In this section:
Before The Surgery
Once your pet is admitted
The anaesthetic
The Surgery
The Recovery
Home Time
We recommend neutering because...
As a routine we recommend neutering your pet at 6
months of age. If earlier or later neutering is
required this can be discussed with a veterinary
surgeon.
We can usually accommodate your pet on a weekday of
your choice and usually only need 3-4 days notice to
fit your pet in. When you book your appointment the
receptionist will give you information about
preparing your pet for the anaesthetic such as
starving your pet the night before the procedure
(see pre-operative instructions).
Before the surgery takes place…
On the morning of the operation you will have an
appointment with one of our nurses or vets to admit
your pet. We will ask you some questions and ensure
we have the correct contact details for the day. We
will then offer pre operative blood tests (test the
liver & kidney perimeters to distinguish if the
anaesthetic is safe for your pet), and
peri-operative fluid therapy (maintains blood
pressure making surgery safer and helps for faster
recovery).
Once your pet is admitted he or she will have a
pre-operative check with the operating veterinary
surgeon. If your pet is having the pre-anaesthetic
blood test we will take this now. This is taken from
the vein in the neck (jugular vein), which is why
you may see a clipped patch of hair here. If your
pet requires a drip (intravenous fluid therapy) we
will start your pet on this now. Your pet will have
a catheter placed into a vein in one of the front
legs (cephalic vein) and the drip will be connected
to this. Even if your pet does not require a drip he
or she will still have a catheter placed. This
ensures we have access to the vein throughout the
anaesthetic as required.
The anaesthetic...
We will then administer a pre-medication to your
pet, this contains a strong pain relief similar to
morphine and a mild sedative. This makes the
anaesthetic smoother and less stressful for your
pet. They will also receive another type of
pain-relieving injection to help pre-empt any
discomfort they may feel.
Once the pre-medicant has taken effect we will then
administer the anaesthetic itself (induction agent).
This is the same drug as humans receive when they
have a general anaesthetic and is a very safe drug
to use. It also allows your pet to recover more
quickly from the anaesthetics and reduces the
‘hang-over’ effect. Once your pet is asleep we will
place a tube in his/her throat (endotracheal tube)
to allow us to deliver oxygen and a gaseous
anaesthetic agent to keep them nicely asleep
throughout the procedure. Your pet will be monitored
throughout the anaesthetic by one of our nurses,
making use of the monitoring equipment we have (see
Facilities page)
The surgery...
For female pets they will undergo an
Ovariohysterectomy. This means the entire
reproductive tract (from ovaries to cervix) is
removed. For bitches and rabbits this will be done
through an incision on the underside of her belly
and for cats this is done through an incision on the
side as a routine. The incision is closed with
stitches, both internal and external, and a dressing
is usually placed onto the wound.
For male pets they undergo castration. This means
that the testicles are removed along with a
proportion of the spermatic cord. For dogs this is
done via a small incision just in front of where the
testicles are. For cats this is done through the
scrotum itself. Dogs will have internal and external
stitches whereas cats do not require any stitches.
The recovery…
Our nurses will continue to monitor your pet until
they have fully recovered from the anaesthetic. They
will be placed into one of our nice warm kennels and
will have plenty of comfy blankets to snooze off the
anaesthetic. We will ask you to ring us about
lunchtime to find out how your pet has gone on and
it is usually possible to pick up your pet between
3-5pm that day (appointment made during the
telephone conversation).
Home time…
You will have an appointment with either the vet or
the nurse to discharge your pet. We will go through
all the post-operative instructions you will need to
care for your pet after the surgery. We recommend
your pet wears a “buster collar” to stop he or she
interfering with the stitches and that they go home
with a special recovery diet to help prevent any
tummy upsets which occasionally occur. We will see
your pet back at 3 days for a post-operative check
and at 10 days for the stitches to be removed. This
will usually be with one of our nurses.
Below are some of the reasons we recommend neutering
Reasons/advantages for castration
• To reduce possible behavioural problems caused in
part by testosterone e.g. mounting other dogs,
people or objects in and around the house.
• To reduce possible territory marking (urinating)
aggression (especially to other dogs) & straying.
• Eliminates the risk of testicular cancer.
• Greatly reduces the risk of problems with the
prostate gland.
• Reduces the risk of some anal and perineal
tumours.
• Removes the stresses of being a male entire dog,
without the ability to express normal male
behaviour.
• Reduces the risk of perineal hernias occurring.
Reasons/advantages for spaying
• To prevent unwanted pregnancy.
• To help prevent straying when in heat
• To prevent Pyometra (a womb infection which is a
potentially fatal condition).
• To help prevent mammary cancer in later life<
which is more likely if she is not spayed before her
first few seasons.
• To prevent false pregnancies (phantom).
• To prevent ovarian cysts and tumours.
• Prevents dogs sitting outside your house for days
on end!
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