Spaying your dog reduces any aggressive behavior patterns so your dog will likely be less aggressive toward people and other dogs after spay surgery.
Some females become irritable or anxious and others might feel pain. Because spayed dogs don't have to go through these hormonal changes, their behavior may be more consistent. Females may show less aggression towards dogs and humans after they're spayed.
Desexing will not change your dog's personality. Male and female dogs that are desexed have a nicer temperament as they are not as driven by their hormones and make much nicer family pets.
Your female pet will live a longer, healthier life.
Spaying prevents uterine infections and decreases the incidence of breast tumors, which are malignant or cancerous in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.
An age of six to nine months of age may be appropriate for neutering or spaying a toy breed puppy or small breed puppy but a larger or giant breed may need to wait until they are near or over 12-18 months of age.
It's generally recommended to spay puppies between the ages of 4 to 6 months, says the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). By that age a female puppy's sex organs are fully developed but she hasn't yet experienced her first heat cycle, during which she could become pregnant.
What Spaying and Neutering Your Animal Does. Even though there won't be a change in your pet's energy level, the act of having a vet spay or neuter your pet will eliminate or reduce those behaviors that are attributed to their hormones. This includes heat cycles and the associated behaviors in female dogs.
After Spay Surgery
Sometimes, a pet who is spayed can return home the same day. Other times, she may need to spend the night under veterinary supervision. Pain medication can be given to your pet if she needs it, but most don't. Your pet may be nauseous following the procedure and not want to eat for a day or two.
There are some old wives' tales that a dog should go through at least 1 heat cycle before she's spayed. This just isn't the case. Studies have shown that the risks of mammary cancer and urinary incontinence are higher if you wait to spay your dog after she's gone through 1 or more heat cycles.
Unspayed females sometimes compete for the attention of a male dog by fighting. Spaying your dog reduces any aggressive behavior patterns so your dog will likely be less aggressive toward people and other dogs after spay surgery.
Recovery After Spaying Surgery
Most pets will start to feel better in 24 - 48 hours, but full recovery takes between 10 to 14 days. During this period you should aim to keep your pet calm and refrain from allowing them to jump, as this could cause the incision to reopen.
This happens because dogs are no more capable of having offsprings, so they have no reason to continue producing hormones at their optimal levels. The drop in estrogen level can become an immediate reason why the dog may seem to be calmer, simply because of its effect on the female reproductive cycle.
The night before the procedure
Give your pet their food around 8 pm and then DO NOT give ANY food to your pet after 9pm. (This includes treats and milk). Water may be left down overnight, but should be removed first thing in the morning.
To be clear, the question here is whether or not to spay early or after the first heat cycle. Because of significant risks of pyometra (uterine infection) or mammary cancer late in life we recommend that all female dogs not intended for breeding be spayed before their second heat cycle.
As long as your pet is healthy, there is no age limit for spaying your dog. While the traditional age for spaying is six to nine months, dogs as young as five months can undergo the procedure. Even if there are some risks with senior dogs, the benefits still outweigh a few risks.
A little ooze from the incision can be normal on the first day, however, if there is bleeding that has soaked the wound pad, any other discharge, or if the wound seems to be very swollen, then ring your vet for advice. Keeping all this in mind, you'll be able to help your dog recover as fast as possible from her spay.
We recommend they are closely observed during the first 12 hours after surgery. It is not necessary to stay up, or sleep next to your pet and you can leave your dog alone after surgery for short periods as long as they aren't likely to lick their stitches.
Restrict Your Dog's Activity For 10-14 Days
Regardless of the procedure performed, help your dog heal by restricting her activity for at least 10 to 14 days post-surgery. Your veterinarian may give specific instructions for a longer period of rest, depending on your dog's particular situation.
In fact, the studies show that spay actually increases aggression, fearfulness and anxiety in the recipient, as well as making them more difficult to train.
Your pet needs to be kept in an indoor crate/ kennel for most of the day and night for the next 10 days. The time of highest risk for the sutures breaking down is 3-5 days after surgery.
For these, it often takes two to three days for dogs to return to their normal selves after a spay and one to two for a neuter. Dogs over three years of age may take a day or two longer to recover. In many instances, older dogs (over six) can take up to a week to feel completely better after a spay or neuter surgery.