Spaying and neutering DOES NOT "make a pet fat and lazy".  In a healthy dog or cat, free of hypothyroidism or other medical disorders, overfeeding and insufficient exercise are the sole causes of a pet being overweight.
 Don't blame the spay or neuter surgery if a pet becomes overweight.

WHEN TO SPAY:  There is firm medical research indicating that if a dog is spayed before its first estrus cycle (heat) that the chances for developing mammary gland cancer later in life is nearly zero.  (See a surgery to remove a mammary cancer here.) If a dog goes through one heat cycle and then is spayed, the chances of mammary cancer later in life are slightly reduced.  And if a dog has three or more estrus cycles and then is spayed there is no protective influence against developing mammary cancer.  In addition, any dog that is spayed will have no chance of developing a potentially fatal uterus infection called Pyometra.   Many veterinarians recommend spaying dogs at about six months of age, which is generally prior to a dog's first heat cycle.  Some veterinarians will suggest that the surgery be done at four or five months of age.  Be sure to have a discussion with your veterinarian about the "whens" and "whys" of spaying.  There is no particularly convincing reason to let a dog "have one heat cycle" or "just one litter" prior to spaying.

THE SPAY SURGERY:  The surgical procedures are performed under general anesthesia and employ sterile instruments and a sterile surgical field.  Medical emergencies can arise if a pet becomes infected during these procedures.  No surgeon approaches a spay or neuter as if it were "routine" because every animal is unique, each surgery is different from every other, and while neutering might be deemed a minor surgery a spay certainly qualifies as a major procedure.

Essentially, the structures and techniques are the same for each dog spay.  As you can imagine, though, there are some real differences between working on a 180 pound Saint Bernard or a 4 pound Yorkie!  And an overweight patient makes the surgery more difficult and time consuming.

There are no medical, emotional or sociological reasons for a female dog to "have just one litter". If you do choose to allow your dog or cat to have a litter, please be certain that there are committed pet caretakers waiting and wanting to provide a home for them.  You do have the power and intelligence to make a difference in the population of unwanted dogs and cats.

The Spay Surgery (Ovariohysterectomy)

The incision is made in the  middle, lower abdomen.		The abdomen is entered.	The uterus is located and brought  through the incision.
The ovary is isolated and the Ovarian Ligament and blood vessels are securely tied.			The opposite structures are located and inspected.
The body of the uterus below the uterine horns is isolated and a number of sutures are placed around the blood vessels and the uterus itself.			The midline abdominal tissues are sutured securely back together in layers.
		Read about uterine infections
The tissue beneath the skin and above the abdominal wall are sutured so that these subcutaneous sutures are buried beneath the skin.  No external sutures are needed.			View of both ovaries and uterine horns.	Close-up view of a dog ovary.

Spay before the first heat cycle and mammary cancer is drastically reduced; spay after the first cycle and before the second and the risk is greatly reduced; spay after the second heat cycle and before the third and the risk is slightly reduced; spay after the third heat cycle and there is no affect on the chances of developing mammary tumors later in life.