I went to get Josie spayed 10 days ago, as she has phantoms and gets very down post season.  She had her last season end of July and phantom, about a month ago.  I then got a phone call from the vet, saying that she had a clear discharge coming from her teats and that bitches sometimes get this before producing milk, so they didn't want to carry on with the spay.  She was already under GA when they checked for milk :-(. Anyway got her some Galastop brought her home, finished the Galastop, still no change she does have a small amount of clear discharge still.  I'm supposed to ring the vets next week to arrange another spay, I mentioned we were going on holiday, in the first week of January and Josie would be in kennels.  She didn't think this would be a problem. 
So what I'm after advice on is, whether a month is long enough for Josie to recover, I think I would probably feel better waiting until next season, or do they recover really quick.  Also before a spay, should a vet not check for milk before giving a GA?  I can see an agrument brewing, if I don't get her spayed this season and then get a bill through for nothing!  This is the first problem I've had with these vets, so I don't want to fall out! :-)

Unless there are complications they recover very quickly from a spay - it's usually a problem keeping them restrained for the 10 days till their stitches are out because they want to get back to their usual routine, so after a month Josie should be 100% fine for going in kennels. :-)

I would have her done this season so as not to put her through another phantom.  Recovery is normally quick.  If she does have any complications as long as they are spotted early they shouldn't extend her recovery by more than a few days.  Not sure if they would check for milk before GA as they probably have many bitches come in who have never had a phantom so they treat them all like the same routine.  If anything I would say good on your vet for not doing the op with her still discharging as I sure another vet wouldnt have thought anything about it and gone ahead anyway.

Emma

When we went to get Bo our Rotti spay, the vet's nurse checked her teats in the waiting room before having her pre-op drugs or any GA, we did have to go back three times before she could have it done, because of her having the discharge like your Josie. I don't no if this is common practise with all vet's or just what happend in our Bo's case. HTH

Diane

No experience of phantoms here however when I took Sal (6 year old Stafford) in to be spayed a fortnight ago today, on the morning we took her in they checked her teats before we did anything before the Pre Op or anything...no discharge. Took her in at 10 picked her up at 4....she was sleepy that night had a little roast chicken about 9. Toileted fine slept most of Wed but when I got home from work Wed night she fetched her lead and we went a walk....restraint has been tha hardest had her stitches out last Thursday and now back to  playing ball in the park.

Hope all goes well.

Thanks everyone.  Josie still has this clear discharge form her teats, maybe she always has it?!  I have to squeeze quite hard to get it out!  Anyway I'm going to give it another few days, then ring the vet and see what they say.  I would still prefer to get her done this season, especially as a few people have said their dogs recover fairly quickly after a spay.  I'm sure they should have checked the teats first, the vet nurse did say something about they normally did, but for whatever reason it wasn't done.