Feeling so bad about getting my dog spayed

[Anonymous]

I just feel like I'm doing such a disservice to her. It's not natural. I know it's supposed to be better for her health (she's already 6), but sigh. She's already such a sweetheart (minus, not usually liking unknown dogs). I have her appointment scheduled and I was told I could just leave her and pick her up later She'll probably be scared out of her mind. So so tempted to just cancel. I only figured I should do it because our other dog (male) does go batshit when she's in heat (she's never been pregnant), she goes through those false pregnancy symptoms, and I'd like to avoid her getting cancer or anything like that. When you got your dog spayed, were they exactly the same after (as far as demeanor, personality, etc.)?

[Anonymous]

Jesus Christ - you should have done that when she was a puppy. You've got to be a troll.

[Anonymous]

My husband refused to get our dog spayed for several years. One day I had to take her to the vet because she was very lethargic- clearly very ill. When I got her there they did a scan and rushed her in to surgery to save her life.

It is not uncommon for unspayed female dogs to develop severe uterine infections that can rupture the uterus and kill them. I forget what the term is- you can look it up along with percentages of dogs who are afflicted with it.

There is also a dramatically increased chance of them developing breast cancer when they aren't spayed, but I think you have to have it done when they are very young to avoid that.

[Anonymous]

Her personality won't change, especially since she is much older. Typically, female dogs won't see much of any change in personality or behavior, it's male dogs that have the noticeable changes when they are neutered and even those aren't that huge.

Also, FWIW, I've fostered plenty of dogs before and never seen any real adverse effects from spaying or neutering - no lethargy or apparent soreness from the suture site, no moping or anything like that following the appointment. The dogs really just don't care. The dog is no more upset than when they go to the vet for any other checkup or procedure.

[Anonymous]

Get some therapy.

[Anonymous]

It's a medical procedure! Did your personality change after a root canal? Give whoever will be taking care of your dog a sealed baggie with her favorite treats. She will like that person and it'll calm her down.

BTW, YOU are scared out of your mind. Dogs have high EQ. YOU are causing your dog to be scared because she's picking up on your nervousness. Calm down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband refused to get our dog spayed for several years. One day I had to take her to the vet because she was very lethargic- clearly very ill. When I got her there they did a scan and rushed her in to surgery to save her life.

It is not uncommon for unspayed female dogs to develop severe uterine infections that can rupture the uterus and kill them. I forget what the term is- you can look it up along with percentages of dogs who are afflicted with it.

There is also a dramatically increased chance of them developing breast cancer when they aren't spayed, but I think you have to have it done when they are very young to avoid that.

Yep, going through their first two estrus cycles are related to the biggest increase in risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jesus Christ - you should have done that when she was a puppy. You've got to be a troll.

Lol, no I promise I'm not. It was never really pushed/promoted. Her vet always made it seem like a "do what floats your boat" decision so it never seemed pressing. I had only heard the avoid unwanted pregnancies argument, and I felt like that'd never be a concern.

[Anonymous]

Let me guess. Your male dog isn't neutered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband refused to get our dog spayed for several years. One day I had to take her to the vet because she was very lethargic- clearly very ill. When I got her there they did a scan and rushed her in to surgery to save her life.

It is not uncommon for unspayed female dogs to develop severe uterine infections that can rupture the uterus and kill them. I forget what the term is- you can look it up along with percentages of dogs who are afflicted with it.

There is also a dramatically increased chance of them developing breast cancer when they aren't spayed, but I think you have to have it done when they are very young to avoid that.

Shit. The breast cancer fact is the only one I've heard of. I messed up. Well, thank you for your comment. It might be kind of late, but I'm definitely not going to cancel now. That was enough to convince me.

[Anonymous]

OP, I understand how you feel.

