Too small to spay? :confused:

[AprilLove]

You got lots of great advice here! I would hope your vet is comfortable with the small ones, if not, it might be worth changing or at least asking which one of your vets does the small animals the most.

One more bit advice here; every animal reacts differently, some females bounce back right away, some not so fast.. it is like a hysterectomy in a woman.
Also, whatever pain meds they send her home with, make sure you know all the possible side effects. so if she has a reaction, you will recognize it.

Ha, one more more bit of advise, lol.. Get a baby onesie, newborn or preemie, not only will she look cute in it, , but you can put a sanitary pad in it over the suture site and she won't be able to bother it

[kalina82]

Hi Mike, Morgan was spayed at 6 months old and weighed just under 3lbs. she did great and was back to her normal self that same night. the vet i was using at the time loved doing smaller dogs because they are actually quicker. you don't have to go searching for anything because its all right there (not a very deep abdomen). if your vet isn't comfortable tho its a different story. you say you have a multi vet hosp, so couldn't you pick which one you'd want to book with? like, can you choose the vet who wanted to do her last month if it seems like he's more comfortable with the smaller dogs?

[alaskayorkie]

Thanks, everybody. MaryKay, do they make onesies in green camo?

Kellie, that's what I'm trying to look into now. Just wondering how you know who's the best at what. I suppose I should start asking them all more questions about their background and specialties. You'd think I should be able to see their resumes. Hmmm.

[livingdustmops]

I think you need to ask the procedure they use...what kind of gas, on a heating pad? what do they give them to bring them out of being put under? (I can't remember the shot my vet would give) how do they close the wound (super glue or sutures)? Is there an assistant with the surgeon the entire time monitoring the surgery. Are they going to make her spend the night? If so is anyone at the vets (if the answer is no then I would demand she come home) what time do they schedule the surgery as she will not be able to eat from the night before? Pain meds, what about her teeth being pulled?

[kalina82]

Originally Posted by alaskayorkie

Thanks, everybody. MaryKay, do they make onesies in green camo?

Kellie, that's what I'm trying to look into now. Just wondering how you know who's the best at what. I suppose I should start asking them all more questions about their background and specialties. You'd think I should be able to see their resumes. Hmmm.

its difficult in a multivet hospital if you don't get a choice of who you see for regular stuff. if you always see a different vet each time its tough to get comfortable with one or two of them. i usually find a vet i like and stick with the one.

even tho they are all different vets, the hospital might require them to use the same procedure for surgery. Some prefer different pre-meds to sedate before inducing anesthesia tho. usually all the vets in an office have to use the same induction drug (propofol) and gas anesthesia (Iso or Sevo), plus they should intubate the patient for surgery. they should also place an IV cath and have the patient on IV fluids throughout the surgery and recovery. heating pads are usually placed on the table with a towel over them to keep the patient warm during surgery. A tech is usually monitoring anesthesia but sometimes not, so i'd ask about that. Um lets see... some vets prefer different methods for incision closure (dissolvable sutures vs non, staples, glue... i prefer either type of suture). ask if they have to spend the night and if anyone is there 24/7 to monitor patients overnight if they require it. oh and if you want, ask for the pre-op bloodwork. ask for pain meds for the next day at least. most done need it after that but some people like to have it just in case. antibiotics are a toss up. technically they are not needed to go home with because they get a long lasting antibiotic injection during the surgery (at least most places do this). last thing i can think of is teeth. ask for her baby teeth to be pulled so you don't have to worry about them later.

remember no food or water after 10pm the night before. it doesn't matter what time the surgery is the next day really because most vets require the patients to be dropped off in the morning. different vets do surgery at certain times in a multi-vet hosp so all patients are needed to be there. also pre-op blood or tests are done in teh morning before surgery.

that's all i have right now.


oh, and i'm not sure what Cindy's vet used to bring them out of anesthesia. Where i've worked nothing is given. they are taken off of the gas anesthesia and usually wake up a few minutes later. sometimes if they are totally out, an reversal drug can be used depending on what was given as a pre-med.

