Is Spaying a Pregnant Dog Safe?

What Are the Risks of Spaying My Pregnant Dog?

“My female dog mated on 09/04/2024, and she’s 5 weeks pregnant with a due date of 11/5/2024. My vet scheduled her spay surgery for October 24, 2024. If my math is correct, that’s 2 weeks before she is due. Is this surgery dangerous and high risk, and could it possibly kill my dog? Should I do it at all. I just want the best for my dog in this situation. Your help is greatly appreciated.” – Jamey

Having even a normal healthy dog spayed is a major surgery, and there is some risk involved. However, though I can tell you that it is not a high risk. For every 10,000 dogs who are spayed, only 5 animals die, so there is only a 0.05 percent chance of death. (1) A pregnant dog has a slightly higher risk, but even those numbers are very low.

Even though there is very little chance your dog will die, there is a higher chance of subsequent problems. When a dog is pregnant, surgery time is increased, and the incision needs to be longer to expose the uterus. A larger incision is more likely to be swollen and painful. It also takes a little longer to close the abdomen after surgery, so she will need to be under anesthesia for longer. The blood vessels are enlarged, so she’ll lose more blood during the procedure and will take longer to recover. There are also other potential complications anytime a pregnant dog is spayed.

When to Spay Your Dog

If you accept these risks and have her spayed before the puppies are born, you should consider having an ultrasound done to confirm the pregnancy. A great number of dogs who are bred do not become pregnant, and this may not even be an issue in making your decision. Her age may be another issue, however, as many dogs are still spayed too young. Since we know some breeds are more likely to dribble urine around the house, develop cancer, and even arthritis when spayed, you are better off waiting until they are older before the spay. Dogs spayed too early are also more likely to have behavioral problems, such as increased aggression and excessive shyness, so if she is having problems now, you are better off waiting.

Because of the increased risks, my suggestion would be to delay the spay until after the due date and let her have the puppies naturally.

Being Prepared for Puppies

If you are not able to raise puppies can’t provide homes for them, there are good results with an injection or in aborting the puppies with pills at 30 days post-breeding. (3) I am not sure your regular veterinarian will be on board with this since you are going to spay your dog eventually, but if you are in the U.S., you will need a prescription from the veterinarian for the medication.

There are few good reasons to spay your dog if you are able to keep her from being bred twice a year when she comes in heat, though there are pros and cons of spaying.

In many places around the world dogs are only spayed when it is medically necessary. If you are not able to confine her when she is in heat, however, a partial spay, such as in the video below, is the safest option for her.

Partial Spay for Dogs

Sources

1. Levy JK, Bard KM, Tucker SJ, Diskant PD, Dingman PA. Perioperative mortality in cats and dogs undergoing spay or castration at a high-volume clinic. Vet J. 2017 Jun;224:11-15. doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2017.05.013. Epub 2017 Jun 2. PMID: 28697869. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28697869/
2. Muraro L, White RS. Complications of ovariohysterectomy procedures performed in 1880 dogs. Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere. 2014;42(5):297-302. PMID: 25323211. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25323211/
3. Wanke M, Loza ME, Monachesi N, Concannon P. Clinical use of dexamethasone for termination of unwanted pregnancy in dogs. J Reprod Fertil Suppl. 1997;51:233-8. PMID: 9404290. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9404290/

This article is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from your veterinarian. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

© 2024 Mark dos Anjos, DVM