Ovariohysterectomy - How to Prepare For Your Dog Being Spayed

My mother's 7 month-old miniature schnauzer, Precious, went in to have an ovariohysterectomy operation today, more commonly known as being spayed.

The entire process began last night. Precious had to fast, meaning no water or food after 9:00 pm, last night. She was not a "happy camper" and was very vocal in letting us know that she was hungry and we "forgot" to feed her. Poor baby...Our other terriers in the household were quite hungry themselves.

SPAYING YOUR DOG

* Tip: If 1 dog in your household has to fast, the others still want to eat. So, let the fasting dog outside by themselves, and immediately put the water and food bowls down, out of site of the door's window, and call the other dogs to get a quick snack and drink while the faster is outside.

Bright and early this morning around 8:00 am, we brought her into the veterinarian's office. She was weighed to determine the amount of anesthetic that would be used for her surgery today, which by the way is considered a common but major surgery, as their belly is opened up.

A release must be signed that indicates your willingness to have the operation done and your preferences for what they should do to resuscitate in the event of a fatal emergency, and how it will be administered. These options all carry different monetary costs.

She was brought to the back and slightly dosed to calm her down, as she is not used to being by herself, meaning without either my mother, our other dogs or me.

Shortly after we left, they prepped her for surgery by administering the anesthetic, shaving her belly area and continuing with removing her ovaries and uterus. As she is almost 7 months old, we have been fortunate that she has not yet come into her 1st heat.

The vet also explored the abdominal cavity to make sure nothing strange is going on that we can catch in an early stage. This was all clear! Precious came out of surgery and we were informed this afternoon that she is resting comfortably and is okay.

She has to stay the night at the veterinarian's, which makes my mother worried and sad since Precious has never been on her own for night. However, she is probably dosed to keep her pain-free and calm.

If there are any other problems with your pet that would require them to be under anesthetic, it would be a perfect time for the doctor to attend to everything at once, as anesthetic can be harmful to your pet, especially multiple doses.

Precious had her ears flushed, as she has been battling with an inner ear infection, due to her floppy ears that keep moisture in the ears. (My 3 miniature schnauzers have ears that prick up, and we have never had any problems with ear infections.) She also had her nails clipped and teeth checked.

Tomorrow, we will pick her up and have to keep her calm and comfortable with the help of pain management medication. If she is bothering with licking or chewing her surgical area, a collar will be fitted so she can't irritate the area.

Keeping your dog from being rambunctious is very important after surgery so the stitches are not opened up during play.

This is a typical schedule of events for your dog being spayed.

by Kimberly Edwards

Ovariohysterectomy - How to Prepare For Your Dog Being Spayed

Kimberly Edwards is the founder of Terrier Lover - Awesome Information and History on the Terrier Breed, Health, Dog Grooming, Dog Breeding, Tips & Tricks, Dog Training, Stories and More. Learn all you need to know about the Terrier dog @ http://www.TerrierLover.com.

SPAYING YOUR DOG