It is a legal requirement in South Australia that dogs and cats not intended for breeding be desexed by 6 months of age.
There are many advantages to desexing our pets. It completely prevents uterine infections, ovarian cancer and reduces the risk of mammary tumours. Females will not come into season and so there is no mess and no risk of unwanted pregnancies.
The age at which to desex a dog is a much-debated topic and is generally decided by consultation between pet owner and veterinarian. The recommendations will vary depending on the animal’s weight, vaccination status, health status and ability to withstand major surgery as well as the owner’s ability to manage a dog in season
There are advantages and risks of early age desexing in dogs. Benefits include a faster surgery time, lower anaesthetic dose and faster healing. Recorded side effects of early desexing include infantile external genitalia, delayed growth plate closure and the potential for associated orthopaedic conditions. There is a statistically increased risk of urinary incontinence in the bitch if desexed before 20 weeks of age
What does the surgery involve?
Desexing a female dog is also known as speying. The surgery involves removing the whole uterus and both ovaries. It is a standard procedure, but is still a major surgery, done under full anaesthetic. Your pet will have her abdomen shaved and a surgical incision will be made, usually this incision is closed with intradermal (internal) stitches so there are no sutures to remove later. She will need to be kept quiet for 10 days after the surgery and may need to wear an Elizabethan collar to stop her from licking at the wound.While she is under anaesthetic, we can give her a desexing tattoo and microchip her (if not already done) and do a microchip tattoo, clip her claws, check her ears and empty her anal glands if necessary.
Your dog will be admitted in the morning usually between 8am and 9.30am. The surgery is usually performed late morning after pre anaesthetic health checks and blood tests have been performed. She will then be ready to go home some time after 3.30pm. The surgical nurse will phone you with an update once your pet is in recovery and organise a discharge time that suits you. We are open until 8pm so a later pick-up is available if required.
The risks of desexing procedures
As dog desexing is a standard procedure, complications are not very common. However, complications can occur if the wound gets infected, and the opening of the abdomen during the spaying procedure can, very rarely, cause haemorrhaging.
Anaesthesia also has its own inherent risks but we use the most up to date anaesthetic agents & monitoring equipment. All dogs are placed on intravenous fluids to help maintain their blood pressure and to speed up their recovery.
Post operative care
Post operative care will be discussed with you in detail when your dog is discharged. She will have a pain relief injection given at the time of surgery and you will be given additional medication to administer post operatively.
She will need to be kept quiet until the wound has fully healed at about 10 days post-operatively. This means exercising her only very gently e.g. a short stroll or walk on leash. No excessive play for 10 days and prevent physical activity like jumping or play fighting
No swimming or bathing until her 10 day post op check. This will allow her wound to heal without complications.
Two complementary post op checks will be arranged for 5 and 10 days post operatively
