How long should I wait between surgeries?
 

Missy should be spayed at 6 - 6.5 months of age right? That's in 4-6 weeks and she *just* went for an emergency surgery today for an elbow fracture. The surgeon seemed to feel that she could still get spayed in 4-6 weeks even though her recovery time for this surgery is 6 weeks. What do you all think? It seems kind of cruel to put her through 2 surgeries back to back like that. Particularly when she's only 2 lbs 9 ozs right now at 19.5 weeks of age. It's important to spay them before that first heat cycle though isn't it? How important is it really?

Thanks for any help or advice.

If you spay before the first heat, there is virtually no chance of the dog developing mammary gland cancer later in life. One heat cycle does up that risk for cancer, but the chances really start to increase after a second or third heat cycle. Letting your dog go through a heat cycle also risks false pregnancies and pyometria, although most dogs don't develop pyometria that early. The chances increase for pyrometria with each heat cycle. I've seen so many accidental pregnancies on this forum...so it's so important that if your girl does have a heat cycle that you are extremely careful...not being around any intact males and never being left alone outside. False pregnancies are very common in dogs as well.

I always recommend spaying before the first heat cycle if at all possible because I truly believe it's the best for the dog, but most likely she'd be okay if you had to wait. A lot of toy breed dogs go into heat later than 6 months too...some as late as a year or more so if you do wait a few weeks or so, she may not have gone into heat yet anyway. But...she would probably be fine being spayed when you had planned...I wouldn't think her elbow surgery would make a difference

Yes, it is important that they are spayed before their first heat.
I don't see a problem with two anesthetic episodes within 6 weeks but because her body is healing, I wouldn't jump into opening her up again and making her recover from that at the same time.

Unless somebody could convince me that it is just as safe to recover from two major surgeries at once, I would wait at least 6 weeks. But this is coming from the person who won't even vaccinate on surgery day...

Thank you for responding. Missy is only ever around two female dogs which are both spayed. She doesn't go outside unless she's being carried. I would never leave her unattended anywhere, she's too small. My only concern was that having two surgeries like that back to back would be hard on her little system. However, I do want what's best for her. If avoiding that first heat is super important, then we will do the spay as planned.

I wouldn't vaccinate on surgery day either...vaccinations should only be given to healthy animals and never while they are under anaesthesia....although I know many vets will...of course many vets also will give 7 vaccines in one day, including all kinds of unnecessary and non-recommended ones.

If you are more comfortable waiting a few weeks more, I think that's fine. Most toy breed dogs do not come into heat right at 6 months of age, although it has happened. So if you want to wait until she is 7 months and recovered from her elbow fracture, she most likely won't have come into heat yet.