Spaying older boxer

Question
QUESTION: have a 9 year old boxer that I am getting different feedback on related to spaying her.  Her cycles are usually twice a year around Feb/Mar and Sept/Oct.  However, in Dec she had a short cycle for about 3 days that was heavier than normal.  I have her scheduled for spaying on Thurs.  The vet that is performing the procedure has advised me they will do blood work first and if any concerns from the blood work they will not proceed.  They say the routinely perform this procedure on older dogs 9 years and above.  I have also discussed this with the previous vet and they have told me the same.  However, a local vet has advised me if she was his dog, due to the risks he would not do it this late in life.  Talking with my boss who is a dog advocate and involved in the Humane Society has advised me the same.  She said it would be like giving a 72 year old woman a hysterectomy.  I just want to do what is best for Miss Libbie and do not want to risk losing her or something going wrong.  I just do not know what to do.

ANSWER: Do not spay her at this age!!!!!!!!

No!!!!  She IS a 72 year old woman.

Spaying helps prevents cancer  during reproductive age and she is too old for that health factor now.

There are too many problems; she could die on the operating table, etc.

Some vets do not know that you CANNOT give a Boxer Acepromazine which can kill a Boxer.Here is an article: http://americanboxerclub.org/ace_boxers.html

She is at the end of life stage and spaying is ridiculous. Vets just want your money!

A Boxer's life span is an average of 10 years.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jannie,

After getting your response and one other ladies response from this site last week I decided not to spay Miss Libbie.  She was due this month for her geriatric annual exam this month so I orginally had scheduled it for this week on Thursday.

We normally do not feed Libbie table food expect very rarely.  About 4 times a year I will take her to McDonald's get get her a small fries as a treat, she just loves these.  I have been working late hours for a couple months but got some down time with Libbie on Saturday so I thought I would treat her to some fries.  She would not eat them which really shocked me.

I noticed she wasn't eating as much as she normally does over the weekend.

On Monday morning we noticed she didn't seem to be feeling well.  She didn't eat breakfast and didnt want to go out to potty.  She just laid in my son's bed as I got ready for work and he got ready for school.  Just thought she may be tired.   Around 4 that afternoon my daughter in law called me and said she came to check on Libbie and she didn't greet her at the door as she normally does.  She was laying in my bed and just did not move or get up.  Jess tried to get her up to go outside as she loves this but she would not.  When I got home at 6:45 she was still laying in the same spot on my bed.  I tried everything to get her up.  I finally asked if she wanted to go bye bye and after about 10 minutes she got up and wanted to go for a ride.  She didn't act her normally chipper self and laid in the seat shortly after we got started.   She seemed to be in a bit of pain so we came back home.  It was very difficult getting her out of the car which is not normal.

I called the vet on Tuesday morning to see if they could change her appt to that morning instead of Thursday.  They did her routine geratric exam including blood work.   The vet said she seemed to have some wheezing which was probably evidence of some repiratory infection and she had a sore throat.  He thought she probably has some arthritis pain going on since she is having some difficulty getting on and off of our beds.  He gave her some amoxicillin and a pain meds for in case she had some pain going on.  Last night there was not much improvement but this morning she was acting more like herself.  Tonight she acts even more like herself.

The vet called me today with results of her blood work and said her white blood cell count was very high.  He said most often this is a result of uterine infection and the only treatment was to spay.  I advised him of my dilemma last week and why I decided not to proceed with spaying her.  He advised me of the risks if she does have this infection.  He is going to have the vet that saw her yesterday to review her lab results in the morning and call me with his recommendation.  

I thought I would get your opinion and see what kind of guidance you may be able to offer.

Thanks so much
Angie

Answer
Vet said: "He said most often this is a result of uterine infection and the only treatment was to spay.  "

"Most often" IS NOT a definitive diagnosis!

Find out EXACTLY what is wrong-- do not spay her and put her under anesthesia just because of "most often."

If you have to be firm with your vet- be FIRM or get another... a specialist!