Why Would a Dog Die After Being Spayed? (8 Complications)

Spaying and neutering surgeries are not considered high-risk surgeries for dogs. Vets follow a carefully laid out procedure for spaying and neutering a dog. Your vet may administer general anesthesia to spay and neuter your dog.

Why would a dog die after being spayed? General anesthesia has an invasive nature. In some cases, spaying and neutering a dog can be riskier than usual. Sometimes dogs die after losing a lot of blood.

Blood loss after spaying and neutering a dog can be a serious issue. Dogs who have just given birth may not tolerate spaying and neutering surgeries. Read the article below to know detailed information about ‘Can dogs die during spaying?’

Why Would a Dog Die After Being Spayed?

Why would a dog die after being spayed?

Blood loss after spaying and neutering surgeries can be fatal to dogs. In some cases, it may not be a smart choice to spay and neuter your dog. For instance, female dogs should not undergo spaying and neutering right after giving birth.

The whole process can be too much for your weak female dogs. Spaying and neutering surgeries are not considered complicated surgeries. It is noteworthy that postoperative complications are more potent than the operative complications in spaying and neutering a dog.

In other words, postoperative care for female dogs is more important for female dogs. In severe cases, your female dog may require intensive medical care and attention after being spayed. That is not the case for all female dogs.

Most female dogs may not face any postoperative complications. Only a small portion of female dogs face postoperative complications after undergoing spaying and neutering surgeries.

You should consult your vet before choosing the spaying and neutering surgeries for your dogs. Your vet may advise waiting a few months before spaying and neutering your dog.

Can dogs die during spaying?

The short answer is ‘Yes.’ However, the fatality rate during spaying is very low. Generally, dogs do not die during spaying and neutering surgeries. A small percentage of the female dog population faces the risk of death during spaying. That, too, happens after the spying and neutering surgeries in severe cases.

Why Would a Dog Die After Being Spayed

What Are The Chances Of My Dog Dying During Spaying Or Neutering Surgery?

Well, to be honest, the chances are very low. Spaying and neutering surgeries are not considered dangerous for dogs. Vets may recommend a standard procedure for pre-operative care.

The general purpose of pre-operative care is to ensure that your dogs are healthy enough to undergo spaying and neutering surgeries. Vets may advise against spaying and neutering surgeries for weak dogs.

It is generally true for weak female dogs who have just given birth. Small dogs are considered more suitable for spaying and neutering surgeries than grown dogs.

Do not worry. Vets administer sedatives and pain medications during pre-operative care. Maintaining blood pressure and hydration during spaying or neutering surgeries is important.

Among operative complications, internal bleeding can be more potent. Vets follow standard surgical procedures to prevent internal bleeding during spaying surgery.   

What Are The Chances Of Complications During And After Surgery?

The chances of complications during surgery are very low. The chances of complications after surgery are higher than during surgery.

The data collected by The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has revealed that complications during and after spaying surgeries occur widely when students in training perform them.

What Are The Potential Complications After Spaying And Neutering A Dog?

Should I Get My Dog Sterilized?

As mentioned above, postoperative complications can be risker than operative complications for dogs. Your dogs can suffer from the following operative complications during spaying:

  • Blood loss
  • Anesthesia problem
  • Infection
  • Ureter damage
  • Partial or incomplete ureter removal
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Opening of the incision
  • Trauma

Male dogs can have scrotal bruising and swelling after being spayed or neutered.

Is neutering painful for dogs?

Yes, neutering itself is a painful procedure. Dogs do not experience pain during spaying surgeries because modern surgical procedures allow for general anesthesia and pain medications.

As mentioned above, vets administer sedatives and pain medications during pre-operative care to make it easy for dogs. My fellow smart dog owners, general anesthesia keeps your dog unconscious during spaying.

Vets administer general anesthesia because it mitigates operative and postoperative pain in dogs. However, vets recommend pain medications for post-surgery pain in dogs. Pain medications are crucial for managing post-surgery pain dogs.

What are the risks of neutering a dog?

Studies conducted by the RCSV have shown that surgeries conducted by students in training pose high risks to dog health. Dogs can face the following risks during and after the neutering procedure:

Anesthesia Risks

Anesthesia risks are important because general anesthesia is potent for dogs. A trained anesthesiologist should administer anesthesia for neutering surgery to dogs. Usually, vets use general anesthesia to treat dogs.

Complications can occur when students in training administer anesthesia without properly evaluating your dog’s condition before the spaying surgery. Vets check your dog’s condition before deciding to administer anesthesia to dogs.

Do not worry. Generally, dogs face a very low level of anesthesia risks after spaying or neutering surgery. Anesthesia risk may involve lethargy, nausea, breathing problems, and even death.   

Infection of the Incision

It is a common problem for dogs. Dogs can have an infection of an incision after surgery. Smart dog owners keep their dogs’ wounds clean. Fellow smart dog owners, do not let your dogs lick their wounds. Dog cones can prevent dogs from licking their wounds.

Incision Opening

Incision opening can occur if students in training perform the surgery. Incision opening depends on your surgeon’s skill level. On the other hand, an aggressive chewer can also open the incision. Fellow smart dog owners, do not let your dogs chew their wounds.

Swelling Due to Fluid or Blood

Fellow smart dog owners, dogs can have swelling due to fluid. You should consult your vet to mitigate the swelling because it can be very painful to dogs. Vets may recommend medications or surgery to treat swelling after spaying surgery.

