Someone please tell me what to do!!

[teacup0819]

Trixie is scheduled to be spayed (and have a baby tooth removed) on Monday and I am thinking about cancelling the appointment.

I am so upset at the thought of her going in for surgery that is not necessary or life-saving. I have been crying for the past two nights just thinking about it. What if something happens to her during the surgery. How can I drop her off to be operated on when she trusts me and doesn't know what is going on....she will be in pain afterwards and has to stay overnight. How can I leave her in pain and all alone in a cage.....sigh. (She sleeps with me everynight in our bed)

I understand the reasoning for spaying her and I don't want her to have a litter and I want to honor what I told the breeder about having her spayed, but I feel so guilty and heartbroken thinking about her trusting me and my just leaving her there and hurting afterwards. She won't be able to understand what is happening to her and I am worried she will be afraid. I just love her such a whole bunch...it's killing me thinking about it.

I cannnot be the only one who suffered thinking about spaying their precious pup......please share your advice on how you coped and convince me not to cancel her appointment. I know this may sound silly to some, but please help.

[DvlshAngel985]

I'm sorry you're upset over this. Have you read up on all the benefits that spaying your little girl will provide? (aside from preventing a litter) Is there any way you can pick her up after the spay? A lot of us cared for our babies when they needed our love and comfort the most. Did you have the pre-op blood work done to make sure she'd handle anesthesia well? Maybe all of those things will help put your mind at ease.
I'd agree with you that this is not "life saving" if it were say a tail docking surgery, but I think spaying is somewhat life saving. You reduce her chances of a lot of illnesses, and for that you should feel good. She will always be a loving little baby girl and you'll never have to worry about what kind of dog is trying to get at her.

My stomach was in knots when I dropped Kaji off and I felt horrible when I heard him scream from somewhere inside the vet's office. Just to clarify, he wasn't in pain, he was just really scared and he's always been a screamer. When I picked him up a few hours later, he was just a sleepy ball of fur that I watched over. He was fine.

[deonk1]

Hi there,

I suffer from anxiety, and at the time I bought Harley was on Meds. I think I was still on the meds when I brought Harley to be neutered.

My reason for buying Harley was to offset the anxiety, I needed an animal companion in my life. I felt the same when I brought him. I was so upset when I walked out of the vet with an empty leash and harness, that I didn't know what to do with myself for the rest of the day. But there were ways to get through it. Plus I kept telling myself that my vet has done far more miraculous procedures, with amazing results, with other dogs.

It is definitely very beneficial for your little girl to get spayed. Plus you must honour your word with the breeder. Make sure you do your research, find a vet that is right for you, and tell them you are anxious. My vet called me twice with updates. They called to say he was through the surgery, and called a few hours later that I could come get him. Stay close when you go, that way "if" something happens your there.

Another thing that could give you peace of mind is to find a vet that does laser procedures, they are supposedly less painful and more seemless. I couldn't afford it when I went, but I made sure I did pre-surgery blood work too.

Remember this is a procedure they do every day. They will take very good care of your baby...

Do you have insurance? Another thing that gives you peace of mind, if you have insurance (or I guess a high budget), you can tell the vet on the spot... if there are any complications, do anything to make it better, money is not an issue... that gave me peace of mind too. I knew that yes they would try to get a hold of me, but they knew they did not need my ok to go ahead.

If you do decide to bring her in, just keep yourself calm, bring a friend or spouse if you can, and don't forget to breath. 3 deep breaths as you walk out the door, can help a lot.

Good luck, let us know how you make out, and what you decide.

[Ringo1]

I was a nervous wreck for Lucy. She is tiny; less then 4 lbs and she has liver issues so I was terrified.

I put it off for months (she's almost a year old) until I found out that she had retained baby teeth that HAD to come out.

I researched the anesthesia protocol here and then questioned my vet to make sure he used the same protocol. He did. He assured me that he spays tiny dogs and dogs with liver issues all the time and would monitor her closely.

I was sick about it until we actually got it over with. She did NOT have to stay overnight because there is no one at the vet's office 24 hours. (You might want to ask about that). But she came home in pain and I felt so guilty.

Fast forward 2 weeks; she was her old happy self. I no longer had to worry about those retained baby teeth. I no longer had to worry about some 'accidental' pregnancy.

I'm glad I had it done but felt just like you do now before the surgery.

[Ringo1]

I second the 'pre op' boodwork. I would never have done surgery on Lucy without and neither would my Vet.

[Mom2TwoYorkies]

I also was scared when I had Rhianna done, so I feel for you. She was almost 2 and weighed 7lbs when I had her done. But, having the pre-op blood work come back fine will put your mind at rest. It is a scary thing to think of our babies going under anesthesia.

