Suggestions for spaying a grown female in heat

I have an email into my vet about this, but Violet is in heat. Um, we all assumed she was spayed. When should you or should you not spay a grown female? I have heard to wait until a couple of weeks after their heat cycle, but the last time I had a female that was spayed was 6 years ago and she wasn't in heat the time. I know there have been times in rescue when females have been spayed immediately while in heat so I am just trying to get more info while I wait on the vet to email me back.

Oh, I am not vet, but the reason I believe Violet is in heat is that she has a bloody muscusy discharge, her girlie parts are swollen, Lola has been acting crazy with Violet, Violet has been trying to non-stop lick herself, and just basically acting like a weirdo.

Sounds like she's in heat to me! My understanding is that the spay should wait until the heat cycle has passed, unless it's more urgent than that (intact male dog around, other emergency reason). But I could be wrong.

You'd think I'd know this, but my aging brain is faulty. I think you spay 4 weeks AFTER the end of the cycle.

I've only had one female foster who was in heat but I know that we had to wait until a couple of weeks after the cycle ended to spay her.

Our vet has said that the surgery is much more bloody and risky when they are in heat. Some vets won't do it unless the life of the dog is in danger and others will charge a lot more than a regular spay.

So glad I never went through this!!

The few we've had that were unspayed and went into heat had to wait a few weeks after the cycle to be spayed.

Good luck with the crazy girls at home. Like you needed something on top of the peeing!!!

Definitely wait until a month or so after her heat cycle ends to have her spayed, if you can -- as Roxane said, it's a much more complicated surgery with a higher risk level if she's in heat. In our spay clinic, our vets are occasionally forced to spay in-heat females (feral cats, pit bulls whose owners may not bring them back again if asked to wait, etc.), and they dread it.

Spay 8 weeks after the first bleeding starts. The blood usually lasts about 10-14 dayss, then there is no blood and for about 10 days, so 4 weeks after that point the swelling will be gone internally (and her little boobies should shrink back up if they start to sag a little) then she can be spayed.

I'm curious as to how she wasn't spayed? Did SEPRA get faulty info from her former owners? Is it possible that she has actually been spayed and this is some weird UTI kind of thing, with all the peeing going on at your house? Although I've gotta admit, it sounds like she's in heat to me!

GingerSnap wrote:I'm curious as to how she wasn't spayed? Did SEPRA get faulty info from her former owners? Is it possible that she has actually been spayed and this is some weird UTI kind of thing, with all the peeing going on at your house? Although I've gotta admit, it sounds like she's in heat to me!

I guess that we all ASSUMED that she was spayed. She is gray and older. I tried to look at her belly for a scar, but she has the thickest fur. Violet was found in a drainage ditch so no info from an owner was available. From several weeks ago, the blood from when she was peeing was watery and diluted. I just happened to notice it, but you couldn't not notice the amount that she was peeing. The peeing non-stop had gone away. Then Lola started acting agreesive towards Violet out of the blue. Last week, I noticed that her girlie parts were swollen and the blood that I am seeing in mucusy. Violet has also been making these strange whining sounds and trying to lick herself. I don't know whether to laugh or cry! I guess it has made for a good story.

Jana, you get the most interesting pugs and surprises.

Here in the UK most vets recommend waiting about 3 months after a bitch has been in heat - in other words, half way between heats. I've generally done as they suggested, and haven't encountered problems. They are extremely reluctant to spay a bitch in heat.
Hope this may help.