Pet Forums 2000

This is probably a ridiculous question but when someone finds a stray female dog that doesn't have a microchip or identification, can they tell if she is spayed?

I ask this because I found a female mutt and have had her for 3 weeks with no response from any owner. She doesn't have a chip or tags and nobody responded to the fliers or ads. If I keep her or place her, she has to be spayed. My female is spayed and doesn't have any sort of visible scarring. I brought her to the vets around here in hopes that they would recognize her but I have a feeling she was left by a summer person, maybe intentionally. If I brought her again, could the vet be able to tell if she is spayed or do I have to wait to see if her heat cycle is present?

Your vet can check for a scar, if she had been spayed, on her abdomen

i believe they can tell but im not entirely sure

Unless she was tattooed (usually in the ear) when she was spayed then it will be difficult to tell.

Vets can scan the abdomen and tell you if the reproductive organs are present or not.

If you do not have the money to spay the stray dog then I would surrender her to a rescue or SPCA.

There should be a bit of a ridge or a scar on her belly. If there is no visible scar there can be one sometimes felt by a firm pressure along her belly where the "middle" ridge might be. As firm a pressure as I would say you would use when self palpitating for lumps in a breast exam. Nothing that might hurt the dog but right down the middle along her belly. If she won't let you don't push it. I wouldn't wait for her to go into heat to know if she is spayed or not.