I have a bitch who has had litter, she is now 7 and I will be getting her spayed as she always goes 'down' after a season, won't eat for a week and is just a bit miserable, so I think spaying is the answer instead of constantly getting her Diazepam from the vets, yes , that's what they give her!

Her dam is 11 and I'm contemplating getting her spayed, she has no post-season problems - just snappy all the time now! I know she'll gain no health benefits from such a late spaying, I just want some advice please because of her age etc. She can still manage long walks, has a good appetite, she has always been a fit looking bitch never carrying excess weight, her coat has never been wonderously profuse... Any advice? :)

Christine, my old deer was spayed at 12 after she developed a closed pyo, and she sailed through it. Personally I wouldn't spay a bitch of that age (or put her through any anaesthetic/surgery) unless it was vital, but then I'm of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' school when it comes to neutering.

I thought diazepam was only used in dogs as an appetite stimulant, a pre-op sedative, as part of narcolept anaesthesia and occassionaly for epilepsy?

Just my opinion but I wouldn't put an 11 year old through an operation unless it was absolutely necessary and in this case I don't think you would gain very much, if anything, from it and could possibly lose a lot.

Joan
Take the rough with the smooth

Thanks, this is what 2 other respected breeders in my breed have advised me about my 11 year old. Diazepam was what was given to my bitch to lift her spirits by the vets, once when I mentioned it in a chemists, a 'drug-user' was in there and his ears pricked up, think he went out to try and find himself a dog!!!! I'm not 'up' on prescription drugs etc. so I can only imagine it can be powerful stuff.

Diazapam is also known as Valium - which is why the chaps ears pricked up......

diazepam is used a lot in dogs for anxeity,stress, (fireworks) and we also use it in cats that spray due to stress, (at very low doses)
I would worry about an older entire bitch having a pyo and would rather she was done now before she got any older with no premed but rapinovet/isoflo and she would be fine, we anesthetise 'older' patients all the time we often do a pre-anesthetic blood test to check kidneys/liver etc and normally don't have any problems. I have seen 2 pyometra deaths recently and i personally have not experienced any g/a deaths in older dogs but the risks are there with any ga in any age animal/human !
Just my opinion !

I agree with you joan

Thank you, now I'm even more confused ;)

Do I spay an 11 year old that has never had a post-season problem in her life but is a crabby old b****r? Will this improve her temperament or make it worse? :(

Has she always been grumpy ? one of our bitches was spayed because she had so many phantoms and to be honest she is more prone to guarding than she ever was, just made her a bit more of a couch potato than previous, are her ears and eyes ok, our old mongrel got a little snappy as her hearing deteriorated

Lorraine

I don't think spaying will make any difference to her temperament at all.

I'm not anti-spaying at all and can fully understand and agree with your reasons for spaying the 7 year old, but really can't see your reasons for wanting to spay the 11 year old. In one of your previous mails I got the impression that you were pleased when a couple of us said not to bother with the older girl, is it possible that someone is pushing you towards getting her spayed? In the end the decision is yours, don't let anyone make you feel guilty whichever decision you make.

Joan
Take the rough with the smooth

Actually the 2 bitches I have had spayed have actually become a lot calmer and mor affectionate.

Sorry everybody that I haven't been back sooner to reply to you all.

Nobody is pushing me into having my 11 year old spayed, but when topics like Pyo crop up it makes you wonder if you should? She has been a crabby old cow for several years now, totally intolerant of her own breed, loves Whippets and Westies though!!!! And brown mongerels, the more 'mongerelier' the better! She hates her grandkids with avengence! Her hormones have never bothered her, she does get quite 'fruity' when in season though but lots of bitches do.

I know I'm right to spay my 7 year old, she's given 2 lovely litters, 28 pups in total, she's been the brightest she's been for a while since getting mated so I think if she goes back to the season cycle, it may bring her down again.

A friend lives near to where one of these cost-price spay clinics are, (around £35 for a spay) that's why I asked about my 11 year old too.