Spaying female dogs is a surgery that involves removing part of the reproductive tract including the ovaries, and therefore the reproductive hormones.
We advise spaying female dogs from 6 months old (we will sometimes recommend slightly later in large or giant breed dogs). Spaying early reduces the risk of mammary (breast) cancer, prevents the development of a “pyometra” (potentially fatal womb infection) and prevents unwanted pregnancies.
Routine neutering of female dogs is widely accepted to have preventative health benefits for your dog as well avoiding the inconvenience of seasons and risk of unwanted pregnancies. We perform these operations on a very regular basis and the risk of serious complications is extremely low. A traditional midline spay operation is however still major abdominal surgery.
We take care to provide appropriate pain relief but dogs will undoubtedly experience some discomfort in the days following surgery. Proper post operative care of wounds and ensuring rest during healing are very important to ensure a good recovery. Like any procedure we perform, our patients are provided with individual aftercare information for you to go home with.
We routinely perform keyhole spays and have been able to offer this procedure for several years. There are many advantages over the traditional open spay including smaller skin wounds, quicker recovery, less pain and normally no need for a “lampshade collar” at home.
All our surgical patients have the option of a pre-anaesthetic blood sample which can be run in the practice laboratory within an hour to check blood cells, liver and kidney function to ensure they are as healthy as possible before their procedure and all patients are put in IV fluids to support them during surgery.
We have advanced monitoring equipment and a highly trained team who check blood pressure, oxygen levels and capnography throughout the anaesthetic to make it as safe as possible.
Advantages of keyhole surgery
- Less invasive surgery
- Smaller wounds means significantly less pain and less complications in healing
- Quicker recovery with usually 48 hours rest
- No need for strict rest following the procedure
- Less medication required. Dogs undergoing keyhole surgery will have pain relief at the time of surgery but generally do not need pain relief to go home with
- No need for cone