I'm a crazy cat lady, and I felt so guilty after having my girl spayed. She WAS "scared out of her mind", and when I went to pick her up, she had peed herself and actually looked dead. I am assuming the process is similar for dogs, so I wanted to let you know what advice from the vet I wish I had IGNORED (because I still feel guilty for doing this). The vet told me that my cat would want to be alone in a quiet place to recover, and that she should be on the floor so that she wouldn't hurt her stitches jumping onto or off something, so I took her home and put her on a blanket on the floor in the spare room. I quickly sponged the pee off her fur and left her there. When I went back to the room to check on her about two hours later, she had dragged herself off the blanket and collapsed in the hall. I took her BACK to the spare room, and put her back on the blanket, and--this is horrible--she dragged herself off again and I found her collapsed in front of the now-closed door. I finally put her in our bed and lay down beside her, petting her and telling her I loved her, and that was what she wanted. She didn't WANT to be alone; she wanted to be in the bed where she slept with her people, and be reassured, and I know that because she didn't try to move again. So I traumatized her by taking her home, in pain and drugged up, and putting her by herself.

Since I'm a crazy cat lady, I stayed in bed with her until the evening when she woke up, and then I gently carried her to her litter box, and then I took her back to bed and stayed with her the rest of the night. My son made her some boiled chicken and we fed it to her in bed. My husband had to sleep on the sofa because I didn't want to risk jarring my girl, who was sleeping on his side.

I know she had to be spayed, but the vet's advice to put her in a room alone to recover was terrible, and I will never forgive myself for doing that to her, or forget finding her collapsed in the hall because she had been trying to get to me. So my advice is to plan an appointment for your dog that will enable you to pick her up at a time when you can spend some hours with her, and when you will not be going out or busy in the evening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Her personality won't change, especially since she is much older. Typically, female dogs won't see much of any change in personality or behavior, it's male dogs that have the noticeable changes when they are neutered and even those aren't that huge.

Also, FWIW, I've fostered plenty of dogs before and never seen any real adverse effects from spaying or neutering - no lethargy or apparent soreness from the suture site, no moping or anything like that following the appointment. The dogs really just don't care. The dog is no more upset than when they go to the vet for any other checkup or procedure.

Very good to know. Thank you. Obviously, I'm not very in the know about this and her vet didn't really offer much either. I'm overthinking this. I think I've just heard too many negative, bs accounts.

[Anonymous]

OP, I think others posters are being unnecessarily mean. Yes, you should have gotten it done earlier, but good for you for getting it done now. I've owned a lot of dogs (male and female) and while I've always gotten them spayed/neutered early, their personalities haven't changed. The scary thing is that it's an operation and yes, you do drop them off and then have to come back later. I felt so bad for my current dog when I picked him up- he kept looking at me accusingly once he was home. Just make sure you have pain meds from the vet and that you give them at appropriate times. She won't remember it a week later. And, in the long run, it will be better for her. Make sure to give her extra loving after she's home.

If your male dog isn't neutered, please get that done as well. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get some therapy.

-__- Well thanks for keeping it real. I realize I'm internalizing this way more than I should. But, I was honestly feeling like I was going to be doing harm to her. Reading the responses, I get that that was pretty dumb and I should've had this done long ago.

Anonymous wrote:It's a medical procedure! Did your personality change after a root canal? Give whoever will be taking care of your dog a sealed baggie with her favorite treats. She will like that person and it'll calm her down.

BTW, YOU are scared out of your mind. Dogs have high EQ. YOU are causing your dog to be scared because she's picking up on your nervousness. Calm down.

This was really helpful. I will definitely do that. And yeah, I see how I just need to get my own self together for her. Now I'm pretty embarrassed I even asked and felt this way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband refused to get our dog spayed for several years. One day I had to take her to the vet because she was very lethargic- clearly very ill. When I got her there they did a scan and rushed her in to surgery to save her life.

It is not uncommon for unspayed female dogs to develop severe uterine infections that can rupture the uterus and kill them. I forget what the term is- you can look it up along with percentages of dogs who are afflicted with it.

There is also a dramatically increased chance of them developing breast cancer when they aren't spayed, but I think you have to have it done when they are very young to avoid that.

Yep, going through their first two estrus cycles are related to the biggest increase in risk.

ugh. Well, I obviously failed her. But late is better than never right?