Pug Dog Spay and Neuter Information

This said, spaying at any age other than the late senior years, including waiting until after the 12 to 18-month mark to help avoid issues and possible issues linked to growth plates (delayed closure, possible increased risk hip dysplasia), will be beneficial. 

The best age to have a male Pug neutered is between 5 and 7 months old. The goal is to avoid very early-age neutering (for anesthetic safety) but to have the procedure done before bad habits (humping, roaming, marking, aggression) are established. 

This said, neutering at any age, including waiting until after the 12 to 18-month mark to help avoid issues and possible issues linked to growth plates (delayed closure, possible increased risk for torn ligaments, and hip dysplasia), will be beneficial. 

If your female Pug is at least 4 months old, you will be asked to feed the last meal the night before and then withhold food the day of the surgery. For pups younger than 4 months, withholding food may be shorter, 8 hours or so.  

Spaying is performed under general anesthesia. A small incision is made in the abdomen from which both the ovaries and the uterus is removed. Ovarian ligaments and blood vessels are secured. The abdominal tissues are stitched, glued, or stapled internally and externally. 

With neutering, prior to the surgery, a full wellness check will be performed to ensure that a dog is healthy enough for the procedure. In addition, owners may be asked if they wish for the vet to do a pre-anesthetic blood screening test. This is to check for issues with the kidneys and liver that could cause complications during the surgery.

If your male Pug is at least 4 months old, you will be asked to feed the last meal the night before and then withhold food the day of the surgery. For pups younger than 4 months, withholding food may be shorter, 8 hours or so.  

Neutering is performed by making a small incision in the scrotum and then removing the testicle and spermatic ducts. Blood vessels are tied off. This will be stitched with either dissolvable stitches or ones which will need to be removed 10 days afterward.

The incision site should be checked twice per day. Though there will be some redness, bruising, and inflammation, any noticeable increases in redness, swelling, or discharge should be reported to the veterinarian. Other red flags to report include refusal to eat (after 24 hours post-surgery), vomiting, diarrhea, and/or marked lethargy (after 6 hours post-surgery). 

A post-operative check-up is usually performed two weeks after the spay. If non-absorbable stitches or staples were used, these will be removed at this time.

Males are typically playing around and acting like themselves just days after being neutered but heavy exercise such as full-out running should be limited for 2 weeks. 

Until the post-operative checkup, inspect the site daily for signs of infection including excessive redness, swelling, and discharge. 

With private-practice veterinary offices, spaying is usually priced according to a dog’s size and then factors such as health and age come into play since these can affect the number of recommended pre-surgery screenings and tests. Private practice vets also tend to have more support staff and usually have newer equipment and more carefully follow safety protocols, all which increase the overhead costs. So, the price can range from $300 to $600 USD. 

There are low-cost public services usually connected to animal shelters and rescue organizations that may offer spaying at reduced prices somewhere in the range of $200 for spaying Pugs (dogs under the 30 or 50 lb. mark); however, going this route with spaying, which is considered a major abdominal surgery, does pose greater risks since elements like pre-screening, inhalation anesthetics, and anesthetic monitoring may be forfeited. 

For the same reasons as listed with the previous spaying, private-practice veterinarians may charge more than low-cost public services, between $150 and $250 to neuter a male Pug (dogs under the 30 or 50 lb. mark). And, the cost when having this done via a public service connected to a shelter or rescue may be in the $50 to $125 range. 

Technically, a dog can be spayed while in heat but this is not usually recommended since it can increase the risk of excessive bleeding and other complications. So, if there is an appointment to have a Pug spayed but she enters heat, this should be rescheduled. 

Since female dogs usually do not have the canine equivalent of menopause, spaying can still be done through the adult years to eliminate the risk of unplanned pregnancy (a very stressful event for older dogs) and stop the heat cycle. It will eliminate the chances of ovarian and uterine cancer but will have limited effects on mammary cancer if done after several heats have already occurred. But, since this is a major abdominal surgery, it may not be recommended for late-senior females since they may have more trouble both with the anesthesia and stress of surgery and recovery. 

If you chose to not have your Pug fixed, you are not automatically condemning your dog to a short life. The #1 leading cause of death is neurological issues and Pugs are very prone to breathing-related issues that fall under the category of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS). 

1 Pollari FL, Bonnett BN, Bamsey SC, Meek AH, Allen DG. Postoperative complications of elective surgeries in dogs and cats determined by examining electronic and paper medical records. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 1996;208(11):1882–6.

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