Spaying and Neutering Dangerous?
 

I keep reading on here how yorkies died while having the surgery or how people don't want to do it because of worry. I have every intention on having Tyler neutered but now I'm scared to death. Can someone give me more information on this?

Anytime animal or person goes under the knife there is always a risk. I think a person needs to find a great vet. Discuss your worries with the vet. A good vet will understand your anxieties and go over everything with you.

I hear your fears. I'm feeling it now. Jemma is 6 months and a hair under 4 pounds, hey maybe she's 4 pounds today, lol. And I know she can come into heat soon. But I'm more than scared. Is there a thread anywhere on YT about it. And isn't thre certain sedation they are suppose to use on Yorkies because of their size. Wish they could give epidurals to dogs so they can't feel it, and still be awake, only joking.
But I am scared after reading about these poor babies deaths. Don't know what I'd do!

I know how you feel!! I was scared to death to have my 17 m.o. 7 lb. Yorkie Baron Neutered. I also wrote a thread on here and everyone was so nice with their encouragement and kind words to subside my fears. I had Baron Neutered in Arkansas when we picked up Sophie Kennedy on May 12th... I met the Vet in the am, She was very nice,She drew his bloodwork, told me that she used Isoflurine gas and would keep him on a heating pad during surgery and recovery. We left him with her and went to the Clinton Library to "Keep my Mind"off of Baron. We had just got there about 30 mins. after dropping him off. Dr. Judy from Landmark Animal Hospital in Little Rock called us and said Baron was done and was already standing up. We could pick him up @ 4 pm. He was completely normal, She gave him a pain shot, 6 days worth of pain meds and an antibiotic to take for 2 weeks. There is a risk whenever you have surgery and are put under. You just have to ask all the right ??'S and Trust the Vet that you chose to do what you ask. Dr. Judy's office called us here in Pa. on Sat. the 16th to see how Baron was doing. She told me they all fell in love with his cute little personality and wanted to make sure he was healing . That made me smile and I feel really good that even out of state they really cared about my boy. They found a growth on one of his Testicles... I never noticed it! It turned out to be nothing But, I'm glad that it's all over and Baron is doing great. Everything will be o.k. I'll be thinking of you and your little guy on surgery day. Let us know when it's scheduled...:)

thanks so much!!! i'll let you know (:

I think the benefits of spaying/neutering outweigh the risks though for sure! I was a nervous wreck bringing Jackson in just because when ANY body goes under, it's always a scary thing. But... I knew it had to be done. I got it over with, he was absolutely fine, back to himself by the third day. It's a routine surgery that occurs EVERY day to tons of animals.

I had Mika booked in today to have him neutered and I have changed my mind at the last minute. I was feeling so guilty and felt it wasn't necessary to have it done really. I was having him done because he was highly sexed well I thought he was but he has been so good the past week that I am going to hold off for a couple of weeks and see what happens. He was also due to have 2 baby teeth out but they have fallen out now on there own. I am watching him now running around the garden, he's so happy. If he had had the op today I was to keep him indoors for about a week and letting him out for a piddle. He would of been so sad.:(:aimeeyork

At what age????
 

I'm glad someone brought this up because I've been calling around to see who will neuter Jonah because I want it done as soon as possible but I keep getting a different age?????? One vet said 3 months, another said 6 months etc etc.....what does everyone think? I made an appointment for early September but I think I'm going to do Jonah before then and fix Ksena in September instead....Jonah was bone February 5th so he's 4 months.....I think waiting until September is too long :confused:

Is Anesthesia Safe? - VeterinaryPartner.com - a VIN company!

This is a good overview on surgery.
I would not use halothane though (Iso or Sevo instead).
I would also prefer that a bile acids test be included in the preop blood work for Yorkies. A urinalysis and EKG preop can also be done if you want to be very cautious.

I would not leave an animal alone after surgery, so if they insist that the dog be monitored through the night, they need to let you transfer them to another hospital that is staffed 24/7.

Gas anesthesia (Iso or Sevo) should be used for maintenance but usually an injectable or IV drug is given first to give time to intubate.

Everytime anesthesia is used, there is a risk but it is still very safe. Sometimes you can do everything right and bad things happen and other times you will hear of animals dying under anesthesia when the proper protocol wasn't followed, so ask lots of questions and make sure somebody (usually a tech) is monitoring the animal while under because the vet can't do surgery and monitoring very well at the same time.

