Page 19 - Boca Club News - August '24

Boca Club News, Page 19
Pet Matters
Pet Matters

You and Your Pet: Spay Early, Don’t Wait!

By Dr. Sid Ranade, DVM, Calusa Veterinary Center, 6900 they are spayed young. For some breeds, there is an increased The tube is hooked up to an anesthesia machine that delivers
Congress Avenue, Boca Raton, FL 33487. (561) 999-3000. incidence of urinary incontinence associated with spaying a specific concentration of inhalant gas mixed with 100%
www.CVCBoca.com before the age of one year. oxygen. A technician is assigned to monitor this pet so that the
Surgical sterilization of the female dog, commonly referred For larger breeds, the situation becomes more complicated. concentration of inhalant gas can be changed as needed and the
to as spaying, is one of the most significant aspects of care an The problem for large-breed female dogs is that some breeds patient’s jaw tone, facial reflexes, mucous membrane color, ECG,
owner can provide for their female dog. The benefits to the have a higher incidence of joint and bone issues or increased heart rate, respiration rate and volume, end tidal carbon dioxide,
dog far outweigh simply not having puppies, though as pet incidence (albeit small increases) in other types of cancers pulse oximetry, blood pressure and other parameters are followed.
overpopulation looms as a societal problem it is important to when they are spayed too young. Issues regarding joint and An incision is made on the midline of the abdomen, and the
consider the bigger picture as well and be part of the solution bone problems, urinary incontinence, and cancers other than three points where the ovaries and uterus are attached are tied off
rather than part of the problem. mammary cancer are highly dependent on breed such that and cut. The abdomen is checked for bleeding and two or three
Spaying involves the removal of the uterus and ovaries. It findings for one breed do not hold true for another. layers of stitches are placed to close the incision.
is a major surgery but a very commonly performed one, most For all these important reasons, it is important to field It is helpful to know that should the skin stitches come out
safely performed while a female dog is still in puppyhood, those questions to your regular veterinarian to find the best there are two layers below holding everything closed. Sometimes
prior to her first heat cycle. A female dog spayed before her timing to spay your own pet. skin stitches are not placed but if they are present, you will need
first heat will have a significant chance of never developing Pyometra Prevention. Pyometra is a life-threatening to return in 10-14 days to have them removed. Sometimes the
mammary cancer. After the first heat, the incidence of tumor infection of the uterus that generally occurs in middle-aged to skin layer is omitted in which case returning will be unnecessary
development climbs to 7% and after the second heat, the risk older unspayed female dogs in the six weeks following heat. unless there is a problem.
is 25% (one in four!). It is easy to see that an early spay can One in four unspayed female dogs who have survived to age 10 What to Expect at Home. Most spay surgery patients go
completely prevent what is frequently a difficult and potentially will get it. Treatment involves surgery on a potentially unstable home the same day or the next as if nothing had happened, though
fatal form of cancer. patient. Mortality rates with surgery have been reported as high pain and other medications will be provided to cover the next
But is it too late if a dog is already past her second heat? No. as 17%. Without treatment the dog is expected to die. Spaying few days.
In fact, spaying is important even in female dogs who already early prevents pyometra. Some nausea may occur in the first couple of days after
have obvious tumors. This is because many mammary tumors The spay (Ovariohysterectomy) procedure. What Exactly surgery and it would not be unusual for the pet to refuse food
are stimulated by estrogens; removing the ovaries, the source Happens? It is important that the patient has not been fed for for a day after surgery. Dogs who show a propensity to lick their
of estrogens will help retard tumor spread. Spaying removes at least twelve hours prior to surgery. Anesthetic medications stitches will need an E-Collar to restrict access to the stitches.
the uterus and both ovaries, prevents pyometra and is crucial commonly induce nausea and vomiting can be dangerous in This is not comfortable for the dog but it must be used strictly
in preventing as well as treating mammary cancer. a sedated patient (vomit can be inhaled/aspirated leading to until the stitches are out and the incision is healed.
What Age to Spay? A lot of factors go into this question. pneumonia). Activity should be restricted to short leash walks for
As mentioned, dogs have a huge problem with mammary A preoperative evaluation is performed; ECG and blood eliminations only, during the two weeks following surgery.
cancer development, and spaying before the first heat cycle work is recommended for females as a normal pre-anesthetic Excessive activity can lead to swelling or fluid accumulation
(generally before the ages of six to eight months) removes consideration. An intravenous catheter is placed to facilitate the under the incision or, even worse, a tear in the internal incision
this problem as a consideration. Spaying before the first heat administration of anesthetic drugs, for any fluid administration, line. Obviously, if the situation is more serious have the incision
is protective against an extremely common form of cancer. and for use in case of emergency. This necessitates shaving a swelling inspected at the veterinarian’s office.
Further, spaying while the dog is of a smaller size makes for small patch of skin on one of the legs. In conclusion, depending on your discussion with your
less trouble with bleeding in surgery and an easier recovery A tranquilizer or other pre-anesthetic medication may be veterinarian—the breed of your dog, the age, etc.—it is often
after surgery. Larger dogs are a more difficult surgery and are administered to ease the induction of anesthesia. Medication best to spay your dog before the first heat and prevent cancer
generally more costly to spay. is given intravenously to induce sleep. Once the dog is asleep, and pyometra. Both conditions are life threatening and extremely
That said, research has shown that there is an increased a tube is placed in her throat to ensure that a clear airway is expensive. Both conditions cause suffering and pain. So, spay
incidence of some other problems in some breeds when maintained throughout the procedure. early, don’t wait!

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