Q.

Is it okay to have my pet spayed if she is still lactating?

A.

Spaying a lactating (producing milk) female is generally not recommended. Even if the puppies or kittens are weaned, the mother may still be producing a small amount of milk. In most circumstances, veterinarians will wait to spay the mother until she has stopped milk production (usually about 2 weeks after the young are weaned). If a female is spayed while still lactating, the incision in the abdomen may cut into some of the mammary tissue, resulting in milk flowing into the incision site. This can interfere with visualizing the internal organs and may complicate the healing process. In addition, there may be additional bleeding because of the larger blood vessels in the area of a milk producing gland.