One possible outcome is that extra precautions such as intravenous fluids may be given.Ī pre-med, which is usually a combination of several drugs, will be given by injection. If any abnormalities are found, these will be discussed with the owner before deciding whether the operation goes ahead or not. If a pre-anaesthetic blood test has not already been done, it will be done now and the results checked before proceeding. Your bitch will be weighed to help calculate the dosages of drugs and given a physical examination including checking her heart. This is very important in case anything needs to be discussed with the owner before or during the operation. They will ask you to read and to sign a consent form for the procedure and ask you to supply contact phone numbers. On arrival at the surgery, you can expect to be seen by a vet or a veterinary nurse who will check that you understand the nature of the operation and will answer any questions you may have. Apart from that, it is best to stick as closely as possible to the normal routines of the day so that the dog does not feel anxious. It is also a good idea to allow the dog enough exercise to empty the bladder and bowels. This prevents any problems with vomiting which could be dangerous. Before going to the surgeryīefore any anaesthetic, the patient should be starved for a number of hours, according to the instructions of the surgery. This is used to check the liver and kidney function (both vital when dealing with anaesthetic drugs) and to rule out any unsuspected illnesses. This could be done on the day of the operation or a few days earlier. Because this increases the difficulty of the operation, it may well be advised that an overweight bitch should lose weight before the operation.Īnother important way of spotting avoidable risks is by taking a blood test before the anaesthetic. Before the operationĪs well as timing the operation carefully to reduce any risks, it is also important that the bitch is not overweight. A physical examination by the vet will determine whether a 5-6 month old bitch puppy is mature enough to spay before her first season. Also if she was producing milk, the enlargement of the milk glands would make it more difficult for the spay wound to heal.įor all of these reasons, the time chosen to spay is usually either before the first season occurs, or 3-4 months after a season. If this happens, she may be acting as if she is nursing pups and the operation at this time would cause such sudden changes in hormone levels that it would be unfair to her. The other time we try to avoid is the 8 weeks after a season, when a bitch may suffer from a hormonal imbalance called a false pregnancy. It is not a good idea to spay when a bitch is in season or about to come into season, because the blood vessels supplying the uterus and ovaries are all larger and this will increase the risks of surgery. My boxer bitch Tilly was recently spayed. My own opinion is that most bitches should be spayed because of the health benefits.
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