To spay..or not to spay my 9 1/2 yr. old Brittany

[ArtistKarin2]

Dear Traci,

I recently brought my my 9 & 1/2 yr. old Brittany Spaniel "Abbey" to my vet's office for a check-up & to update her shots. I also wanted her checked for some swelling I saw involving both sides of her rear-most nipple areas.

Abbey was never spayed, due to the fact that she is a purebred Brittany.
and because a local breeder (not hers) told me how "exceptional" she is (i.e. for breed standards & hunting dog qualities). I had considered breeding her, however for many reasons it just didn't happen, & unfortunately I was never made aware of the possible health issues associated with not spaying her.

This time when I brought Abbey for her annual checkup & shots, she saw a different vet at the office I had been bringing her to since I got her, and I was told that Abbey could contract "Pyometra" as well as Mammary Cancer; as a result of not being spayed. The vet recommended having it done "soon".

I did some research online about this, & there seems to be strong evidence to support this. Unfortunately, there are some pretty serious complications listed that are associated with the surgery itself, as well as afterwards.

When I arrived for the appointment to have her spayed, I asked to talk with the vet prior to going ahead with the surgery. After discussing it with her, I decided that it would be advisable to have the procedure done; however, we decided that it would be best to wait until I was more prepared to deal with post-surgery aftercare; (i.e. she said that Abbey should be confined to a kennel (cage) for a period of 7 days, in order to keep her from jumping up on furniture, possibly tearing her sutures...as well as risking infection, etc.). I opted to have Abbey's teeth cleaned instead, since the vet also advised me not to have that done during the same surgery, despite the risks of anesthetizing her twice.

Traci, my question is whether this vet is accurate in recommending having Abbey spayed at her age? I am really concerned about the risk of Pyrometra; since it sounds like it can be fatal, but I don't want to put her through major surgery either... until I am sure. The vet also indicated that spaying her now, won't really help reduce the risk of Mammary Cancer due to the number of heat cycles she has been through. Also, can you tell me what the recommended time of confinement after being spayed in a 'kennel' for an older dog?

[Traci]

Spaying can be, and should be done, immediately. Well, after she recovers from her dental cleaning. I'd give this no longer than one month, then get that spay scheduled ASAP. No, she's not too old to have it done. That said, I would opt for at least a pre-anesthetic blood profile to ensure her liver and kidney function is good - ideally a CBC and complete chemical profile should be done if you haven't had it done in the last year - prior to the spay.

Pyometra can be fatal if not detected early. It is a septic infection, meaning, a uterus can get infected, inflammed, and even rupture, which spreads infection internally and goes septic. The cure for pyometra is spaying (if it's caught early, before a uterus ruptures). You never want a dog to suffer pyometra, it is excruciatingly painful and every symptom you can imagine occurs, and death is likely if the infection has spread to an extent that cannot be treated with heavy antibiotics.

During the spay, your vet will thoroughly check the uterus, tubes, etc and the abdominal cavity and will flush the entire cavity with saline before closing with sutures. You will need to keep her confined for up to a week because you can't risk opening of the suture site, which, if occurs, is prime for bacteria to enter. You'll have to check her incision daily for any signs of swelling, bruising, warm or hot to the touch, seeping of blood or pus - if any of those occur, get her back to your vet immediately for a recheck so he can flush the wound and get started on antibiotics. Running, jumping and too much activity and exercise right after a spay can definately cause sutures to open and the wound is open for infection. An e-collar might also be needed to prevent her from licking the wound. A recheck after 7-10 days with your vet will be necessary to remove staples if used instead of sutures, or if the sutures are not dissolvable.

When you take her in for her spay, make sure the vet gives pain medication after her procedure and sends additional pain meds home with you. This will help keep her activity limited as well.

As for the risk of mammary cancer, he's right. After the first heat cycle, the risks increase. After the third and forth cycles and so on, the risks increase significantly. I'd like to say that at her present age, it's not likely to occur, but it is a random disease, affecting any dog of any age who has not been spayed. I'm assuming your vet palpated and examined Abbey's mammaries in which to make an educated guess the swelling is not typical of mammary cancer. Lesser causes could be fat deposits, lymph node activity, etc.

As for complications, do you mean from spay surgery or from pyometra surgery? In spay surgery, as with all surgeries, there is risk, but it is minimized by prior bloodwork parameters known, monitoring anesthesia, monitoring vitals before, during and after surgery and good nursing care during recovery. As for pyometra surgery, the risk is by far greater due to the potential of an infected uterus rupturing, or already leaking inside the abdominal cavity, thereby spreading internally and hampering the recovery and healing process. It is doubtful she has pyometra right now, since you'd recognize symptoms and so would the vet. But, you really do not want to wait any longer to face that risk. If the dental was only a cleaning, and she recovered from the anesthesia well, then ask the vet how soon you can schedule the spay.

[ArtistKarin]

Dear Traci,

Thank you for the very helpful answer to my questions regarding concerns about spaying Abbey. I will be scheduling the surgery asap since it sounds like you are confirming what I heard from my vet & read about it online. I am even more concerned about the risk of Pyometra after reading what you had to say....so I definitely won't wait to have it done!

The initial concerns I had about the risks, were about the surgery itself. Fortunately, during the appointment to have Abbey's teeth cleaned I had asked the vet what we could do to ensure she was in good enough health to proceed with the spaying surgery...I did have the vet run blood tests & all her tests came back fine.

As far as the mammary swelling, the vet did do some palpitation & felt it was hormonal & not indicative of any cancer.

I will take advantage of all your advice regarding post-op meds. & care, Abbey is a VERY active dog...(a purebred Brittany thing I suspect), so it will definitely be a challenge keeping her quiet and the sutures intact! Thank you so much for all your help, it really makes this decision a lot easier!

[Traci]

Another option could be asking your vet how much he'd charge to keep her for maybe a few days after the spay - you can visit anytime you want (with prior permission of course) - this way, she'd be closely watched and confined in a kennel for her safety. I would only recommend that option though, if at home, no one is there to watch and monitor her. Ideally, she'd do better at home in her own environment as long as she be kept somewhat confined.

She might also self-limit her activity, given the nature of the surgery and her age. You can't count on that though, so she does have to be watched closely for too much strenuous activity.

If at any time during recovery, you're concerned, just call your vet - he can advise you over the phone, or, should a suture open, he'll want her back in promptly so he can check and close that (sometimes surgical glue can work as long as it's only one suture loose - quick procedure, doesn't require anesthetic), and would probably get her on a prophylactic course of antibiotics just to play it safe.

Try not to worry - as long as she's watched closely, kept comfortable and her incision is checked a few times a day (and that she's not licking at it or pulling sutures with her teeth), she should do fine. Just in case, ask the vet if he can fit her for an e-collar to take home.

[ArtistKarin]

Thanks Traci,
I think we'll try to keep her at home after the surgery...we have actually been in the process of renovating the first floor of our home & moving our bedroom & home office downstairs, because our other dog has knee issues & difficulty climbing stairs. I think not having to climb stairs will be better for Abbey's recovery & we will also have a large kennel set-up for her which we will be lining with soft blankets. We will be trying to get her to sleep in it, so she will be used to being in it by the time she has to have the surgery.

I'll also check into the e-collar & antibiotics...the more prepared we are for possible issues the better since we are 45 min. from the vet's office.

[Traci]

Sounds like a good set-up, good luck!