Should I Get My Dog Sterilized?

Should I Get My Dog Sterilized?

It is a tricky question. It depends on your dog’s condition. Spaying can be good for some dogs. Female dogs who have just given birth should not immediately undergo spaying surgery.

Spaying can reduce the risk of prostate cancer in dogs. Spaying can help reduce aggression in dogs. Neutering can be more beneficial for you than your dogs. Neutering can protect your female dogs from creepy male dogs.

You will not have undesired puppies after neutering your female dogs. However, spayed dogs can face joint diseases, obesity, and cancer. Spaying surgery can be risky for some dogs.

Fellow smart dog owners, dogs need time to recover after undergoing a spaying surgery. Do not forget all the pain and discomfort your dog can go through during spaying surgery.

A spaying surgery removes your dog’s sexual organs. Fellow smart dog owners, will you neuter your dog without a good reason?   

My dog died after getting spayed

Once I got a female dog from an animal shelter. I named her ‘Jerry.’ Jerry was a kind soul, but she attracted too many creepy male dogs. My friends advised me to spay her. I took her to my nearest vet.

My vet advised me to wait for a few weeks. She was spayed after a few weeks. Unfortunately, Jerry was not properly spayed, and the partial removal of her ovaries led to internal bleeding.

My vet tried to control it, but it was too late. Jerry died because we failed to spay her properly. Most such cases occur because students in training try to perform spaying or neutering surgeries.

Fellow smart dog owners, I lost Jerry and do not want you to lose your dog. Many things can go wrong in such cases. You should not try to spay or neuter a dog without a valid medical reason.

Myths Surrounding Spaying a Dog

Why Would a Dog Die After Being Spayed

There are many myths surrounding spaying a dog. Smart dog owners have debunked a few myths surrounding spaying a dog:

Weight Gain

Fellow smart dog owners, many people say that dogs become fat after being spayed. That’s not wholly true. While spaying may lead to obesity in some dogs, it depends on your dog’s eating habits and exercise.

Dogs who get too many calories and very little exercise gain weight and become obese. In other words, you can reduce the risk of obesity by controlling your dog’s eating habits and exercise.

Spaying is risky

After what we have learned from this article, spaying does not pose a very high risk to all dogs. While dogs, in general, do not face a high risk, very small puppies and older dogs face a high risk.

Female dogs should wait a few months to be spayed. Fellow smart dog owners, it is your job to assess whether your dog needs spaying or not.

Weak dogs should not be spayed. You should consult your vet to know about your dog’s health condition before choosing the spaying surgery.

Spaying makes dogs lazy

Fellow smart dog owners, while it is true that some dogs can have lethargy after being spayed. The case is not the same for all dogs. Spaying is not responsible for your dog’s boring life. Dogs become lazy when they are not allowed to move out or have enough playtime.

Reasons not to neuter a dog

  • Your dogs need their sexual organs. Spaying or neutering surgery may seem inhumane and cruel.
  • Spaying can be risky for some dogs.
  • Female dogs should not immediately get spayed after giving birth.
  • Some dogs cannot tolerate the effects of general anesthesia.
  • Failed spaying surgery can be fatal to dogs.
  • Some dogs have infections after being spayed.
  • Dogs can face a lot of pain and discomfort after being spayed.
  • Postoperative complication involves the opening of incisions in dogs.
  • Impartial removal of ovaries can be fatal to dogs.

Reasons to neuter a dog

  • You will not have undesired puppies.
  • Neutering helps resolve aggression issues in dogs.
  • Neutering can help treat diabetes in dogs.
  • Neutering reduces the risk of prostate cancer in dogs.

Conclusion | Why Would a Dog Die After Being Spayed?

Smart dog owners do not spay or neuter a dog without having a good reason. Why would a dog die after being spayed? While spaying or neutering can be beneficial to some dogs, it can be harmful to other dogs.

Your vet can help assess your dog’s health condition before the spaying or neutering surgery. Spaying or neutering surgery is not for old and weak dogs. Even some small dogs cannot tolerate spaying or neutering surgery. Consult your vet before deciding to spay or neuter your dog.   

Why Would a Dog Die After Being Spayed? (8 Complications)

Can my dog die after spaying?

Yes, spaying can be potentially fatal to some dogs. Spaying or neutering surgeries are generally considered safe for dogs. You have to consult your vet to assess your dog’s health condition before the spaying or neutering surgeries.

What can go wrong with spaying a dog?

Partial removal of ovaries can cause internal bleeding in dogs. Incisions can open while spaying a dog. Dogs can have an allergic reaction to anesthesia during spaying or neutering surgeries.

Can a dog have internal bleeding after being spayed?

Sadly, yes, dogs can have internal bleeding after being spayed. Students in training may not be able to properly spay or neuter a dog. Following a standard procedure for spaying or neutering a dog is important. Consult an expert veterinary surgeon before spaying or neutering surgery.

Is it cruel to neuter a dog?

It is a tricky question. While neutering or spaying may seem good for some dogs, the process can be risky for other dogs. Fellow smart dog owners, you should not neuter or spay a dog without valid medical reasons.


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Jackob Evans

Hi, I’m Jacob. I’ve been a professional blogger for over six years, and in that time, I’ve written countless blogs that have helped millions of people worldwide. A DVM by profession, I have treated and cured thousands of dogs, if not millions.

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