Spaying

• Spaying removes the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus. After the procedure, your dog will no longer have periods of "heat", which occurs about every eight months and can last as long as three weeks throughout the dog's entire life. Spaying is also important for your dog's health, as cysts and mammary and ovarian cancer is very common in non-spayed females.
  
  

Physical Requirements

• Your dog should weigh at least 2-1/2 pounds and be at least two months old for the procedure. Dogs can begin reproducing when they are only six months old, so the procedure should be done before a puppy's first heat cycle. However, you can spay dogs of any age.
  
  

Pre-Surgery

• Spaying is considered major surgery and the procedure should be discussed with your veterinarian; however, it is a very common procedure, so you should not suffer concerns. Most of the risk stems from typical dangers associated with general anesthesia.
  
  For your dog's safety, it should not have any food for at least 12 hours before surgery and no water for eight hours prior. The anesthesia may cause your dog to vomit, which could then enter her lungs and windpipe, resulting in asphyxiation or pneumonia. If your pet has food or water during these times, call the vet to see if the surgery should still take place.
  
  The vet will take presurgical blood work to make sure the dog is healthy enough for the procedure and does not have any physical conditions that could affect the choice of anesthesia. The blood work also evaluates the functioning of your dog's liver and kidneys to assess their capability to break down and remove the anesthesia from her body after the surgery.
  
  Once sedated, the dog will have a breathing tube placed down her throat to administer a mixture of anesthesia and oxygen, which will be monitored very closely while she is tranquilized. Surgery time will vary depending on the dog's age, if she was in heat at time of surgery and her breed; however, the procedure usually only takes about 20 minutes. She may be allowed to go home the same day of the surgery or the veterinarian may want to keep her overnight.