[livingdustmops]

Originally Posted by kalina82

its difficult in a multivet hospital if you don't get a choice of who you see for regular stuff. if you always see a different vet each time its tough to get comfortable with one or two of them. i usually find a vet i like and stick with the one.

even tho they are all different vets, the hospital might require them to use the same procedure for surgery. Some prefer different pre-meds to sedate before inducing anesthesia tho. usually all the vets in an office have to use the same induction drug (propofol) and gas anesthesia (Iso or Sevo), plus they should intubate the patient for surgery. they should also place an IV cath and have the patient on IV fluids throughout the surgery and recovery. heating pads are usually placed on the table with a towel over them to keep the patient warm during surgery. A tech is usually monitoring anesthesia but sometimes not, so i'd ask about that. Um lets see... some vets prefer different methods for incision closure (dissolvable sutures vs non, staples, glue... i prefer either type of suture). ask if they have to spend the night and if anyone is there 24/7 to monitor patients overnight if they require it. oh and if you want, ask for the pre-op bloodwork. ask for pain meds for the next day at least. most done need it after that but some people like to have it just in case. antibiotics are a toss up. technically they are not needed to go home with because they get a long lasting antibiotic injection during the surgery (at least most places do this). last thing i can think of is teeth. ask for her baby teeth to be pulled so you don't have to worry about them later.

remember no food or water after 10pm the night before. it doesn't matter what time the surgery is the next day really because most vets require the patients to be dropped off in the morning. different vets do surgery at certain times in a multi-vet hosp so all patients are needed to be there. also pre-op blood or tests are done in teh morning before surgery.

that's all i have right now.


oh, and i'm not sure what Cindy's vet used to bring them out of anesthesia. Where i've worked nothing is given. they are taken off of the gas anesthesia and usually wake up a few minutes later. sometimes if they are totally out, an reversal drug can be used depending on what was given as a pre-med.

Good I think you covered a lot...do you know anything about laser surgery for this? I don't but it might be an option.

I wish I could remember what they gave my dogs but they would lift them off the table and give them to me and then give the shot and the dog would almost always pee on me..haha..but it has been awhile but they would come out right away. I would hold them for awhile and then wait for a couple of hours at the vets and I always brought them home. I put them in a room away from the confusion..made sure they did have a draft on them and kept everyone else away.

[kalina82]

Originally Posted by livingdustmops

Good I think you covered a lot...do you know anything about laser surgery for this? I don't but it might be an option.

I wish I could remember what they gave my dogs but they would lift them off the table and give them to me and then give the shot and the dog would almost always pee on me..haha..but it has been awhile but they would come out right away. I would hold them for awhile and then wait for a couple of hours at the vets and I always brought them home. I put them in a room away from the confusion..made sure they did have a draft on them and kept everyone else away.

a couple of the vets i've worked with have used it here and there but they all preferred the old fashion blade method. i like the scalpel method too. i didn't see any difference between the methods in recovery or comfort to the dog really. only difference i saw was the price (laser being more expensive)

there was one drug we would use at the surgeons that had an anticedant but none of the regular vets i worked with used it. i haven't worked with a regular DVM in years so maybe they are using it now too. i really don't know. usually by the time the surgery is over the pre-med and induction agent are out or almost out of their system and just the gas is left. the gas usually leave the system in 20 minutes i believe with Sevo being faster the Iso.

[alaskayorkie]

Originally Posted by kalina82

its difficult in a multivet hospital if you don't get a choice of who you see for regular stuff. if you always see a different vet each time its tough to get comfortable with one or two of them. i usually find a vet i like and stick with the one.

even tho they are all different vets, the hospital might require them to use the same procedure for surgery. Some prefer different pre-meds to sedate before inducing anesthesia tho. usually all the vets in an office have to use the same induction drug (propofol) and gas anesthesia (Iso or Sevo), plus they should intubate the patient for surgery. they should also place an IV cath and have the patient on IV fluids throughout the surgery and recovery. heating pads are usually placed on the table with a towel over them to keep the patient warm during surgery. A tech is usually monitoring anesthesia but sometimes not, so i'd ask about that. Um lets see... some vets prefer different methods for incision closure (dissolvable sutures vs non, staples, glue... i prefer either type of suture). ask if they have to spend the night and if anyone is there 24/7 to monitor patients overnight if they require it. oh and if you want, ask for the pre-op bloodwork. ask for pain meds for the next day at least. most done need it after that but some people like to have it just in case. antibiotics are a toss up. technically they are not needed to go home with because they get a long lasting antibiotic injection during the surgery (at least most places do this). last thing i can think of is teeth. ask for her baby teeth to be pulled so you don't have to worry about them later.

remember no food or water after 10pm the night before. it doesn't matter what time the surgery is the next day really because most vets require the patients to be dropped off in the morning. different vets do surgery at certain times in a multi-vet hosp so all patients are needed to be there. also pre-op blood or tests are done in teh morning before surgery.

that's all i have right now.


oh, and i'm not sure what Cindy's vet used to bring them out of anesthesia. Where i've worked nothing is given. they are taken off of the gas anesthesia and usually wake up a few minutes later. sometimes if they are totally out, an reversal drug can be used depending on what was given as a pre-med.

