When I adopted my dog, I was amazed at whether or not he was more relaxed. After six years the decision was almost out of my hands.
When I adopted my dog from a local shelter, the staff there definitely fixed me up. Two months later small drops of blood appeared everywhere in the house and I realized my dog was intact — and in heat. I was faced with deciding whether to place it with a larger hand or not. Although I have read every dog care book, urging pet owners to fix their animals, I could not imagine putting mine through such an ordeal. Especially since he seemed to have a sensitive temperament. Already because of the pain of abandonment and, based on fearful behavior, harassment can occur. Deciding to remove all healthy reproductive organs and causing him even temporary pain seemed barbaric. How could I make such an animal healthy? I was also concerned about the health consequences and obedient, loving behavior.
Over the years I have decided that much of what I have read about the importance of stopping dogs is just hype, directed at irresponsible dog owners. I always read that male dogs from every corner of the city would enter my doorstep when my dog went into heat. No one has ever shown male dogs in my property. I would also like to read that dogs make a terrible mess in the heat. My dog was pretty tough about constantly licking himself clean. It is true, while he was in the heat, there were drops of blood on the ground, on the bed and on the chest. So I preferred to use the bed cover and the old bedding for a few weeks rather than hang it up. I used diapers for my dog during her heat cycle when she was six years old. They kept the house cleaner, but at the end of that heat cycle my dog showed signs of infection. She passed a yellow albicans discharge after urinating and I blamed it on the dog’s diapers. I threw them out but watched closely in the next heat of the race. Sure enough, even without diapers the dog ended up with the same type of infection after the heat cycle. That’s when I started researching canine reproductive health. I learned about pyometra – a uterine infection that, if left untreated, can quickly kill an entire female dog. I was worried my dog might develop a pyometra, but I still couldn’t bring myself to give it a shot.
When the tide went through another cycle without any problems, I concluded that I had nothing to worry about. Like many dog lovers, I lavish as much care and attention on my dog as parents do on their children. How can a dog be treated so well that it thrives on life threatening disease? It seemed to me that pyometra is a disease of neglected dogs, not dogs that sleep in their owners’ beds, eat smelly homemade meals and weekly baths Get a conditioning shampoo.
Nine months ago my dog went into heat again. One morning, at the end of her heat cycle, she suddenly passed out a dark colored, putrid smelling vaginal discharge. I watched her carefully for the next few weeks to make sure the pyometra didn’t come out. Again I seriously considered this offer, and again decided against it.
Two months ago, eight years old, my dog went into heat for the last time. One night, at the end of her heat cycle, she became violently ill, pulled out several times, and began bleeding from her womb more than ever during her heat run. A vet visit is confirmed the next morning. An X-ray of her uterus appeared normal. Symptoms do not indicate pyometra. His appetite was good, he did not drink or urinate excessively and play outside. A two-week regimen of antibiotics was prescribed. A few days after the antibiotics my dog’s bleeding stopped. Late night She started exhibiting classic pyometra symptoms. He had refused food three times in a row, drank too much and asked to go out several times, each time frequent urination. When she started to appear lethargic, I rushed her to the emergency animal clinic where an x-ray clearly showed an enlarged, infected uterus. It was a decision to release my dog from my hands or not. She was immediately taken into surgery.
My dog is now fully recovered. Spaying did not seem to affect his behavior at all. She appeared tired and uncomfortable for two days after the operation, but she never lost her appetite. She was ready to run and play in less than three days, and her incision healed beautifully.
I’m sorry I didn’t dare to pay off the dog sooner. I could have saved her with much illness and discomfort. I was able to save myself a lot of worry. Plus, the cost of paying my dog at the clinic was four times what I would have sent to the operator if I had done it before he got sick.
If you are deciding whether or not to spay your dog, I encourage you to do so while your dog is young and healthy. You should carefully remind your dog that you can catch up with her in time if she develops pyometra. Experience has taught me that pyometra is difficult to detect until it is life threatening. If I hadn’t lived near the animal clinic so many nights I would have lost my dog and I would have blamed myself for his lack of courage. It seems like a cruel operation, but if your dog is healthy and you love her, you can help her through it. And we never have to worry about losing that forever to this sudden, fatal disease.
