Can a female dog be spayed when in heat

Q: How long do you have to wait to spay a dog after heat?

When your dog is in heat, theres a lot more blood flowing to her surgery area. It becomes a more serious surgery for your pup. If your dog has gone into heat, we usually suggest waiting to spay her until 2 to 3 months after her heat cycle is completely finished.

If your sweet little girl isn't spayed, don't be caught off guard if she gets her period. This is the beginning of her estrus cycle, commonly called "heat." During heat, a female dog is open to mating and can become pregnant. And while bleeding is one of the most obvious signs a dog is entering heat, her estrus cycle actually lasts much longer than this initial stage.

Table of Contents Show

When Do Dogs Go Into Heat?
The Female Dog Heat Cycle
Stage 1: Signs a Dog Is in Heat
Stage 2: When Your Dog Can Become Pregnant
Stage 3: The End of a Dog's Heat Cycle
Stage 4: The Downtime
How Often Do Dogs Go Into Heat?
Spaying Your Dog
The process of spaying a dog
Can a spayed dog have a heat cycle?
Diagnosing ovarian remnant syndrome in dogs
Treating ovarian remnant syndrome in dogs
The bottom line
What happens if a dog is spayed while in heat?
How long do you have to wait to spay a dog after heat?
How long is a female dog in heat?
Should I spay my dog before or after her first heat?

So, how long are dogs in heat, exactly? And how do you know when your dog is ready to mate? Daily Paws spoke with a veterinarian to find answers.

When Do Dogs Go Into Heat?

This time of fertility and breeding can be a fact of life for your dog at a surprisingly young age. Lonna J. Nielsen, DVM, of Winterset Veterinary Center in Winterset, Iowa, says, "The timing of the first heat varies by the size of the dog. It can be as soon as 6 months of age for small dogs or 1.5 years for giant breeds. Having an intact [non-neutered] male in the house will bring heat in faster for a female. It can be as young as 4 months [old] for small dogs!"

The Female Dog Heat Cycle

how long are dogs in heat infographic showing the four stages

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The process of spaying a dog

Spaying, or removing both the ovaries and the uterus of a female dog, should put an end to the dog's heat cycles. If a dog is spayed before her first heat cycle, she generally won't ever have one. The ovaries produce hormones, particularly estrogen, which prompt the heat cycles. With the ovaries removed, these hormones will no longer be produced, and the dog's heat cycles will come to an end. You should also see an end to your dog's heat-prompted behavioral issues and personality changes. Plus, this is the one sure way to prevent unwanted pregnancy.

Veterinarians don't recommend spaying dogs just because it ends their heat cycles. Both spay/neuter procedures have health benefits, especially if they are done before sexual maturity. Spaying has the added health benefits of reducing a pet's chance of developing mammary gland tumors, pyometra (a pus-filled uterus), and ovarian tumors. These three conditions can develop when a pet continuously produces estrogen. By removing the ovaries and stopping the estrogen production, the pet is likelier to live her life without developing these serious conditions.

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Can a spayed dog have a heat cycle?

Typically, spaying your dog will cause heat symptoms to go away. But if your spayed dog is displaying symptoms such as swelling of the vulva (which is the earliest sign) or bloody discharge from the vulva, is attracting male dogs, and is showing submissive interaction with male dogs, there may be something else going on. It is possible that your female dog has a condition called ovarian remnant syndrome.

Ovarian remnant syndrome is caused when bits of ovarian tissue are left behind during the spay surgery. This tissue continues to release hormones, prompting a spayed dog to still go into heat every six to eight months (or potentially every 12 months for some giant dog breeds). If your dog has ovarian remnant syndrome, you may not notice it right away since your dog's heat cycles may not begin until months or even years after the surgery has taken place. Other possible causes of heatlike symptoms include estrogen therapy and uterine stump abscess (also called stump pyometra), or false pregnancy.

Diagnosing ovarian remnant syndrome in dogs

If you notice your dog displaying heat symptoms even though she's been spayed, you should schedule a veterinarian appointment to get to the bottom of the issue. They will diagnose the condition in any number of ways.

Vaginal cytology, which is a swab of your dog's vagina, will let your veterinarian test for cornified cells, a specific type of vaginal cell that in abundance identifies the presence of estrogen. Your veterinarian may also test your dog's hormone levels to look for abnormalities that identify that your dog still has ovarian function. If you can tell when your dog is in heat and get her into the veterinarian's office during that time, they can perform an ultrasound. Depending on the size of the ovarian tissue that is left, they may be able to see the tissue on the ultrasound.

In some cases, your veterinarian may need to perform exploratory surgery to determine if ovarian tissue is still present as well as to locate that tissue. They should be able to remove that tissue at the same time.

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Treating ovarian remnant syndrome in dogs

The treatment for ovarian remnant syndrome is, luckily, a pretty simple one. Should your dog be diagnosed with this condition, your veterinarian will need to perform surgery while your dog is in heat because the ovarian tissue will be active (bigger) and more readily located. Your veterinarian will remove any remaining ovarian tissue during the surgery. This will stop your dog from producing estrogen and will bring an end to her going into heat.

If you find that your dog has ovarian remnant syndrome and it is not treated, your dog will still be at an increased risk of developing conditions like mammary gland tumors, pyometra, and ovarian tumors. Be sure to speak with your veterinarian about any concerns you have regarding your dog's diagnosis or treatment.

The bottom line

Spaying your dog is an effective way to not only end the heat cycle but also prioritize pet health and prevent potentially serious health complications seen in unspayed female dogs, such as developing mammary gland tumors, uterine infections (more specifically, pyometra), and ovarian tumors. If you notice that your spayed female dog continues to experience signs of heat after being spayed, you should contact your veterinarian. This may be a sign that your dog is experiencing ovarian remnant syndrome, and surgery will be required to treat the condition.

What happens if a dog is spayed while in heat?

- If a dog is spayed within the first two months after being in heat, a very dramatic false pregnancy is somewhat likely to occur. - Spaying a dog in heat typically requires up to 30 minutes of additional surgery time, and could require the use of the surgical laser, both of which will increase the cost of the surgery.

How long do you have to wait to spay a dog after heat?

When your dog is in heat, there's a lot more blood flowing to her surgery area. It becomes a more serious surgery for your pup. If your dog has gone into heat, we usually suggest waiting to spay her until 2 to 3 months after her heat cycle is completely finished.

How long is a female dog in heat?

Estrus is the stage when the dog can become pregnant. Although this can vary with each individual, on average a dog will be in heat for 1 ½ to 2 weeks but this can be shorter or longer.

Should I spay my dog before or after her first heat?

In terms of benefits, early spaying (before 5 months) results in very low (0.05%) risk of mammary cancer, no risk of pregnancy, and no heat cycle bleeding. Spaying before the first heat cycle results in an easier surgery with fewer potential for complications such as bleeding and pain.