Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Information About Dog Spaying That Pet Owners Of Female Dogs Will Want To Know

By Elsa English


Dog owners whose pet is female, are likely aware that unless the animal is sterilized, they will have to contend with her frustrating heat cycles and the possibility that she may become pregnant and give birth to a litter of puppies. Veterinarians encourage dog spaying procedures as an effective way to eliminate these concerns, and also keep the pet healthier in the long run. Unless the animal is to be used for breeding, it is safer to have her ovaries and uterus removed at an early age.

The average age for a dog to undergo this surgery is between five and eight months old, but some vets will even perform it as early as two months of age. A younger dog will need different anesthetics and its temperature will need to be monitored carefully, but with these precautions in place, it should be fine and in most cases younger dogs will even recover more quickly.

The dog should not have anything to eat or drink the night before the surgery, in order to prevent vomiting from the anesthetic. These operations are typically done in the early morning so the animal will not have to wait long before she can have food and water. Dogs are sedated with an injection so it will be easier to prepare them for surgery, which involves treating the eyes with protective ointment, inserting an IV, and securing the animal to the table.

The vet's assistant will get the dog's abdomen ready to be operated on by cleansing the skin thoroughly and shaving the fur. An iodine solution will also be swabbed onto it to kill any germs on the skin, and then the animal will be covered with surgical drapes, leaving only the belly exposed.

A surgical tray is assembled containing all of the instruments and materials needed, namely a scalpel, hemostats, needle and suturing thread, scissors, gauze, and towels. The veterinarian then inserts a trachea tube into the dog's throat and administers the anesthetic gas that will keep her unconscious during the surgery. The animal's vital signs will be monitored constantly throughout the procedure.

As the vet makes a small incision in the lower abdomen, the muscle and skin tissues separate, allowing access to the abdominal cavity. Next, the doctor feels inside and extracts the ovaries and uterus. Arterial blood supply to the ovaries is cut off using hemostats, then its tied off, and the ovaries are cut away. The uterus is removed using the same procedure.

An inspection for indications of abnormal hemorrhaging will be done before the vet removes the gauze padding and stitches up the incision. Now the tracheal tube can be removed and the dog will be comfortably wrapped up in towels and left to recover in a kennel.

Sometimes the animal will stay overnight for observations, but in most instances her owner will be able to take her home several hours later. The veterinarian will provide the owner with a list of instructions for caring for the dog in the post-operative period. Most animals recover quite fast, and are back to their usual, waggy-tailed selves in a few days time.




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