Should this dog be spayed?

"My own research has suggested that spaying her now will not change her risk of reproductive cancers or keep her any healthier"

Not quite. First, removing the ovaries and uterus eliminates the small but real chance of her getting cancer in those organs. Second, spaying prevents pyometra as already mentioned. Pyo is a common condition, affecting 1 in 4 females, often needing to be dealt with as an emergency situation--which means your dog is already ill when going under the anesthetic. Not the best scenario.

I regularly spay my dogs at between 4 and 6 years of age, when they have finished their show or breeding careers. Never had a problem with the surgeries. Never had any type of cancer (so far, at least). The one time I dealt with Pyo was in a 2 year old female--she recovered nicely with prostaglandin treatment. I was lucky in that she had an "open" Pyo, since closed Pyo is harder to detect until it is too late.

That said, the risk of cancer is relatively small. And with just under 25% of unspayed females getting Pyo, the odds are still in your favor with that too. Though odds are of small comfort if your dog gets cancer or Pyo....

Bottom line, we all have to make our own decisions about such things, and we all have to live with whatever consequences there may be. You might want to read the following articles before making up your mind:

http://www.fetchdog.com/learn-connect/dog-resource...

http://dogtime.com/uterine-tumors-canine-cancer-li...

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A...

http://www.erforanimals.com/2011/02/23/the-facts-a...

One word: Pyometra.

Her cancer rate will not go down, but there is a reason that retired brood bytches are ALWAYS spayed prior to placement in pet homes. Pyometra is an infection of the uterus that is deadly if untreated and all to common. An emergency pyo surgery runs $2,000+ and her risk increases in every heat where she is not bred.

Not all dogs will get pyometra, of course, but since there really is no medical reason to keep her intact (unless your vet has specific concerns about putting her under, 6 is not that old if she is otherwise healthy) I would recommend it.

Unspayed dogs run the risk of developing pyometra. Very nasty, very expensive, and very often fatal. Spaying removes the uterus and therefore makes a pyo impossible. Spaying her now will still reduce the risk of mammary tumours because as long as she keeps cycling her body will continue to produce the hormones that trigger these tumours. Once spayed that hormone production ceases.

*** I'm not sure I understand why you would even question spaying her or not. It's risk (whether it be 1% or 99%) VS no risk. I spay all my bitches once their breeding careers are over whether it's at 3 years or 6 years because I prefer the security of zero risk. If you'd ever seen a pyo you wouldn't be hesitating.

It's a dominance thing. Also if the dog has learned that behavior pre-spay it isn't a fool proof. Just like male dogs can still mark territory and hump after neuter.

If she is in good health, 6yrs old is not to old for her to be spayed. I think the biggest worry would be for her to develop pyometra. It's life threatening for her and can happen at ANY age for an un-spayed female. While she is past the age of being spayed for cancerous reasons, I would definitely think about it to get rid of the risk for pyometra.

Either way, it is your choice. If you are confident that she will never be in the presence of an un-neutered male during her heat, do it. Responsible people who understand that there is NO such thing as an accident can own an un-altered animal just fine. It's the people who are all "la-di-da let me let my dog loose outside while shes in heat la la la" people who should NOT own un-altered pets. You seem to know what you are doing and how to handle an un-spayed female.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

Spaying her now will change the risk factor. If she goes without being spayed, she can develop cancer. Spaying, even at her age, will add "Healthy" years to her life span instead of sick years.

DO IT! Spay her. I adopted an Australian Shepherd and had her spayed and she had never had puppies. The vet said there was already deterioration of the organs and I had prevented several possible health issues by spaying her.

Don't as us, ask your vet.

Yes, it will keep her healthier. She still should be spayed. Pyometra is a very dangerous illness and intact females have a higher risk of contracting it. She can also get mammary cancer. I also recommend discussing this with your vet.

Didn't you ever listen to Bob Barker?? Huh??? Did you??? After every episode of the Price is Right he said to always spay and neuter your pets.