A friends bitch is booked in to the vets tomorrow morning to be spayed, 3 months after her last season just like I recommended to them. I was just visiting them though and both my boys were very interested in the girl. both sniffing, drooling and flirting. They don't normally pay much attention to her at all but they are very good at telling all my friends when their girls are due in season.

So, would you cancel the op, wait til she's been in season again and then get her done 2 months after? Or would you go ahead?

She's not actually swollen yet, but I'd put money on her coming in season in the next week or two if she's not spayed. Last time she had a phantom after her season and a little discharge that required a course of antibiotics, hence spaying her in case of further phantoms and the worry of pyometra.

I know the gold standard is to spay mid cycle, but what are the worries of spaying just before she comes in season? We'd appreciate your thoughts and experiences.

Do they know what her cycle is?

If she does not have unusually short cycles, then I would spay now.

Based on her past history it could actually be that she is brewing a bit of an infection, hence the boys interest, adn a spay would be advisable.

Lots of bitches are indavertently spayed just before a season, as in rescues or puppy bitches that have not had a seasonb yet, so could well be close.  the main reason not to do it is there is incresed blood supply to the area, abnd the hormones sometimes not settlign as quickly as they mighht..

My bitch had very few seasons and those were erratic  when I finally decided to spay her a  5years we did a guesstimate based on last known and added sets of 6 months

Before the spay we didn't really know where she was in the  cycle but  it was fine .

It's possible that she has a bit of an infection - uti, anal glands or pyo, perhaps - that is confusing the dogs. If it's only 3 months since the end of her season it's worth doing, because if she genuinely is starting another one then she has a hormone problem.

Thanks very much folks, I've passed the answers on and discussed it, I had already said about rescues not knowing where a bitch is in her cycle when they're spayed, she'll be done tomorrow and I'm sure all will be well.

An anal gland problem can attract males (or as suggested some other infection back there)!    I think I'd go ahead however UNLESS you can be sure to keep her separated from any entire males you have (or castrated males as they can still be a darned nuisance, even if unable to sire puppies).   A lot would depend on what her usual cycle is - if you leave it this time, perhaps plan on having her spayed 2 months after this season?