Heat cycle and spaying my dog

[Midget]

Hello again! Long time to post!

My dog is now 4 years old, i haven't spayed her yet, nor has she had any pregnancy. I know im late for it, but fortunately her blood tests came back perfect.
My question may sound silly, but i actually think its kinda silly i cant find a simple answer to it! Last time my dog was in heat was Beginning of July, lets say July 3. She usually gets it every six months, except one time where i think it went to 7 months. It lasts for 3 weeks. Simple question: when is her next heat? Is it January or December? (based on a 6 months cycle). How do you count it? 6 months from day 1?

Another question is about when to have the surgery. Is it ok to have it now? I have already asked my veterinarian about all these, and we've actually made an appointment for tomorrow, but i feel somethings not right. Did we count right? We assumed she was do on January, so that means now is one month prior to her next heat. Im afraid we did not. Going to ask him of course tomorrow again, but id love to hear your answers as well.
Ive read that the best time to spay is 3 months after last heat. Should i wait till the next one? oh gosh i don't know. Kind of anxious right now, cause its that trust you get with doctors that make you feel calm and then you go googling, but it has always worked for me, to be honest.

Thanks in advance! Cant wait for some replies!

[Nettle]

Midpoint between heats is the right time, unless your dog still has milk from false pregnancy, in which case it's best to wait until that has all finished. Count from the end of the season.

One month prior to the next heat is not, therefore, the ideal time.

[Midget]

Thank you for your reply!

[Suzette]

Hey Midget - your questions weren't silly at all! In fact, it is a testament to you that you are asking and seeking these answers because they are actually very important questions to ask and get "right".

My dog's heats came about every six months. Not a hard and fast timetable, but an approximation. So when I decided to spay her after her third heat, I counted three months from the end of her last heat and spayed her then, making it approximately the halfway point between her last cycle and the probable timing of her next one. So in her case, her last heat ended on April 2 and I made the spay appointment for the first week in July.

So, you are very wise to be thinking of waiting until her next cycle, then spay her three months after the end of it.

[Midget]

Thank you for your reply!

I think im gonna cancel the appointment tomorrow, i just do not feel comfortable about it.
Im counting and counting, i did figure out that her cycle goes 7 months meaning, in 2013, she had one heat in June, then December, but i concluded to 7 months, counting the month she was in heat. Then she went to July 2014, which made it to 8 months cycle, but because i dont remember the exact dates on the other two periods, im pretty sure there is a miscalculation somewhere , so her next heat will be indeed in January.

I know why the best time is at 3 months after the last heat, but what are the risks at 4 months after heat?

(I really might cancel tomorrow though, just asking) Her bloodwork came out fine, but i doubt the tests had anything to do with her hormones, although i will ask tomorrow.

Thank you again!

[Nettle]

4 months after heat risks depend on when her next heat is. So the risks for a dog that cycles every 6 months are higher than for one that cycles every 12 months, as some do. Nothing is risk-free even if you get the timing exactly halfway, but in a dog that cycles every 6 months, spaying at 4 months after the end of the heat is less risky than just after the heat or just before the next one.