Recent studies and arguments for the positive health changes associated with the older female dog and spaying,  indeed only indicate benefits of spaying. But are there also any drawbacks?

Some veterinarians think there are, but by comparison they are minor. Now and then a dog might show a very slight shedding condition after spaying. This usually is not a long-lasting problem.

Some just-spayed females develop swelling around the vulva, but this is usually of short duration and quite normal.

“We have not noticed any big increase in the neutering of dogs of either sex in our practice over the last ten years”, says Dr. Gordon, of his private veterinarian practice, located in San Diego, CA. He goes on to say, “There is a great cry about the dog birth rate, but we have detected no large shifts.”

Birth control for dogs?

Decades ago there was one large pharmaceutical company that came out with a shot that could be given to female dogs which would delay their heat periods for six months to a year. It worked very well, but in some cases the side effects were noticed. It turned out that many dogs so delayed had undergone ovarian and uterine changes that adversely affected their health. The drug was removed from the market, however, today these drugs come in various types and are readily available.

Are birth control pills safe for your older female dog? Not according to the possible side effects. While the pharmaceutical companies will boast about safety usage, use common sense before administering any chemicals to your dog and better yet – just have the operation done by your veterinarian. It’s safe, effective, and will not lead to deadly side effects.

Birth control chemicals added to pet food?

Now there is new talk of a new chemical which is added to pet food and is supposed to have the same effect as birth control pills. It does prevent conception. Pet food marketers would include the chemical in marked cans and it would cost reasonably cheap in order to induce pet owners to use it.

This idea is still not developed and quite honestly I am not sure how well the public would accept such a drug in their dog’s food. Whatever happened to healthy living? And again, just like using common sense with any type of birth control drugs for your older female dog, refrain from using any chemicals if at all possible. Spaying is the safest route to take.