Can A Spayed Female Dog Still Mate?

After paying a good amount of money to get my lady dog spayed, I got the shock of my life when she was still attracting male dogs.

I thought maybe there was a mistake at the vet’s and maybe they did not get her spayed as I had initially thought.

However, they did confirm that she was indeed spayed. What A Hot Momma.

image of two dogs loving eachother

I had assumed that after getting spayed, she wasn’t supposed to be attractive to male dogs. It turns out, I had assumed erroneously.

Then I remembered my old dog Spunky.

That’s right, Spunky.

My Chihuahua that was literally, full of it!

Spunky would mate with various objects including human legs, the Robo-vacuum cleaner, other male dogs, the laundry basket, every guest I invited over for coffee, pillows, and both intact and spayed females.

This article is a result of me trying to answer all my own unanswered questions about spaying. I hope it helps you, my fellow fur-parents in making the decision to finally have it done, or not.

Can a spayed female dog still mate? The short answer is Yes. Believe it or not, your female dog can still mate after getting spayed. However, unlike intact females, your spayed dog won’t be able to produce puppies. In contrast, un-spayed female pooches, also known as intact females, are able to reproduce and give birth to puppies.

By definition, she is classified as intact because she still has her uterus, uterine horns, oviducts, and ovaries.

What is an ovariohysterectomy? and how does it play a part In a dog’s hormones?

Ovario–what?

Spayed females go through ovariohysterectomy or OHE which is a medical procedure the removes their reproductive capacity.

With the removal of her reproductive organs, the hormone production of progesterone and estrogen also comes to a halt. These are the responsible hormones for putting her in a cycle of heat.

Males don’t usually have any interest in females unless she is in heat and gives off pheromones. Male dog noses have more than two hundred million receptors and they know when females are in heat.

So you can’t really blame me for wondering how on earth a spayed female dog attracts males.

My dog was spayed, with her organs for reproduction removed and her hormone production and heat cycles halted. It just doesn’t add up.

I did some research and as it turns out, there are possible explanations for this.

One explanation may be that an undiagnosed medical condition may be causing your dog to smell like she is in heat.

Conditions such as vaginitis, infections of the vulva or cervix, and possible infection of the bladder could cause her to attract males.

Another possible reason is that tissue remnants were left behind causing her to act like she is in heat. Small parts of the ovary tissues could be left behind during the spaying surgery.

These can grow and trigger hormone production similar to a cycle of heat. If there was a successful removal of the uterus, technical your dog won’t be able to get pregnant even if she has found a mate.

Your spayed female dog might also still attract male dogs if the pheromones the males are picking up are not hers.

A dog that has been neutered correctly is not supposed to act as if she is in heat nor ever actually be in heat.

However, if the neighbor’s dog is in heat, a male dog could be attracted to your spayed female dog by mistake. The male dogs re-directed his pent-up needs towards your dog.

Can a spayed dog still get pregnant?

Spaying is the term commonly used to describe surgery performed on female dogs called an ovariohysterectomy.

In this type of surgery, the uterus and ovaries are completely removed to sterilize female dogs. Some vets also perform ovariectomy where only the ovaries are taken out. This will mean that the spayed dog will unable to get pregnant.

Generally, the recommendation is that all female dogs get spayed. The advantages and benefits you get from spaying your dogs will help control dog populations.

There is new evidence that recommends delaying surgery for larger dog breeds, however.

Can a female dog that has been spayed go into heat?

A female dog that has been spayed can still go into heat if she has a condition called ovarian remnant syndrome.

This happens when ovarian tissues remain within the body of the female dog after spaying. The remaining tissues can produce estrogen, which triggers the signs of heat in females.

In unspayed dogs, hormones including estrogen are produced, triggering heat. When you get your pet spayed, this removes the entire reproduction tract including the uterus and the ovaries to be removed surgically.

Thus, your spayed dog no longer goes into heat since there are no longer any ovaries and no more estrogen produced.

