed on through inheritance. Any severe physical problems such as hip dysplasia, undershot jaw, overshot jaw, deafness, blindness, hairlip, cleft palate, in a female, should be stopped in that generation.
If the female is not destroyed at birth, early spaying can stop the continuing procreation in that line. If your family pet has any of these characteristics or others which should not be reproduced, and the female is not spayed, such action should be considered at once.
Older female dogs should not be left to become pregnant, especially if by accident. While you may not agree with this notion, it can only enlighten your opinion by understanding a few solid reasons why these senior citizen lady dogs should be fixed.
In addition to the prevention of inheritable diseases and avoiding physical problems from have puppies at such an old age, the following arguments also stand a firm ground for the decision to have the older female dog spayed.
Spaying Can Help Prevent Your Dog From Being Exposed To Communicable Diseases
The overwhelming rush of male dogs at six-month periods often brings your female into contact or close proximity to a variety of dogs which could be infected. In some cases females will put down an aggressive male and result can be a biting, scratching, and fighting, which results in medical attention needed.
Spaying Will Reduce The Mess Of Heavy Discharge
If your dog has a heavy discharge during her heat period, you have probably spent your fair share of time cleaning up blood stains from rugs, floors, and furniture. A quick operation by your veterinarian can stop this problem. While this is not a major consideration, you’ll appreciate this point if you’ve ever tried to get blood out of a soft, fuzzy, white bathroom rug.
No More Dog Riots Outside Your Front Door
One of the benefits of spaying any female is the elimination of the twice-yearly nuisance factor of other dogs in your neighborhood trying to break down your door or fence. The attractiveness of a female dog in heat is extremely powerful.
While you may have adequate means of restraining your female and warding off male dogs, there is still a nuisance factor to your neighbors from the barking, and urinating and defecating on lawns and shrubs. If your female is through producing, you can eliminate this twice-yearly problem easily.
Spaying Your Older Female Dog May Increase Her Energy Levels
Many older dogs go through this, especially females. If your dog is constantly thin and weary, it could be that spaying will release a new directional burst of energy for her. Their whole physical well-being takes on a different turn, which can even be noticed in their coat, appearances, responses, and attitude.
