When Should a Yorkie Be Spayed?

Taking care of your Yorkie is an important part of helping them stay healthy and stick with your family for a long time. There are different steps that you need to take to make this happen including taking them to the vet, getting them the food they need, and giving them plenty of exercise as well. One thing that you need to consider with your Yorkie includes when to spay them.

Your Yorkie should be spayed between four to five months. This helps them to be old enough to handle the procedure while getting the job done before they go into heat and can get pregnant. Any time before they turn a year old is the best, though your vet can spay a female Yorkie when they are older if necessary.

Let’s take a closer look at when you should spay a female Yorkie, some of the reasons that you should consider spaying your dog, and some of the risks that you should know about before you get started.

When Should a Yorkie Be Spayed?

It is important to spay your Yorkie before they start to go into heat. This will eliminate the chance of your Yorkie getting pregnant and you having to deal with a lot of puppies. If you do wait longer, it is still possible to spay them, but you will need to watch the puppy to make sure they do not get out and get pregnant.

To give your Yorkie the best shot with minimal risks, it is recommended that you spay them between the age of four to five months old. This helps to get the work done before the puppy is old enough to go into heat, saving you some of the issues of them getting pregnant or aggressive within your home. If you miss this timeline, any time before the puppy is a year old will be just fine.

It is possible to wait longer to spay your female Yorkie. If you adopt an older Yorkie, one older than a year, and they have not been spayed, you can still take them in to get spayed. You will need to talk to your vet to see if there are any additional issues or risks that you will need to worry about with the age of the dog. If they are still pretty young, spaying your Yorkie will not be an issue, but you may have some trouble as they get older.

If you delay getting the puppy spayed, just be aware of some of the issues that can come up with your Yorkie. This can include aggression, the possibility to get pregnant, marking their territory, and sometimes there is an increased chance of the puppy having certain types of cancer too.

Why Should I Spay My Yorkie?

You may be in the debate on whether to spay your Yorkie or not. There are a number of benefits to spaying your female Yorkie, including doing something good for their health. The number one reason that Yorkie owners decide to spay their dogs is to prevent the dog from getting pregnant. Whether you are worried about the effect pregnancy will have on your puppy or you do not want to take care of a litter of puppies, spaying your female Yorkie can help with this.

Whether you do not want to deal with a female Yorkie who is in heat, you do not want to have puppies because they are difficult to take care of when first born, or you are worried about adding to the high population of dogs already out there, spaying can make sure that your female Yorkie will not get pregnant.

Many pet owners are worried about there being too many pets out there to work with and so they decide that it is best to spay their Yorkie to prevent any more puppies being born and having too many around.

Another benefits of spaying your female Yorkie is to help improve their healthy. When you spay a female Yorkie, you will eliminate their chances of ovarian cancer and mammary cancer. It is also a good way to decrease their odds of getting an infection of the ovaries. Studies have shown that the younger you spay your female Yorkie, the lower their risk of developing some of these conditions.

Some females have trouble with running away when they are in heat. This is because some Yorkies will actively pursue a male during this time. If you want to make sure that your female Yorkie is not going to run away from you all the time, then spaying may be a good option to choose.

Your female Yorkie may have some hormone related mood swings, which can be a pain to handle on occasion. When you spay your dog, they will not have these mood swings. Your female Yorkie may be territorial and mark around the home just like the male Yorkies will do. Spaying your Yorkie can help prevent this from happening.

The Risks of Spaying Your Yorkie

While there are a lot of benefits of spaying your Yorkie, it is also important to recognize that there are some risks involved as well. Many times a female dog will start to gain weight after they ae spayed. This is due to the change in hormonal structure and metabolism that will happen for your dog. You can help to avoid this with the right diet and lots of exercise for your Yorkie, but it will take a little bit more work for this to happen.

While spaying your Yorkie can help prevent some types of cancers, doing this may cause a few other types. You should discuss with your vet whether this is common for your dog and to determine if spaying is the right course of action for you.

Since your Yorkie will need to have a procedure, including anesthesia, to be spayed, there are some inherent risks that come with that. Some dogs will have complications after they are put under general anesthesia. Most of these are not serious complications, but it is still important to discuss whether this is the right option for your needs.

When Should a Yorkie Be Spayed?

Before you decide to spay your dog, it is a good idea to discuss the option with your vet. They can help you go over the benefits and the drawbacks of spaying your female Yorkie so you can make an informed decision that is right for your puppy. They can then schedule the spaying procedure with you if this is what you choose to do.

Why Should I Not Spay My Female Yorkie?

The main reason why you may choose not to spay your female Yorkie is that you want them to have puppies. As soon as you spay the dog, they will no longer be able to have any puppies, so if you have goals of being a breeder, or just having one litter of puppies, then you need to hold off on spaying your Yorkie until that is done. You can always choose to do one litter or breed a few times and then spay your Yorkie later.

If you do decide to go with this route, then make sure that you get it approved by the vet for your Yorkie. They will be able to help you understand how to properly breed to keep the Yorkie safe, ensuring they get the nutrition and care that is necessary throughout. When it is time to spay your Yorkie later, they will be able to answer your questions and take great care of your dog.

When Is my Yorkie Too Old to Spay?

When your Yorkie gets to the age of not being able to have puppies any longer, most will agree that they are too old to spay. The main reason that you would want to spay them will be gone so most pet owners will not worry about it. However, if you want to prevent some of the types of cancer that we talked about before, then it may still be in your best interest to consider spaying them, even when they are older.

An older female Yorkie can still be spayed. There are higher risks involved with this though as well. You will need to watch out for some common problems like the Yorkie not responding well to the anesthesia when they are given it. However, have a discussion with their vet to see whether spaying is one of the best options for you at this age.

Choosing to Spay Your Female Yorkie

Overall, spaying your Yorkie will be a personal decision. There are some risks, but there are also many good reasons why you would choose to spay your Yorkie to keep them healthy, lower the population of dogs, and to not have to worry about them getting aggressive or misbehaving. If you choose not to spay your Yorkie though, be prepared to watch them. They may be able to get pregnant and you will be responsible for the litter.