When spayed animals go into heat, this tells you that there are ovarian tissue remnants that are still functioning and present in her body. This can produce hormones and cause her to go into heat.

The clinical signs of Ovarian Remnant Syndrome are when spayed female dogs go into heat even after they have not been in heat for months or years after getting spayed.

You will also see other signs of heat such as blood-tinged discharge, a swelled up vulva, and attracting as well as being receptive to male dogs.

Typically, a dog with functional ovarian tissue will go into heat every 8 months but won’t get pregnant.

When is the best time to spay my female dog?

The best time to get your female dog spayed is before her first heat. This is a much easier surgery to perform more than at any other time.

If you are interested in contributing to canine population control and are not interested in having a litter of puppies anyway, getting your dog spayed early is the best option.

When you do this, you spare yourself the trouble of having to find homes for all the puppies and your dog ever having to go through labor.

Spaying your dog before her first heat also reduced the risk of her getting tumors in the mammary glands. People that wait until their dog’s 2nd heat increase the risks of their pet getting mammary tumors.

More and more folks are opting to spay their dogs at two months old weighing at least 3 pounds, depending on their breed.

Shelter euthanasia to control the overpopulation of dogs has increasingly become a huge issue. Neutering and spaying dogs are the only methods that eliminate and reduce that.

Can I spay my dog while she is in heat?

Don’t change course when your lady dog is in heat. Most vets do not like spaying females in the middle of their heat cycle.

There are greater bleeding risks, the body prepares for pregnancy and her body is quite vascular. Instead. it is better to make an appointment to get your dog spayed ideally at a time that is between heat cycles.

What is the difference between spaying and neutering?

The sterilization of female pets is called spaying, while the castration of male pets is referred to as “neutering.” In a typical spay, the uterus, Fallopian tubes and ovaries are removed from female dogs and cats.

This eliminates breeding-related behaviors and makes them unable to reproduce. Neutering, also known as an orchiectomy is when the testes are removed from a male cat or dog. This reduces male breeding behavior and makes them unable to reproduce.

Will my pet become depressed and overweight After Getting Spayed?

Getting your pet spayed will not change his personality. There may be changes in behavior such as being able to focus more on you, becoming more relaxed, and being less aggressive.

Free from urges to mate, pets tend to be more content and calm after getting spayed. They are more likely to become more affectionate and protective of their home.

When it comes to weight, your pet will gain weight only if she does not exercise enough and overeats. Selecting a suitable lifestyle and making healthy choices will do wonders in keeping your pet in perfect shape.

Are there any risks to spaying?

Even if a spay procedure involves surgery, it is a common procedure that veterinarians perform. Your pet gets pre-operation blood work and a thorough physical exam before surgery.

There are common risks related to potential complications and anesthesia but these are rare overall. In a surgical procedure, dogs feel no pain as they are anesthetized fully. Some animals experience discomfort afterward but others usually don’t.

Conclusion

There you have it, everything you need to know about spaying your dog, why she still attracts males after getting spayed, the best time to book the appointment and everything in between. I hope this helps you acquire all the information necessary to book an appointment if you have been thinking about it.

Jennifer Cosculluela

Jennifer Cosculluela

Jennifer Cosculluela graduated magna cum laude in Marketing from the State University of New York’s F.I.T and was a Presidential Scholar, specializing in Shakespearean Studies. She also has an AB Psychology Degree from De La Salle University Bacolod and when not writing, loves to spend time with her daughter Margarita and bake cookies and lasagna for her loving husband Sebastian.

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Jennifer Cosculluela

Jennifer Cosculluela

Jennifer Cosculluela graduated magna cum laude in Marketing from the State University of New York’s F.I.T and was a Presidential Scholar, specializing in Shakespearean Studies. She also has an AB Psychology Degree from De La Salle University Bacolod and when not writing, loves to spend time with her daughter Margarita and bake cookies and lasagna for her loving husband Sebastian.

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