Spaying

Spaying (traditional ovariohysterectomy- OVH) refers to the surgical procedure performed on female dogs and cats to render them infertile. There are many benefits to spaying your female companion. First, you will contribute to the prevention of the dog and cat overpopulation. Second, spaying will eliminate the sometimes ‘messy’ heat cycles that attract male dogs to your house from miles away. Third, you will help prevent diseases in your pet such as pyometra (infection in the uterus) and mammary cancer. Traditional OVH involves surgical removal of both ovaries and the uterus. It can be performed under a number of anesthetics and monitoring devices. If you are shopping around for a competitive price on this procedure, be sure to question the type of anesthetic used and the monitoring equipment and procedures followed. We use several monitoring devices during your pet’s anesthetic. A registered veterinary technician continually assesses your pet’s vital signs during the procedure. Although the risk of an anesthetic death in a normal healthy pet is very rare, our monitoring devices and procedures allow us to respond to an anesthetic emergency faster. Faster responses can save lives. Please call or visit our facility to learn more about our spaying procedures.

Laporascopic ovarioectomy (OVE) or ovariohysterectomy (OVH) is another option for the sterilzation of your pet.  This method uses minimally invasive techniques to remove the reproductive organs. Two recent research reports found reduced stress responses in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy by laporoscopy compared to traditional OVH (Hancock, Devitt).  Post operative pain and recover time is reduced.  As practitioners have modified the laparoscopic ovariohysterectomy, the question is whether the uterus needs to be removed if a complete ovarioectomy (only ovaries removed) has been performed.  In contrast to the traditional American technique to perform a complete ovariohysterectomy in dogs and cats, women usually only have their ovaries removed if there is no uterine disease.  In Europe, many dogs have undergone ovariectomy "only" procedures without documented problems as compared to ovariohysterectomies.  Since pyometra occurs when the uterus is stimulated by sex hormones, pyometra should not occur because the sex hormones are removed with the ovaries.  The ovarioectomy "only" may even be preferred as less trauma is required.  Most patients are able to go home the same day with minimal discomfort.    

Benefits of Laparoscopic Spay

1. Less Pain: Smaller incisions are less painful and reduce recovery time. 

2. Smaller incisions:  The entire surgery is performed through 2- 4  tiny incisions rather     than a large abdominal opening.

3. Better visualization of tissues
4. Safer: Laparoscopy is simple to perform and involves very few complications.