It is best to wait until a female is out of heat before she is spayed. During the heat cycle all the blood vessels that lead to the ovaries and uterus are inflamed and this makes surgery more of a risk to the dog. A dog can be spayed if she is early pregnant. You should discuss this with a veterinarian.

We recommend that all mixed breed pets be spayed. Purebred animals that are not being used for breeding or for show should also be spayed. Spaying a female dog or cat involves the surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries. The primary benefit to spaying your pet is to eliminate their ability to have puppies or kittens.

This can vary from one dog to the next. Typically, the heat cycle lasts around two to three weeks. The female's vulva will swell and then bleed for several days. Mating is typically done after being in heat for a good 10 days. Some females have what is called a silent heat. This occurs when a dog does not show the typical signs of being in heat but can still get pregnant. Be careful if your dog is in heat and you do not wish her to be bred.

Females, regardless of cat or dog, are spayed while males, again regardless of cat or dog, are neutered.

Spaying offers several advantages. The female's heat periods result in about 2-3 weeks of vaginal bleeding. This can be quite annoying if your dog is kept indoors. Male dogs are attracted from blocks away and, in fact, seem to come out of the woodwork. They seem to go over, around, and through many doors or fences. Your dog will have a heat period about every six months. Spaying removes the uterus and the ovaries, and heat periods no longer occur.

We recommend against spaying a dog that is in heat but it can be done. During this time the ovaries and uterus are swollen and filled with blood, increasing the risk of hemorrhage. We prefer to wait until about 4 weeks after your dog goes out of heat to perform surgery. We can spay cats that are in heat. What is a neuter and what are the benefits? Neutering is the surgical removal of both testicles.

The spay operation can still be performed. There is a slight additional charge do to a longer surgery and the need to administer additional medications.

Additionally, we would love to see homeless animal shelters become a vision of the past. It is our intent to 1) put a measurable dent in the Norman Animal Shelter euthanasia program, and 2) reduce the amount of time an animal spends in a shelter prior to adoption. Fix A Cat, Inc. is a catalyst to this change.

Yes. See CARE's Please Spay/Neuter Your Pet page for more low cost spay/neuter resources. Also, spaying a pregnant dog or cat does abort the puppies or kittens.

I would wait until she is just about a year old but not after as there has been some studies done to prove that it helps delay the onset of any heart problems. The females need the hormones for bone tissue. Females have an average of 2 heat cycles per year.

A female goes into heat about twice a year. They may skip a heat cycle occasionally, but will seldom have an extra one. The cycle lasts 21 days in dogs. Cats will go into their first heat between 5-8 months. A cat will remain in heat until she is bred. Small breed dogs at about 6 months and medium breed dogs at 8 or 9 months.

A female dog (called a "bitch") goes into heat around every six months if she is not spayed. It is only during this time that she is receptive to mating with a male. Signs indicating heat are an enlargement of the vulva and a discharge. After heat is over, the bitch will either be pregnant or be experiencing a false pregnancy.

Early Canid Domestication: The Farm Fox Experiment - Behavioral genetics and development may interact in domestication according to this article from American Scientist, March-April 1999. Inherited Activation-inactivation of the Star Gene in Foxes Its bearing on the problem of domestication. Journal of Heredity, 1981. Border collies exhibit a wide variety of looks related to a tradition of breeding almost exclusively for behavioral characteristics.

There is no statistical difference between spaying bitches before or after their first season. However spaying them soon after 6 months of age dramatically reduces the occurrence of mammary cancers & womb infections later in life. If they have started their seasons then half way between seasons is the best time.

NO. The female should be spayed by the time she is six to eight months of age. Many veterinarians now believe that spaying at an earlier age presents little or no increased risk. Spaying a female puppy before the first heat cycle helps protect against mammary tumors and helps prevent the development of several reproductive tract diseases.

No, your female dog or cat does not need to breed just one time. If you have your female animal spayed before her first heat you may be saving your females life from common disease such as breast cancer and reproductive cancers. You may even find that your female is much more affectionate and easier trained. If this were a true statement then animal shelters all over the country would not be filled with millions of unwanted animals. Millions of unwanted dogs and cats are euthanized every year.

Yes, they can be spayed. There is an additional charge for both cats and dogs if they are in heat. The risk of complications is slightly higher because of rare occasions of blood clotting dysfunction.

Yes. During pregnancy, flea baths or dips which have long-acting synthetic insecticides should be avoided if possible. If necessary to use them, consult with a veterinarian.

If your dog was not previously licensed you will need to get an Unaltered Dog Permit. The cost is $50. This provision of the ordinance will become effective April 5, 2007. We strongly recommend that you spay or neuter your dog if you are not a breeder, or involved in other activities that would dissuade you from doing so. If you are in your own yard with your puppy or dog the animals should either be confined in a secure enclosure or accompanied by the owner and under his/her direct control.

There are no predictable behavior changes in the female dog or cat after ovariohysterectomy. Male dogs, however, often become less dominant and aggressive with other dogs and roam less after neutering. Male cats generally do less territorial fighting and roam less, which dramatically increases their life span. There are many solid health reasons for spaying and neutering our pets. Early spaying prevents mammary cancer and a uterine disease called pyometra.

This FAQ is taken from the Veterinary Medicine forum, where NIGHTSTARR1221 asks: "Our female dog was spayed when she was 4-5 months old. She is now 1-1/2 years old and bleeding; our male dog keeps trying to mate with her. The vet told my husband that sometimes this happens and that the way the dogs uterus is sometimes they miss an ovary and have to go back in. I cannot see that this is possible if they removed the uterus. Does anyone know if this is possible?"

The female dog comes into heat (estrus) about every six months, although very large breeds of dogs may cycle every 8-10 months. The heat period lasts about three weeks.

Early signs include a swollen vulva and a light red or bloody discharge. Often, a dog’s first heat may be "silent" and accompanied by no or minimal discharge. Male dogs are usually attracted to her, as well.

If pups are not wanted it is best to spay before the 1st heat. Also, the risk of breast cancer in female dogs can be significantly minimized by spaying before the first heat period.

A dog will begin her heat or estrus cycle at different times depending on the breed but typically it begins between 6 and 8 months of age.

Some female dogs exhibit additional subluxation when radiographed during these times. The OFA recommends radiographing three to four weeks before or after the heat cycle, and three to four weeks after weaning a litter of puppies.

Luckily for your pooch, you don't have to wait for her to gain weight to tell if she's pregnant. There are a lot of nutritional and other health precautions that you should take with a pregnant dog to keep her and her puppies healthy, so it's best if you learn whether she's pregnant as soon as possible. A veterinarian can determine whether she's pregnant at about three weeks after breeding, either through blood testing, ultrasound, or a physical examination.

We recommend that the pet be at least 5 months of age. It is not necessary or recommended to allow females to experience an estrus cycle. Spaying and neutering at the age of 5 months greatly reduces the chances of any medical or behavioral problems such as mammary tumors, testicular tumors, inappropriate urination and aggression.