- No, we do not. Leaving the ovaries and removing only the uterus at the time of spay presents a few problems. The risk of ovarian and mammary cancers remains heightened. The dog will still go through heat cycles if her ovaries are left intact – they will still attract male dogs during their heat cycle, and if bred soon after an OSS, could develop peritonitis, which can be fatal.
- We do recommend waiting until 12-24 months to spay for large breed dogs to allow for complete skeletal development before surgery.
- While women often keep their ovaries during a hysterectomy, dogs are not women. The biology is different.