spaying? concerns...?

Question

I am going to get my 4mo chocolate lab spayed in 3 weeks. I know this is the right thing to do, and I've researched the advantages which obviously out weight any disadvantages, but im still worried.

Its never been a question whether to spay or not, she is purebred but I am not ready for the resonsibility of breeding nor is she a proper canidate (do not show or compete)no matter how beautiful she is to me.

I grew up with dogs, but being 23 this is my first puppy that is my complete resonsibility.

I am just so scared to drop her off that morning, have her be cut open, and then have stiches and be in pain....it just upsets me to think about it, although I know its for the best.

Did anyone else have these hesitations? I AM doing the right thing, right??

Answer 1

You are doing such the right thing I think you need to go on tour with your research and help explain to everyone else!!

Thank you soooooooo much for being a responsible adult and taking proper care of your precious puppy!!!

Answer 2

These hesitations are usual for owners, epecially first time ones. I'm just glad you know you're doing the right thing! It's not just the breeding aspect, you're saving your dog from a lot of potential health problems in the future - mammary and ovarian cancer, pyometra.

***** spaying is a routine op, it shouldn't slow a young pup down much. She should be quite back to normal by the next day, and completely back to normal after about a week!

When you drop your dog off, ask the vet what medication she will go home on, if any. Some vets give antibiotic and painkiller injections that last for days and so tablets are not necessary, that's what we do. You're dog shouldn't be in pain - discomfort maybe, and bound to be groggy for the rest of the day, but not pain. Just go through the whole procedure with your vet, it's comforting to understand exactly what is going on and what will happen.

Chalice

Answer 3

You are doing the right thing, don't worry. It's normal to be nervous when your puppy goes in, but it really is for the best for her. Don't doubt for one minute that you're doing the wrong thing.

As long as she isn't overweight, there shouldn't be any complications. They will take the best care with her that they can, I'm sure. I volunteer at a shelter clinic and even with their meager resources, they take the best care they can - individual surgery packs, gloves, sterilization, capes, heating pads, etc. Her vitals will be checked throughout the surgery every few minutes to make sure she's doing all right. She should be ok with the stitching - they don't hurt as much as they itch, so you'll just have to be careful that she leaves them alone.

You can get pain medication for her. We got pain medication for our girl when she was spayed, but she didn't need it I don't think. I think it was more our concern of how we would feel that we got them for her, but she was fine afterward.

She should be fine when you pick her up, but just a few words of caution. She might trip a little and be a little "dopey." That's from the medication they put them under - she also might not be entirely herself - a little more distant. Again, that's normal and part of the medication. You might also find her shivering - the medication brings their body temperature down, so if you see her doing that, just cover her with a blanket. By the time you take her home, she should be fine and will probably be wagging her tail and pleased as punch to see you. I just know the way things run in our clinic that sometimes some dogs come out slower than others and time constraints of when the owner picks the dog up that the owners often freak out that there baby isn't 100% normal when they take them home. She'll be fine in a day or two - then starts the real challenge of keeping her still so she doesn't rip the stitches! They might need to be taken out, so you'll probably have to take her back 14 days after the surgery - some stitches disolve into the body though, so you'll have to ask.

Everything will be fine. Your baby will come out fine and you'll be able to rest in peace that you helped control the pet population AND the health of your dog.

Answer 4

Your doing the right thing, don't worry. She might be in some discomfort for a day or so after, but in the long run she will have a happier and healthier life.

Puppies bounce back from surgery really fast. At 4 months, she's not really going to even know or remember what happened to her.

I had my 5 month old puppy neutered just last week. I was a little scared to just drop him off at the vets too, so I know how you feel. However as soon as I came to pick him up he was jumping all around and wagging his tail. He never showed any signs of pain. He was happy and playful as soon as we brought him back home and didn't even try to pull out his stitches.

Good luck with your puppy, and make sure she doesn't try to pull out her stiches.

