Yesterday I took Nikko for his annual checkup and rabies/parvo boosters. While there the vet brought up neutering again, since I have been procrastinating about this so long. Nikko is 1 1/2 years old and I realize the neutering is important since we are not planning to breed him, but I have been scared to put him under. Anyway, I decided since she brought it up, I would voice my concerns and see what she said. I told her I was concerned about the anesthesia and she said it was rare that dogs die from the anesthesia and usually those that were affected, it was because of other underlying conditions that weren't detected before. My next question was "do you do blood work before the procedure?" and she said none was necessary.
HUH? How do you know if the dog had an underlying condition unless you check his blood before you cut him open? Then I asked her about collapsing trachea and how I was concerned that the tube might hurt his throat. She said and I quote "for those with collapsing trachea, the tube is their best friend. They have never breathed better." HUH again?
I thought tubes made collapsing tracheas even worse. After all this she warned me about testicular and prostate cancer and advised me to go through with the neutering. I want to be a responsible pet owner but I was not comfortable enough with this lady's casual attitude about the procedure. I know she does tons of these a week and they are no big deal to her, but this is my baby and I want to make sure that he is going to be ok. Sorry for the long rant but am I being paranoid and making too much of this? Should I take Nikko elsewhere?