What is involved in spaying?

My westie is almost 5 months old. I plan on spaying her and was told by the clinic that they normally perform this procedure at 6 months. What is so magical about this age?

Also, what is involved? Will she stay overnight? What do I do when I bring her home? How do I prevent infection? Help!

hello, I had my Cody nuetered at 6 months... I don't know why they have to be 6 months, but i'm sure there's a reason and someone here will be able to tell you! Since very very very many dogs get spayed and nuetered every day I definitely wouldn't worry about infection or anything... It's a very common surgery so no need to worry yourself! I'm sorry I can't answer your other questions as to I was only 2 when my dog got nuetered but I know someone will have your answer! Good luck with your baby, she'll be fine!

It's usually around that age because females go into their first heat around 6 months, and once they go into heat they have a chance for mammary cancer, I believe. Every time she goes into heat, the chances are greatly increased.

I don't know much about the spaying procedure itself because I've always had boys. All I know is that it's a more complex surgery than neutering, and it takes more time to recover. Usually they stay overnight.

Edit: But it's definitely worth it.

Google it .... I'm sure you'll find a site that will show steps .

They like to wait as long as possible, so the dog is a little older and has done a significant amount of its growing.

However, each time a female goes into heat her chances of getting mammary cancer increases, therefore they like to get it done before her first heat if she is def. not going to be bred.

Six months is the magical age, not too soon but not too late.

I would google the procedure for what is involved, I mean I am not sure of the details!

Elissa

This page contains actual surgery photos and describes the surgical procedure: http://www.thepetcenter.com/sur/sp.html

Some vets recommend six months so that sex hormones from the ovaries (or testicles, for males) can influence the puppy's growth. It also is easier for vets to operate on a six-month-old than a tiny little eight-week-old, though many vets are comfortable doing pediatric spays and neuters.

At my vet (and clinics and doctors differ, so this may not necessarily apply for you), they have me drop off my pet before 9:30 AM the day of the surgery. For cats and dogs, they usually have been denied food and water since midnight, so they don't vomit after the surgery. The surgery is usually done and my pet awake around noon, and the vet calls to let me know how things went. Depending on the pet's condition, reaction to anesthesia, etc, they may keep her overnight or let me pick her up that same day. Shelby the kitten stayed overnight, Holly the rat came home with me just a few hours after she woke up. When I go to pick up my pet, the vet speaks with me about home care--if yours doesn't, just ask! I'm sure they'll be happy to do so. Usually I am told to try and keep my pet from jumping, which can irritate or open the incision, and to watch for excessive redness, oozing, or pain indicators. I haven't ever had to do anything specific for aftercare.

Hope this helps--I have never had a dog in my care spayed (they're rescues and came to me already altered), but I have had two of my cats and one of my rats spayed while in my care. Best of luck.

Glad you found a site Rhine !!!

At the vet clinic I used to work at he'd - start the surgery early in the morning (7-8am for drop offs), anesthesia/gas, surgery, stiches, back in a kennel until the anesthesia/gas wears off, make sure everything is o.k. and (if I remember correctly) let the dogs go home that evening around 5pm.

I have observed hundreds of spays and can tell you that although the surgery is invasive it is rather routine and generally very safe.

A small incision will be made below your dog's "belly button" (usually will take 3-5 sutures to close depending on the size of dog.) The vet then carefully removes the uterus and ovaries, next they close the muscle layer with permanant sutures and last they close the layer of skin on top of the muscle. After the dog is spayed they generally get sent off with a vet tech who wraps them in a towel and stays with them until they start to wake up. Once they start to wake up the trach tube is removed from their throat and they are put on kennel rest. The clinic I worked for also sent routine surgery patients home same day.

The only complications we ever saw were from clients who allowed their dogs to lick or chew at the surgery site. If the dog licks or chews too much they can pull out their sutures and/or cause an infection that will require antibiotics. If you are diligent about checking the incision daily and limiting your dog in regards to licking or chewing then you should breeze through it.

Lucy was just spayed on Monday...we dropped her off at 8:30am, I'm not sure when they did the surgery, but she stayed overnight and we couldn't bring her home until after 10am the next day.

Our vet does the laser procedure for all surgeries...I'm not sure if that's something pretty much all vets do? It cuts down recovery time and stuff like that. I don't know how Lucy was after the surgery, but when we picked her up she was very hyper. She was a bit hesitant at using the stairs and she wouldn't jump up on the couch, but by Wednesday she was running all over the place, like usual.

We were told no strenuous activity for 2 weeks, and we're just supposed to make sure she doesn't mess with the stitches. Nothing too complicated, she's been able to go on with life as normal lol.

I must say, I was kind of surprised at how tiny the incision was!
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y105/SingedWhiskers/Dog/IMG_1052.jpg

My vet told me the reason they wait until 6 months for males and females is because they are put under. Apparently that is a "safe" age for dogs to be put under any younger is not.

Although it's been spoke of here, spays/neuters being done at only a few weeks old. I don't know if they are put under so young or not.

But that is what my vet told me.

Both my guys came home as soon as they were awake enough to walk, although normally they do stay overnight. My guys were very stressed out, and my vet said they would be better off at home, knowing that I would properly take care of them and keep them quiet.

All surgery is done under general anesthesia, which I think is what you mean by "put under" (correct me if I'm wrong.) Spaying and neutering can be done safely extremely early for cats and dogs, or at adulthood for rodents & other small animals (though ferrets are routinely neutered at six weeks or younger).

Yep that's what I meant

Thats what my vet told me when I asked. Same with when I asked about the docking of her tail. She said I'd have to wait until she was six months to be put under and by then it would be major surgery.

Your vet may not be comfortable doing so, or she may have been referring to a specific type of anesthetic. My kitties were spayed at 10 weeks and ~20 weeks, and the lone boy neutered at about 6 weeks, so it's definitely possible.

Most dogs do not have to spend the night. You withhold food and water the night before and drop the dog off in the morning. The surgeries are usually done before lunch so the dogs have time to wake up from the anesthesia. You will proably be able to pick your dog up around 4:30 or 5pm. The vet will send home (or should, I know mine does) some oral pain meds that will probably last 3-5 days.

A ? Roxy . Why dock a tail at 6 months ??

I had asked about docking Roxy's tail and my vet informed me that there really is no need. Hence why I asked. I wasn't sure exactly why it was done and heard all sorts of tales, so I asked.

She told me it was purely cosmetic, and seeing as it wasn't done when she was only a few days old, we would have to wait until she was 6 months old to do the surgery. And by then it would be major surgery. So she still has her tail

My Lucy was my last dog that needed a spay. We dropped her off in the morning, they gave her blood tests, etc. and put her under. We picked her up in the afternoon and she was awake and doing well. (She didn't have to stay overnight.) We brought home an E-Collar and it helped her not to lick her wound. We left it on for a while, so she didn't hurt her incision, and then when it healed almost completely we took it off.
Now, she's doing great!