Is it too late to spay an old dog?
Now at 8 ½ years old, a dog is less likely to get pregnant. Certainly older dogs can still get pregnant but she also a house dog, so shes probably unlikely coming into contact with entire male dogs. This factor is less of a risk and less of a consideration with this particular Chihuahua.
Theres also less benefit for a reduction in mammary tumors in older female dogs. We tend to believe that if were spaying a female dog before their first season we get about a 99.5% reduction in the risk of mammary tumors. If were spaying before the second season, its about a 95% reduction, and before the third season about a 75% reduction.
Now spaying later than this means there doesnt seem to be such a big difference in the risk of a dog developing breast cancer. Having said that though, there does seem to be an increased survival if a dog has been spayed within two years of mammary masses developing. That is being spayed up to 2 years before the mammary tumors developed
Mammary cancer is really pretty common in entire old dogs, and about 50% of those that do occur are nasty, malignant tumors. This means they can spread to other parts of the body and they can ultimately be fatal. Benign tumors are not always harmless, and can grow very big, causing severe problems as well.
Given that the two-year survival from mammary cancer is better if a dog has been spayed within the last two years means that there’s still going to be a potential benefit I think in spaying this particular dog from a breast cancer survival aspect.
Now moving onto pyometra, or an infection of the uterus, one in four female dogs will develop pyometra by the time they get to ten years of age if they remain entire. While this condition does have about a 95% survival rate if its treated appropriately, it does require expensive emergency surgery in the majority of cases.
Now some cases of pyometra can be managed medically, but these are really the minority of cases where this is preferable. Emergency surgery generally gives us the best outcome and is the preferred treatment and either way, both are still kind of severe interventions and theyre expensive treatments that carry some risk as well.
So those are really the benefits of spaying and I think they highlights the fact that in an older dog, there still is going to be a benefit to getting them spayed at this age and even later. Pyometra is that common and its much better to have an elective surgery when a pet is otherwise healthy than to wait until theyre really sick. Theres also going to be a big cost difference there as well, which is maybe something to consider depending on your financial circumstances.
The Best Age to Spay a Dog
There’s a myth that says female dogs should experience one heat cycle before spaying. Some people also think there’s no use for spaying if their pets reached sexual maturity or the first menstruation. So, what’s the best age to spay your dog?
While this is a general recommendation, it’s still best to consult a veterinarian. Your vet will do a general checkup on your pet first to determine if there’s something you need to consider before doing the procedure.
Is it too late to spay a 3 year old dog?
As long as your pet is healthy, there is no age limit for spaying your dog. While the traditional age for spaying is six to nine months, dogs as young as five months can undergo the procedure. Even if there are some risks with senior dogs, the benefits still outweigh a few risks.