Thanks, everybody, great advice. Someone on my blog suggested I visit the vet's Web site and see if there was any information on the doctors, and voila! There were mini bios on all of them. The guy who was going to do the procedure is actually the least experienced. He graduated in 2008 and just arrived here in July, so I'm guessing it's his first job.

Now the question: Is he cautious because he's received the latest in medical training, or is he cautious from inexperience?

[kalina82]

Originally Posted by alaskayorkie

Thanks, everybody, great advice. Someone on my blog suggested I visit the vet's Web site and see if there was any information on the doctors, and voila! There were mini bios on all of them. The guy who was going to do the procedure is actually the least experienced. He graduated in 2008 and just arrived here in July, so I'm guessing it's his first job.

Now the question: Is he cautious because he's received the latest in medical training, or is he cautious from inexperience?

ummmmmm..... i'd have to vote NO on him doing the surgery LOL i like a vet with a little more experience doing surgery on my tiny dog. he may be awesome, you never know, but i'd feel more comfortable with a more seasoned vet doing the surgery just in case something were to go wrong. a more experienced vet will know what to do right away

[AprilLove]

Originally Posted by alaskayorkie

Thanks, everybody. MaryKay, do they make onesies in green camo?

Kellie, that's what I'm trying to look into now. Just wondering how you know who's the best at what. I suppose I should start asking them all more questions about their background and specialties. You'd think I should be able to see their resumes. Hmmm.

Baby Camo / Baby Camouflage - Baby Camo Onesie

[livingdustmops]

Originally Posted by kalina82

ummmmmm..... i'd have to vote NO on him doing the surgery LOL i like a vet with a little more experience doing surgery on my tiny dog. he may be awesome, you never know, but i'd feel more comfortable with a more seasoned vet doing the surgery just in case something were to go wrong. a more experienced vet will know what to do right away

I agree...I want someone who understands small breeds and can work fast..

[alaskayorkie]

Yeah, I agree with the vet appraisals. I want someone I'm confident in, and he hasn't been around long enough for that. So actually, maybe the rejection turned out for the best.

[AprilLove]

Originally Posted by alaskayorkie

Thanks, everybody, great advice. Someone on my blog suggested I visit the vet's Web site and see if there was any information on the doctors, and voila! There were mini bios on all of them. The guy who was going to do the procedure is actually the least experienced. He graduated in 2008 and just arrived here in July, so I'm guessing it's his first job.

Now the question: Is he cautious because he's received the latest in medical training, or is he cautious from inexperience?

Can I share a story, lol, like you need any more advise
When I first got adopted by AprilLove, I decided to change to a new vet for her because my older two went to a vet in a city farther away, due to me moving I wanted a closer place \. But I always stuck with them and still do because they are good and still take my older girl there because she is comfy with them. Well I wanted someone close by in case of emergency. so there is a multivet practice about 3 minutes from me, and I looked at all their bios' online before I choose the first guy, he had LOTS of experience, older fellow and I thought great this is best. Well, I took AprilLove there for her first rabies shot, and he pulled out a 28 gauge needle (BIG!!!) and I asked why not the 31 guage (I know these things because my older boy was diabetic and had to give his insulin shots) and he said oh that is the smallest they use, yada yada, and she proceeded to SCREAM when he gave her the shot and I about broke down in tears, had to fight them back, I grabbed her and wanted to rip his head off, lol. ]
He had no empathy at all! and said she was being a drama queen, gosh I really hurt for her when this happened and wanted to take her pain away, she was less than 2 lbs at the time

Any ways, I choose a woman after that who has been doing it half the time he has, but she has Shi-Tzus and so I figured she knew small dogs, and low and behold, next vet visit for vaccines, they used a 31 gauge needle and said that was standard practice and she and Nappy and Rozi have never had any pain with shots
What is the moral of my story here> lol, I guess it is do your research, and go with your gut on how you feel about them. Experience in years of practice does NOT mean they are always the best choice

[Robin Lodal]

Hmm... Ginger got spayed last week at 15 weeks and 2.6lb so I don't see why your vet wouldn't spay her...???

The dr actually said that many rescues/shelters are now spaying/neutering dogs as young as 6-8 weeks now!

[mimimomo]

Originally Posted by Robin Lodal

Hmm... Ginger got spayed last week at 15 weeks and 2.6lb so I don't see why your vet wouldn't spay her...???

The dr actually said that many rescues/shelters are now spaying/neutering dogs as young as 6-8 weeks now!

Our vet said the same thing...& I was concerned about the early spaying = urinary incontinence & she reassured me that is not the cause now.

I think imo that asking the doc straight up is the best way to go. They'll be honest & tell you if they've had many experiences w/small breeds or if they feel uncomfortable.