Spaying Decisions

Which option should I choose for Snipe?

  • Local vet

    Votes: 30 88.2%
  • Shelter clinic

    Votes: 2 5.9%
  • Repro vet

    Votes: 2 5.9%
  • Hard boiled eggs

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    34

stardogs

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#1
So Snipe is wrapping up her second heat and is now about 20 months old. This means that she will be spayed in 3 months. I'm super happy to be going down to one intact female finally, but am already spazzing about all the details I need to get figured out in the next two months, so I figured I'd get some input from others on my options.

So far here are my options:

1. Traditional spay at my current vet. My vet has been in practice for over 20 years, they were happy to talk about their methods (small incision, glue instead of stiches, laser used to improve healing post surgery) and are generally good about listening to me. Dogs are monitored by a tech and hooked up to a pulse/ox machine during surgery. Snipe could come home the same day. I've not seen their work first hand, though. $200 + $50 optional bloodwork.

2. Traditional spay at the shelter I used to work at. High volume clinic, but I know the doctor's skill first hand, I know they do a good job pre and post surgery, etc. Dogs are monitored by the vet and hooked up to a pulse/ox machine during surgery. Snipe would come home the same day, but it's a 3 hour drive, so it would mean a full day off of work for me. This is the cheapest option by far: $60 + $50 optional bloodwork.

3. Consult with repro vet to determine options, perhaps doing just an ovarioectomy. Have her spayed there using laser. Vet is a reproductive specialist with many years in practice, but I haven't seen her spay work. Lots of friends who breed swear by her though. Most expensive option: $90 consult plus $300+ including bloodwork for the spay.

Thoughts? Other options I may not have thought of? Questions I should ask?
 

Fran101

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#4
I would go with the local vet.
For boys/neuters...I would say shelter (and honestly, its where I would probably go for spays as well since my vet charges 400+ for the surgery). It's all they do almost exclusively surgery wise, it's a well oiled machine and they do it WELL.
BUT with you missing work and with the price difference, I would go with local vet.

I honestly don't think you need the repro vet. I mean.. it's a regular spay. I don't see the need really lol
 

Flyinsbt

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#8
I looked into doing an ovariectomy for Tess when she was spayed, but ultimately chose to go the simpler route of having a traditional spay at my vet's office. The extra money and time just didn't seem worth it.
 

elegy

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#12
What are the purported benefits of the ovariectomy vs traditional spay?
 

stardogs

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#13
Faster recovery time, smaller incisions, less risk of hemorrhage and other surgical complications, some people purport that there is some residual hormone activity from the uterus, but that seems to be under debate.
 

JessLough

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#14
I voted to go to the specialist and leave her uterus... but then again, then you have to hope they get ALL of the ovaries out, or you'll be back where you're started.
 

elegy

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#15
Faster recovery time, smaller incisions, less risk of hemorrhage and other surgical complications
Given the small incision size and the speed of recovery of the vast majority of dogs I see spayed at work, I totally wouldn't go out of my way to avoid the chance of complications given a good vet.

I mean, Luce's spay incision was all of 2" long, and she was a mature adult.
 

Flyinsbt

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#16
Tess was 5 years old and had a litter before she was spayed, was ready to leave my vet's office within a few hours, and healed probably faster than I gave her credit for. (I was being very careful. She wasn't.) The only thing that might have been of interest to me would be if there was enough hormonal activity after the ovariectomy to prevent spay incontinence, and from what I've heard, there isn't.
 

Flyinsbt

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#18
Can you have a dog's tubes tied?
I think you can, but I wouldn't bother with it. It wouldn't stop seasons, or provide any of the health benefits of spaying, you might as well just leave the bitch intact. You'd need to keep her separate from males anyway, since they'd still tie. Not worth the surgery risk.
 

Flyinsbt

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#20
If only the ovaries are removed, wouldn't there still be risk of pyo? Possibly even increased risk?
No, because the bitch doesn't come into season. Pyo occurs because the bitch's body "assumes" she is pregnant after a season, and doesn't respond to foreign material in the uterus.
 

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