Spay & Neuter Surgery
We’ve all heard that it’s important to spay or neuter our pets, but do you know why veterinarians recommend the procedures? Both are surgeries designed to provide lifelong benefits at a one time expense. For starters, your pets can live longer, healthier lives. Both spaying your female cat or dog or neutering your male can help to reduce or even eliminate health problems, including certain types of cancer.
Spaying and neutering can also provide benefits for you as a pet owner. Pets that have been sterilized make for more affectionate companions and the procedure can reduce behavior and temperament problems. For example, most dog bites are from intact males, whereas a simple neuter procedure can decrease the chances of that happening. In male cats, neutering reduces roaming and fighting, and thus exposure to diseases. It also means they’re less likely to spray and mark territory. In female pets, spaying eliminates the stress and mess of the female heat cycle as well as prevents accidental pregnancies and unwanted offspring. This in turn prevents shelter systems from becoming overwhelmed and results in fewer abandoned and euthanized animals every year.
Are you now considering getting your pet spayed or neutered? If so, choosing the right veterinarian is an important step for the safety and wellbeing of your pet. Some clinics offer pre-anesthetic bloodwork, others do not. We recommend opting for a pre-anesthetic screening if your pet is over 7 years of age or has any medical concerns. In younger pets it is still a good idea to utilize pre-anesthetic bloodwork to check for any underlying issues or illnesses and to establish a baseline of values to compare to in the future. Every clinic has different standards of care and various procedures that they use. Make sure to ask your veterinarian about theirs before booking an appointment.
Here at Animal Health Associates our well-trained staff start taking care of your pet as soon as you contact us. From the time you make your appointment and throughout the aftercare process we’re always available in case you have any questions or concerns. During their stay with us each pet has their own kennel in either our canine or feline rooms where safe and sanitary conditions are always maintained as they are throughout the clinic. If your dog or cat will be spayed there is an overnight stay included which allows us to monitor the patient longer, ensuring they’re one-hundred percent ok to go home.
Upon arrival, our receptionists review your pet’s information with you to be sure everything is accurate and up-to-date and discuss the surgical procedure, answering any questions that you may have. After being checked in your pet will be taken to a veterinarian for a pre-surgical exam; we want to make sure everything is ok with your pet before starting any surgical procedure. If you opt for pre-anesthetic bloodwork it will be begun at this time as well, with the doctor reviewing the results and contacting you with any concerns they may have before beginning surgery.
Surgeries take place in our dedicated surgical room where we maintain sterile equipment and procedures instead of relying on post-surgical antibiotics to deal with any infections caused by unsanitary procedures. Having a dedicated surgical space also allows us to ensure that throughout the procedure the doctor has quick and easy access to all medications and equipment that they may need, all in a space designed specifically for surgery with specialized lighting and equipment.
Each pet receives an IV catheter placed by our doctors, allowing quick and easy access for emergency situations. This creates a faster response time in the event your pet experiences a complication and ensures our veterinarians can easily correct the situation. During surgery, state-of-the-art anesthesia is provided, utilizing an inhalant anesthetic provided via intubation. This helps to create the safest possible environment for your pet as opposed to the injectable anesthetics utilized as the sole anesthetic by some clinics.
Throughout the surgical procedure your pet is monitored by at least one technician, assessing vitals such as heart rate and rhythm, respiration, dissolved oxygen levels, and temperature. Post-surgery technicians return your pet to their prepared bedding area where they are monitored throughout the day. Our staff will contact you as soon as the procedure has finished, giving you an update along with the veterinarian’s assessment of the surgery and how your pet is doing post-surgery.
Once you arrive to pick up your pet our receptionists will provide you with an itemized list of your pet’s procedures and discuss any post-surgical care with you, answering any questions that you may have. In the case of a spay, you may also schedule your free suture removal at this time. As always, we’re available if you have any concerns after taking your pet home.