The surgery went without any complications and she came home that very same day, although very groggy and "stoned" she did bounce back relatively quickly. She had inside sutures (you can't even see a scar at all) and we just had to keep her comfy and not jumping off/on couches.

Doctors do this very routinely. How much does your baby weigh? How old is she? Try not to worry, really. If you aren't comfy with the decision this month, then think about it more, ask your doctor a lot of questions and definitely do a pre-op blood work.

[Denny]

Don't worry. Make sure they give her pain meds. after the surgery. I took my baby home that same day, and gave her the pain meds. pretty much around the clock. She was totally fine. She slept the whole time. She weighed about 1 1/2 pounds at the time.

[kdreamson]

I understand your anxiety and fear, I was the same way when Mabel went in for hers! When they look at you with those pitiful eyes...breaks your heart! But you must put on your big girl panties and do it! The benefits of the spay far outweigh the risks. These critters are a lot sturdier than they look! She will be fine and back to her old self in no time. Dog ownership is not always fun & games... your furbaby depends on you to do the right things for her health. Sometimes not a lot of fun but vital. Sorry to sound like i'm preaching... i guess my mother hen gene is kickin in!!! Seriously, the vet knows what they are doing so trust them! And on the plus side the whole experience will bond you and your baby even closer!

[bamawife]

Well, I took my Raley in this morning. I understand how you feel. My vet does have someone that keeps an eye on the patients overnight so the vet recommended us leave him. I am waiting on them to call me and tell me he is just fine! I will be glad when tomorrow morning rolls around and I can go get him!!!!

I am sure your little baby will be just fine. Try not to show how nervous you are because our furbabies pick up on that. We are all right here if you need us!

[Ute White]

I totally understand that you are worried. Merlin will get neutered as soon as he is 6 months old; I'm not thrilled about the fact leaving him at the vet but if it needs to be done so be it. I know it's not a life saving procedure, but on the other side it has all the benefits. Just imagine you don't get her spayed and somehow she ends up pregnant and then what? I'm sure that would give you so munch more worries.
I trust my vet and so far my baby loves going there, despite the shots he got...lol. Oh, yes, and I would definitely go with the pre-op bloodwork.

[addevo]

Originally Posted by DvlshAngel985

I'm sorry you're upset over this. Have you read up on all the benefits that spaying your little girl will provide? (aside from preventing a litter) Is there any way you can pick her up after the spay? A lot of us cared for our babies when they needed our love and comfort the most. Did you have the pre-op blood work done to make sure she'd handle anesthesia well? Maybe all of those things will help put your mind at ease.
I'd agree with you that this is not "life saving" if it were say a tail docking surgery, but I think spaying is somewhat life saving. You reduce her chances of a lot of illnesses, and for that you should feel good. She will always be a loving little baby girl and you'll never have to worry about what kind of dog is trying to get at her.

My stomach was in knots when I dropped Kaji off and I felt horrible when I heard him scream from somewhere inside the vet's office. Just to clarify, he wasn't in pain, he was just really scared and he's always been a screamer. When I picked him up a few hours later, he was just a sleepy ball of fur that I watched over. He was fine.

I also agree that spaying can be life saving. Accidental pregnancies for an owner that has no experience with raising dogs is a very risky business indeed. Risks to an unspayed female dog include accidentally getting pregnant by a larger dog and the puppies are too big to be born naturally. Nursing mothers can develop eclampsia and can die before you even notice that anything is wrong with her.

Unspayed females also have a much higher risk of developing mammary tumors. The risk of breast cancer is almost eliminated in dogs that are spayed before their first heat. The risk of malignant mammary tumors in dogs spayed after their first heat increases significantly, but if an owner waits to spay their dog until after their second heat, the risk increases to 25%.

[teacup0819]

Thanks to all of you for your advice....it really does help. I don't think I could go through with this if it wasn't for you.

Okay....I just spoke with the vet's office and they said that they do pre-op bloodwork the morning she is brought in. They said she must stay overnight but that there was a vet tech there the entire night to make sure all the animals are okay. They will do the bloodwork, shave her and put her on an iv for hydration when she gets there and they do the spay in the morning. They also give her pain meds and antibiotic injections. ...The receptionist said the incision was about 1 to 2 inches long with stitches on the inside and something else (I forget) on the outside but that Trixie will have to wear a cone - they have all different types depending on how much she bothers with the incision site. She can come home the next day and then she needs a recheck in about a week. She also comes home with pain meds and antibiotics.

I have used this vet for years with when Biscuit was alive, but never had them do any surgery other than teeth cleaning. When Biscuit got really sick, they sent us to the animal specialty hospital - which doesn't do spay/neuter (I checked).

