Spaying also known as ovariohysterectomy is the procedure in which the ovaries and the uterus is surgically removed to sterilize the animal.
Why spaying your animal is a good idea.
- Having your animal spayed eliminates the risk of ovarian and uterine cancers.
- If your pet is spayed before their first heat it will decrease their risk of breast cancer to almost nothing (yes cats and dogs get breast cancer too).
- No risk of pyometra which is a serious and life threating condition that if not treated quickly and aggressively will lead to death.
- Prevents unplanned pregnancies
- Will prevent unsociable behaviours such as loud and persistent crying, frequent rubbing, rolling around on the floor and marking (yes females will also mark their territory).
The actual surgery consists of making an incision in the midline of the abdomen just below the umbilicus where both ovaries and the uterus is removed and several layers of sutures are used to close the incision. As with any general anesthetic there is always a risk of an adverse reaction. These are quite rare, but we always check bloodwork before they are put under the anesthetic as a precaution. Internal bleeding can occur but is rare and is usually caused by the animal being too active after the surgery. Signs of internal bleeding are weakness, pale gums, depression, anorexia and distended abdomen. Post operative infection can occur but with a short series of antibiotics your girl can get back to normal in no time. Seromas which are non-painful pockets of mostly clear fluid around the incision usually occur when the animal is too active in the first few days after surgery but will go away over time but can open and need antibiotics to prevent infection. An Elizabethan Collar (E-Collar for short) is fitted and sent home to keep her from licking at her incision. They will need to be kept quiet for 2 weeks after the surgery. Restricting the amount of exercise for 2 weeks will give them plenty of time to heal and decreases the amount of swelling. This means for dogs leash walks only for 2 whole weeks. Also, no getting wet for those 2 weeks, that mean no baths or playing in the water.
Many pet owners are concerned that after spaying their animal will become fat and lazy. While spaying does slow down their metabolism which can lead to them putting on some unwanted pounds, if you monitor their food intake and keep them active you can prevent weight gain.
If you have any concerns about feline or canine spaying please don’t hesitate to give us a call, we would be more then happy to answer any question you might have.