Thank you, thank you, thank you hun for this. I thought there was a certain sedation for the little ones. Jemma is 6 months and I was going to schedule a appt, but now that I see she has double teeth, I am going to wait. If they fall out, all good and well. But I would rather have her put under once, rather than twice. I live in a small, quiet, Retirement Mobile Home Park. Not much action with other dogs here. Besides, Jemma goes outside on a leash only, with me. So she'll be ok for another couple of months.
I love this forum,so much insight given, such a education. I knew nothing on Yorkies, never had one. I'm still learning every single day, but this forum is the biggest plus for me.

Carol and Jemma

Do it for a reason, & make sure (research) your reason will be satisfied by neutering.

www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf

http://www.showdogsupersite.com/kenl...ionindogs.html

I SO know where you are coming from!! I was on the fence about spaying also. Matter of fact I waited...I just had both girls done at the same time in January. Sadie (5 1/2 lbs)just turned 4 yrs old and Lillie (4 1/2 lbs)was a little over 2yrs old. Sadie had 3 heats and Lillie only 1. I was a NERVOUS WRECK!!to say the least. I have a really good vet and staff that understood my anxiety. This is why they though it would be better for ME if I had them both done together. I had pre-op blood work done to make sure there weren't any underlying problems. I also opted for them to have IV's....just in case! My vet uses a VERY gently anesthesia...sevoflourine. This is used for geriatric patients. When they remove the tube, with in minutes they are awake and sitting up. I brought them home the same night. Sadie(I thought she would be the one that would have the harder time with the anesthesia) was fine....trying to bounce around as usual...Lillie was done second...it took her until the next day to come around...I had NO problems at all and wish I had had it done sooner...but, I can't think about that. I had it done and I'm glad.
Just talk to you vet and find out what their procedure is.....do they do pre blood work, do they offer IV, what kind of anesthesia do they use? And I called them about 4 times that day!! LOL...they told me I could call as many times as I wanted to.....and I did!

I totally agree.
Don't just do it because somebody is telling you, "It is the responsible thing to do." Do it because you think it is what is best for you and your dog and your lifestyle. If you don't think that's the case, then you don't have to do it at all.

Hi.
Yorkshire terriers are sensitive to Anesthesia (especially those weighing 4.5 pounds or less). Only use gas inhalants isoflurane or sevoflurane. They recover from it faster. You may have to request and/or insist this be done, and the vet may want to charge you more because it's more expensive. They may have an allergic reaction to anesthesia. Discuss this with your vet, so that they can be prepared. There are many breeds of dogs and vets sometimes forget which ones have which problems.

Spaying a female dog is a major abdominal surgery as opposed to a neuter, where the incision goes only skin deep. Gas inhalants iso or sevo only. Spaying and neutering dogs will prevent cancers later in life, ie prostrate, mammary tumors, and pyometra (infection of the uterus). It helps with behavioral issues also. Do some research.

Spaying and neutering used to be done when the pet was a year old. They changed this because many dogs were becoming pregnant in their first heat, and owners would forget to schedule the surgery. So to avoid many unwanted puppies, they started to do these surgeries earlier. It is okay and safer to wait until your pup is older.

Have pre-op bloodwork done. Check the liver enzymes. If they are high, cancel the surgery. The liver is what removes the anesthsia from the dog. If these enzymes are high, this could indicate a liver problem, and make recovery difficult or impossible. This problem will need to be resolved before surgery or dental treatments.

Do not combine surgeries. You don't want to keep a dog under anesthesia for too long of a time. Multiple short surgeries are safer than one long one.

Please do not assume your vet knows everything. Nothing against vets, but sometimes they get busy. If your chart has a big sticker on it the says 'anesthesia sensitivity' or allergies, it will get noticed, and special procedures for Yorkies will be followed.

not dangerous to neuter
 

Neutering isn't really a big deal. Dog goes into vet with an empty stomach (usually no food for last 12 hrs.), anesthesia according to weight of dog, and snip (unless the testes are not descended). Anti spaying and neutering people have all sorts of ridiculous reason why not to do this to your dog...no his personality will NOT change, etc. Do it...healthier for them, and you don't contribute to the pet over population problem and you save lives too.:)