It seems to me that they are doing the right thing......how does it sound to all of you? Sorry I need so much reassurance, but this is very unnerving for me.

deonk - thanks for sharing about your anxiety....I have an anxiety disorder(panic attacks) and have been on meds for years for it....I appreciate your advice and will take my medication that morning for sure!

[Mom2TwoYorkies]

My vet also did a 2nd pre-op blood work and a ekg the morning of her spay due to her first pre-op showed a slight elevation in her BUN and they wanted to make sure it came back normal the 2nd time.

My vet doesn't have a vet tech or anyone staying there overnight which is why they do the surgery in the am and you pick up same day in the pm. I would have no problem with her staying overnight if there was someone there with her. They are truly out of it the first night when they get home anyways.

FYI the cone thing was ridiculous that they used. The poor girl couldn't even hold her head up at all and then they told me that they "learn" to eat with it on . . .Ummmm, there was no way she would of been able to eat with that thing on. I took it off immediately and monitored her to see if she would bother with the incision spot. I was also home on vacation. She didn't try to lick it once at all. When I went back to work, I had her in a onesie so that way I knew she wasn't going to lick when I wasn't around.

I'm sure she'll do fine, really, it's US that are the nervous wrecks.

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by teacup0819

Thanks to all of you for your advice....it really does help. I don't think I could go through with this if it wasn't for you.

Okay....I just spoke with the vet's office and they said that they do pre-op bloodwork the morning she is brought in. They said she must stay overnight but that there was a vet tech there the entire night to make sure all the animals are okay. They will do the bloodwork, shave her and put her on an iv for hydration when she gets there and they do the spay in the morning. They also give her pain meds and antibiotic injections. ...The receptionist said the incision was about 1 to 2 inches long with stitches on the inside and something else (I forget) on the outside but that Trixie will have to wear a cone - they have all different types depending on how much she bothers with the incision site. She can come home the next day and then she needs a recheck in about a week. She also comes home with pain meds and antibiotics.

I have used this vet for years with when Biscuit was alive, but never had them do any surgery other than teeth cleaning. When Biscuit got really sick, they sent us to the animal specialty hospital - which doesn't do spay/neuter (I checked).

It seems to me that they are doing the right thing......how does it sound to all of you? Sorry I need so much reassurance, but this is very unnerving for me.

deonk - thanks for sharing about your anxiety....I have an anxiety disorder(panic attacks) and have been on meds for years for it....I appreciate your advice and will take my medication that morning for sure!

It sounds like your vet and his/her staff are doing everything they can for your baby's safety. That is very reassuring. Plus, they do have someone there at night to watch her, also a big plus. Some places keep them and there is no one there. Take comfort that you'll have someone who knows what to do in case of an emergency watching over your little one.

I wonder if you have time to order a Kiss-e-collar from Mom to Hot Rod. It's a soft sided cone that I wish I had for Kaji. I've seen a friend use it on her foster baby after a kidney stone surgery and it looked much more comfortable for the furbabies than a plastic cone.

Also, the day of, keep yourself busy with your cell phone close. You're going to drive yourself nuts thinking about your baby, I definitely did. Invite some friends over that night and watch a movie, or something.

[Buster Bailey]

Originally Posted by teacup0819

Thanks to all of you for your advice....it really does help. I don't think I could go through with this if it wasn't for you.

Okay....I just spoke with the vet's office and they said that they do pre-op bloodwork the morning she is brought in. They said she must stay overnight but that there was a vet tech there the entire night to make sure all the animals are okay. They will do the bloodwork, shave her and put her on an iv for hydration when she gets there and they do the spay in the morning. They also give her pain meds and antibiotic injections. ...The receptionist said the incision was about 1 to 2 inches long with stitches on the inside and something else (I forget) on the outside but that Trixie will have to wear a cone - they have all different types depending on how much she bothers with the incision site. She can come home the next day and then she needs a recheck in about a week. She also comes home with pain meds and antibiotics.

I have used this vet for years with when Biscuit was alive, but never had them do any surgery other than teeth cleaning. When Biscuit got really sick, they sent us to the animal specialty hospital - which doesn't do spay/neuter (I checked).

It seems to me that they are doing the right thing......how does it sound to all of you? Sorry I need so much reassurance, but this is very unnerving for me.

deonk - thanks for sharing about your anxiety....I have an anxiety disorder(panic attacks) and have been on meds for years for it....I appreciate your advice and will take my medication that morning for sure!

Good luck, it is normal to be worried. Just a tip for you if you want it: get a baby's onesie to put on her after you bring her home. The cone thing didn't really work for my girl Bailey, and putting the onesie on meant that she couldn't get to her incision so it could heal properly (she had already gotten out 3 stitches and back in for a vet visit before someone suggested the onesie to me). Make sure to call the vet if you need any help. You are doing the right thing for your girl!