Spay or no spay

[Annabel]

Hello YT. It's been awhile since i posted a thread. I'm concerned about my fur baby. She is 5 years old (will be 6 in Oct) and weighs 5.5 lb. She hasn't been spayed yet do to her high liver and me being scared. Let me tell you a little about her.
She had double K9s and some teeth retainer at 8 months old (2007) I went to remove them, the vet did a pre blood test before her teeth removal her ALT (liver) was at 348 (when it should be 10-100) totally out of control for a puppy. He gave her food to help her liver. In 2010 her liver dropped to 107 and the vet said it was safe to remove her teeth he used gas anesthesia, still I was scared but knowing him for years and me studding Vet Tech he let me in the back during the procedure, so I agreed to do it. He did recommend to do one thing at a time teeth then spay. she did very good. But i was still scared to spay her.
After a few weeks we needed to move out of state. and I didn't want to have her recovering and moving (a good excuse). So i didn't spay her. Now I worry about all the health risk she could have not being spayed. She gets her heat every 5 to 6 months and every time she has a false pregnancy.
I have been reading that she my change her behavior/temper, and I want her to be the same as she has always been. I also worry about the anesthesia. If I get my self to do it I will travel back to my old vet so I can be with her.

I guess my question is if any of you have any similar experience. I want to do the best for her and will do any test before surgery. But please help me out. (sorry for the long post). Thanks in advance

[Jacksmom052709]

I am not going to be of any help, but I wanted to bump this up to make sure it doesn't get lost for you. Hopefully one of the YT'ers will read your post and will be able to give you some advice/share their story with you.

[Sir Bentley]

We to have read these same things: that he/she my change his/her behavior/temper, and I want him/her to be the same as she has always been.

I also worry about the anesthesia.

They say that 1 has to be done because their brother and sister: Bentley is schudled for July 10 he will be 6 months old but were scared to death. He just started to lift his leg and we don't want him peeing on furniture. Bentley weight about 5 lbs and Prissy is about 3.5 lbs

Any advice

[Annabel]

Originally Posted by Jacksmom052709

I am not going to be of any help, but I wanted to bump this up to make sure it doesn't get lost for you. Hopefully one of the YT'ers will read your post and will be able to give you some advice/share their story with you.

Thanks

[Quiverful]

If she did fine for the teeth, I would spay her. There are serious health risks for a dog left intact. Pyometra, which is an infected uterus and is a life and death emergency. Intact females also can get mammary tumors/cancer. Plus, there's always the risk of a male dog getting to her when she's in heat. You'd be surprised how creative dogs can be! LOL

Good luck!

[Yorkiemom1]

Annabel: Sounds like you have a good plan in place...pre-op testing, using your old vet, who is familiar with her, gas anesthesia...as far as changing her personality, I have not had that happen, all my spayed girls are as precious as they were before surgery, no change in personality...even the one female breeder that is retired, who was apparently abused by a man before I got her as she HATES men and will snap and bite any man!! still hates men...nothing changed! Personally, I would go ahead with the plan.

Sir Bently: Pre-op lab work is a MUST, to be sure there is nothing going on with his heart or liver that he wouldnt be able to throw off the anesthesia. Be sure the vet uses Gas anesthesia, not an IV anesthesia.....get the boy done first...he is larger, and his sexual hormones are starting to flow...want to nip that in the bud...it will more than likely stop that leg lifting behavior and he will be easier to house break.....I also insist my vet have an IV going all during the surgery and afterwards, just in case of an emergency, so they are not scurrying around trying to get IV access on a dog with cirrculatory collapse....

[Teegy]

Originally Posted by Jacksmom052709

I am not going to be of any help, but I wanted to bump this up to make sure it doesn't get lost for you. Hopefully one of the YT'ers will read your post and will be able to give you some advice/share their story with you.

bumpity bump

[Teegy]

Originally Posted by Quiverful

If she did fine for the teeth, I would spay her. There are serious health risks for a dog left intact. Pyometra, which is an infected uterus and is a life and death emergency. Intact females also can get mammary tumors/cancer. Plus, there's always the risk of a male dog getting to her when she's in heat. You'd be surprised how creative dogs can be! LOL

Good luck!

I thought the mammary cancer only impacts actual breeding bitches?
My friend has the same issue with her dog and her liver, it's affecting her growth rate and the vet won't fix her based on the weight and liver issues until they get around to bringing it to a healthy equilibrium and she has gained weight.
did you have any of those issues?
A lot of vets are not educated on the things that can befall small breed dogs, does your vet have a lot of experience?

[courtney1121]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

Sir Bently: Pre-op lab work is a MUST, to be sure there is nothing going on with his heart or liver that he wouldnt be able to throw off the anesthesia. Be sure the vet uses Gas anesthesia, not an IV anesthesia.....get the boy done first...he is larger, and his sexual hormones are starting to flow...want to nip that in the bud...it will more than likely stop that leg lifting behavior and he will be easier to house break.....I also insist my vet have an IV going all during the surgery and afterwards, just in case of an emergency, so they are not scurrying around trying to get IV access on a dog with cirrculatory collapse....

Is leg lifting bad? Geno lifts his leg to go pee but I just thought that was normal behavior. I'm sorry if I had misread something. Just curious about what exactly you two mean by leg lifting I guess.

[luvlee]

Originally Posted by courtney1121

Is leg lifting bad? Geno lifts his leg to go pee but I just thought that was normal behavior. I'm sorry if I had misread something. Just curious about what exactly you two mean by leg lifting I guess.

Leg lifting is not bad. Females who want to dominate have been known to do it. One vet told me that some males/females do it because they don't want their hair to get wet. Neutering may lessen the urge to mark but the puppy may still hike it up to go. It's all good.

[Sir Bentley]

Never seen a female left her leg, but not wanting to get hair wet makes since.

[Quiverful]

Originally Posted by Teegy

I thought the mammary cancer only impacts actual breeding bitches?
My friend has the same issue with her dog and her liver, it's affecting her growth rate and the vet won't fix her based on the weight and liver issues until they get around to bringing it to a healthy equilibrium and she has gained weight.
did you have any of those issues?
A lot of vets are not educated on the things that can befall small breed dogs, does your vet have a lot of experience?

Mammary cancer can happen to any intact female, breeding or not. Tink does not have any liver issues so I have no first hand experience with that. But, if she did fine with anesthesia once and the vet said her bloodwork looked okay, I would go ahead with the spay. But, that's just me

[Annabel]

Thanks a lot for all your advise. If all her tests are good and the Vet says she will be fine, i will go ahead and spay her. As for female leg lifting my baby sometimes will lift her leg, lol.