Spaying/Neutering

Preparation for Surgery

Before settling into his/her kennel in our Treatment room, your pet will be given a comprehensive physical exam before anaesthetic. Then a pre-med injection is administered to help your pet relax.

Hilary administers the " pre-med" to Bobby who is in for his neuter.

Shortly after, an intravenous catheter is placed in the cephalic vein and IV fluid administration is started. An anaesthetic injection is then given that allows your pet to be intubated (a tube placed down the throat to assist in breathing and to deliver the General Anaesthetic).

Then your pet is hooked up to a cardiac monitoring device that also measures blood pressure throughout the operation. The surgical area is then shaved and carefully cleaned with a surgical scrub..

Tawnya and Brenda prepare Bobby for his neuter.

Surgery

Your pet is then moved into the operating room. Here, wearing masks, gown and sterile gloves the veterinarian, technician, and veterinary assistants begin the spay or neuter. While under anaesthetic, we provide a complementary nail trim and thoroughly exam the pets teeth and mouth.

While Dr. Kocheff neuters Bobby, while Hilary and Tawnya monitor his heart rate, breathing and blood pressure.

Ovariohysterectomy (Spay)

If your female dog is in heat, has had a heat, or is pregnant, the surgery is more involved, taking a longer period of time. Because of the degree of difficulty, there are additional charges. It is best to get your female spayed before the age of six months to avoid her going into heat.

The surgical procedure involves the complete removal of both ovaries, both uterine horns, the body of the uterus, and in some cases the cervix. It is major abdominal surgery. The closure of the abdomen with dissolving sutures completes the operation.

Orchiectomy (Neuter)

Although the abdominal cavity is not entered during the operation, it is still considered major surgery. In those situations where one testicle has not yet descended, the abdomen may be opened to retrieve the un-descended testicle. The skin is closed with dissolving subcuticlar (under the skin) sutures that do not require removal. This suture technique relieves the anxiety some dogs feel, and substantially reduces licking of the incision.

Tattoos and Microchips

Even better than wearing a collar, having your pet tattooed and/or micro-chipped provides the security of knowing your pet can be identified if lost.

Maisy is given an identification tattoo in her ear under anaesthetic.

A tattoo is placed in the dog or cat's ear that has our hospital code (MA), followed by the a letter representing the year, and then a number. This code is good across the province of BC.

If you will be travelling a great deal with your pet, having a microchip is a great option. The microchip is injected, just under the skin, between the shoulder blades and can be scanned with a hand held scanner at any veterinary hospital or animal control agency. They are internationally recognized, with only a very few exceptions.

We advise getting at least one or both of these forms of identification.

Waking up!

When surgery is completed, staff carefully supervise the patient until the intubation tube is ready to be removed and the pet fully wakes up.

Maisy wakes up then has a rest in her kennel after her hysterectomy.

Bobby is extubated and rest comfortably in his kennel.

When they are ready, your pet is then moved into a kennel in the treatment room to rest and recover. Post operative pain management is administered to most surgical patients.

Watching the action!

Your pet spends the rest of the day resting in the Treatment Room where we do most of our work. Your pet is not left alone all day but is with us, watching all the happenings of the hospital.

Later in the afternoon your pet is given another check over. In most situations your pet will be released late afternoon or early evening. Once home please remember that your pet has had major surgery and needs to have quiet time to recover. Please report anything that seems unusual.

Bobby is ready to go home.

Why should I spay or neuter my pet?

Unless you are planning on breeding your dog or cat, the best thing for your pet is to have him/her surgically sterilized.

Male Neutering, ideally, should be done between 6 - 8 months of age. The advantages of having males neutered are:

	Helps prevent diseases of the prostate, testicular tumours and other cancers.
	Can decrease desire to roam, or show territorial aggressive behaviour.
	It is safe
	Can help prevent male cats from spraying.
	Helps to control pet population.

Female Spays are more complex than even a human hysterectomy! It is best to spay before the first heat - that is, before 6 months. This will reduce the chance of breast cancer by 99%!! The other advantages of having Females Spayed are:

	Great reduction in risk of breast cancer & severe uterine problems.
	You do not have the hassles of heat cycles where the animals behaviour is noisy and disruptive.