Learning More About Dog Spays and Neuters at Prosper North Animal Medical Center
What is the difference between spaying and neutering a dog?
Neutering is for the male, where we remove the testicles. The spay procedure is for females, where we remove the ovaries and the uterine horns. We recommend spaying and neutering your pet around six months of age. However, recent research suggests benefits to keeping your pet intact a bit longer for large breed dogs, as it takes them longer to reach their adult size. Hormones can aid in joint development, so maintaining hormones longer may be beneficial for joint health.
What are the health benefits of spaying your dog?
First, you won't have to deal with unwanted pregnancies. Second, there will be no menstrual cycles. Third, spaying removes the risk of ovarian cancer by removing the ovaries. Fourth, it prevents pyometra, which is an infection of the uterus that can occur later in life.
What are the benefits of neutering a male dog?
In male cats, neutering can help reduce mating behavior. It also helps prevent testicular cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia, or enlargement of the prostate.
Are there any risks with anesthesia during surgery for my dog?
There are always risks associated with anesthesia and the procedures themselves. There is a risk of bleeding or hemorrhage during surgery, although we manage this risk well. There's also a risk of incision site infections, so it's important to prevent your pet from licking or chewing the site post-operation.
What should I expect on the day of my dog's surgery?
Check-In
When you bring your pet in, you'll check in with one of our technicians who will go over the paperwork, which includes consenting to anesthesia and the procedure. There are optional items on the consent form, such as pre-operative blood work, which we recommend as it allows us to assess organ function before anesthesia. You can also opt for a nail trim and microchipping.
Surgical procedure
Once checked in, we'll take your pet and have you leave. Our technicians will place an IV catheter and draw blood for testing. We'll pre-medicate with a pain medication and an anti-nausea med. By the time I arrive around 8:00 am, everything is typically ready. We'll give additional medications to aid the anesthetic process, then use propofol to induce anesthesia and intubate with an endotracheal tube to control the airway. We set up all monitoring equipment, oxygen, and anesthetic gas, and proceed with surgical prep, including shaving and cleaning the area. The doctor will scrub in and perform the procedure.
Afterward, we use cold laser therapy to aid healing. The technician will perform a nail trim and microchip, then place the pet on oxygen to recover. Once awake, we'll extubate and monitor them for a few hours. You can usually pick up your pet early afternoon, at which point we'll go over discharge information and provide pain and anti-inflammatory medications. If needed, we can also provide sedatives to ensure your pet remains calm during recovery.
Duration of the procedure
The entire procedure, from medication administration to waking up and extubation, typically takes about an hour. Spays usually take 30 to 40 minutes, while neuters are shorter, around 15 to 20 minutes, though it varies with the size of the animal.
What will the recovery process be like for my dog after a spay or neuter surgery?
Incisions heal side to side and take about 10 to 14 days, regardless of the surgery. It's important to keep your pet calm and restrict activity to prevent stress on the incision site. We may recommend sedatives to help keep them calm, as pets often feel better sooner than expected. During the 10 to 14-day recovery period, monitor the incision site for redness, swelling, or discharge, and continue with prescribed medications. Use an Elizabethan collar or a surgery suit to prevent your pet from licking or chewing the incision, which could lead to infection or suture damage.
Are there any effects of spaying my female dog on heat cycles? Will this affect her weight?
After being spayed, your pet will not go through any heat cycles because the hormones and ovaries have been removed. The procedure itself does not cause weight gain, but removing hormones affects metabolism. You may need to adjust your pet's diet based on their energy levels and activity.
How much experience do you have doing spay and neuter procedures to dogs?
I have performed thousands of spay and neuter procedures. My experience includes working in spay-neuter clinics offering low-cost services, and all my jobs have involved spaying and neutering.
If you have questions, we would love to answer them for you. Please give us a call at the office at (972) 942-4000, or you can email us at hello@prospernorthamc.com. Our staff would love to talk with you!
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