Answer 5

WOW, What a breath of fresh air to see someone on Y Answers with a brain and not wanting to breed their pet! Huge thumbs up for you!
That said... I am sure my advice will be quite different from others. You are obviously a very responsible owner and I would suggest to you to wait a bit longer if you can. I feel she is to young for a few reasons. One being that she just went through how many rounds of vaccines with how many live viruses in each one? Possibly started on flea and tick or heartworm prevention? All this to a puppy under 20 weeks of age and who is still trying to build a healthy immune system. I believe that going under anesthesia is just adding insult to injury on the body. Vaccines are hard on puppies immune systems. Very dangerous in fact in the way they are passed out like candy in 5 to 7 or more live viruses in each one. No where in nature would this happen so as you can imagine it might take a toll on the dogs system.
Spaying is a major surgery and I think you would be wise to put it off until she is closer to 10 months of age.
Another thing to consider is that hormones play a major role in growth and mental well being. I think , and many other breeders think it is best to leave those alone until the major growth stages are over. There is also some evidence that early spaying may cause other issues. I am providing a link for you to check out.
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf

Many people will dismiss all this information but I feel it is best to see all the info, get opinions and make truly informed decisions. I feel that your fears are very warranted for your young puppy and maybe some more thought can be put into it. After all, you ARE a responsible owner so what is the rush? If you are going to do things right, then doing them right RIGHT now is not crucial to the circumstance. You have time to reconsider and do what is best for you and your dog and no harm will be done. Take your time, read some info about vaccines also so that you can get a better understanding of why this might not be such a hot idea.
Good Luck!!
Here are some links to vaccine info.
http://svmweb.vetmed.wisc.edu/articles/68/5/39

http://www.britfeld.com/vaccination-adverse.htm

http://www.whale.to/vaccine/driscoll1.html#A_Wide_Range_of_Vaccine-induced_Diseases_

http://www.petresource.com/Articles%20of%20Interest/rabies_shots.htm

http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/examples_of_vaccine_reactions_in_great_danes.htm (Be sure to scroll down to the pictures of Danes with reactions to vaccines) It's eye opening!

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/petvacc.htm

Answer 6

Every owner will face this before neutering, as a vet nurse i have been involved with many ops, two months ago i brought my own puppy in for neutering and i was surprised at how anxious and worried i became, being used to seeing it eveyday,i thought i was immune,but nooooooo,she will have a little pain,i got extra painkillers to take home for her, usually the vets dont give you extra, but ask, you dont want to see her in pain and have nothing to give her, follow instructions carefully though, take at least 3 days off work or college, she will need you to care for her full time. Dont worry, once a day or two passes, she will be ok, make sure the vet you use has a 24hr emergency service, also before taking her home, if the vets dont give you a print out of post op care, ask for it, you will get home and because you are worried, you may forget their instructions.

Answer 7

Yes, you ARE doing the right thing, and good for you for doing so. It's completely understandable to worry about your babies when they go in for surgery, even something as routine as a spay. But as long as your vet is competent, and you don't skimp on the costs (meaning make sure your vet uses all proper technique and nursing care, because they must know that the dollars mean more to you than your dog.)

At our hospital, we charge a minimum of $200 per spay, and that's WITH discounted costs, because we actually care about every step of the surgery and recovery of the animal. Make sure your surgeon knows that you want a COMPLETE removal of her organs (discount clinics will often skip half the uterus to save time), with a sterile surgery pack and her own, individually wrapped sutures (discount clinics will use cold-tray instruments and sutures multiple times), the safest anesthetic procedure (discount clinics use cheap gas anesthesia) and quality assurance of nursing care after surgery (discount clinics don't put e-collars on the dogs, and won't keep them overnight for a check up the next morning, and quiet, confined recovery.)

If your vet can guarantee you all the above, you can rest assured your dog is in good hands. If he or she cannot, I recommend finding a better quality hospital.

Answer 8

You are doing the the right thing. I think everyone worries about their pet when having surgery. The pain however is minimal, there are pain meds and that will help her. The stitches don't really hurt, although she may bother them so there are e-collars for that.When you drop her off, talk to the vet. with all your concerns. You will fell better. She will bounce back so fast, you will wonder how to keep her quiet. She should be just find, try not to worry. Thanks for caring so much about her, you are a great pet owner and person!

Answer 9

I was very worried when I took my dogs in. They do spaying and neutering more than anything. My dogs did great except for my baby who had to get pain meds two days later. The Vets did great and no complications.

Answer 10

Of course you are doing the right thing. I have had all of my female dogs spayed over the years. It's going to break your heart when you go pick her up because she is going to look so pathetic but she and you will both get over it.