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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I take care of my pet after surgery?
Post-operative care is simple but important. Here's what you should know:
1. Bloody discharge from the surgical site for the first 24 to 72 hours is possible as blood will collect beneath the skin. This may also appear as bruising if the blood is in the tissue.
2. The stitches don't need to be removed but they don't dissolve either. The body rejects them in 2 to 4 weeks and nearly always there is a firm painless swelling beneath the skin. This looks suspicious but goes away in another week or two. Sometimes a small pimple will be seen at one end or the other of the incision, where the knots are tied.
3. After general anesthesia, animals can't control their temperatures very well and should be kept inside for 24 hours. They can stay groggy for 12 to 24 hours and should not eat or drink until they are fully awake as they are usually nauseous until then.
4. Cats especially are often very irritable as they recover from anesthesia and should be left alone and kept away from children for a good 6 hours or until you're sure they're back to their happy selves.
5. Animals who receive vaccines on the same day as surgery often will be feverish and listless for 2 to 3 days, like children often times are after receiving their shots.
6. Animals, male dogs especially, should not be allowed to lick their surgical site. If you think this may be a problem, a special Elizabethan collar is available to prevent them from licking.
Tips for surgical efficiency
Surgical Efficiency With Minimal
Post-Op Complications.
Things You Need to Know & Do!
1.) Animals must be properly prepped & positioned.
2.) Age & species will determine placement of initial incision.
3.) Remove subcutaneous fat & visualize the abdominal midline.
4.) Make your incisions as small as possible to do a good job.
5.) You must rupture the suspensory ligament of the ovaries.
6.) You must have adequate surgical packs with a spay hook (snook hook).
7.) Keeping materials as sterile & sanitary as possible is mandatory.
8.) Always use a monofilament absorbable suture or stainless steel.
9.) Close abdominal wall with a simple interrupted or cruciate pattern.
10.) Minimize the amount of suture placed in SQ & Skin.
11.) You should crush tissue prior to ligating, unless very friable.
12.) You must tie good surgical knots and keep a set surgical technique.
13.) Use proper size suture for the size of animal undergoing surgery.
14.) Bladders of surgical candidates should be emptied prior to surgery.
15.) Tilting the animal’s head down on the surgery table makes procedure easier.
16.) All major vessels should be double ligated if any doubt exists at all.
17.) You need a safe, efficient anesthetic protocol.
18.) You need 2 surgical tables & 2 support staff per veterinarian.
19.) Must have adequate space for holding & recovery.
20.) All surgeons should strive to be able to tell the difference between
uterine, omental & bladder fat.
21.) All surgeons should be able to locate the uterus by feeling
through an incision just large enough to place an index finger.
Above All Else, Do No Harm!
What age do I neuter/spay my pet?
For years, veterinarians have been telling clients that they should wait until their animal are 6-12 months old before sterilizing them. Why 6-12 Months? Several factors have been cited for this arbitrary age of sterilization. They include the unscientific belief that there is some benefit to maturation prior to neutering, our limited anesthesia and anesthetic protocols for immature animals and most significantly because it has a tradition in veterinary medicine.
If one accepts neutering (castration of males / spaying of females) as a form of population control, as a form of increasing health and good behavior, and as a form of extending the life of our pets, then the question becomes what optimum age should we perform surgery. At what age can one get the maximum benefit with least amount of risk to our companion animals?
What scientific or anecdotal based data do we have to suggest something other than a 6-12 month neutering range? Certainly, the first pioneers in early age sterilization (animals < 4 months) were motivated to make a difference in pet overpopulation and in decrease the huge euthanasia rate in our country. This early age neutering sparked a storm of controversy, because in veterinary medicine the mantra is “We fear change.” Because of this controversy, many studies were undertaken to more fully evaluate the effects of early age sterilization in dogs and cats. In the last 10-15 years, the following findings have emerged concerning prepubertal neutering.
1 Animals neutered prior to a full maturity live longer on the average- dogs live 1-3 years longer and cats live 3-5 years longer
2 There is a sharp decrease in certain cancers, particularly mammary cancer.
3 Prostatitis, perianal tumors, testicular cancer, perianal bernias, ovarian cyst, ovarian and uterine tumors and pyometras are examples of common medical problems impacted by neutering,
4 There are anesthetic agents and anesthetic protocols that are well documented for animals as young as 6-8 weeks.
5 Young animals recover much faster from surgery due to higher metabolic rates, less bleeding during surgery, and shorter overall surgical time.
6 There is even growing evidence that early age neutering has positive effects on socialization and behavior in many animals.
7 One clear physiological fact that has emerged is these animals tend to have slightly increased skeletal bone growth (taller) and stay leaner longer that their adult counterparts neutered at an older age.
Having started prepubertal neutering in the 1990, I have been on the cutting edge of this development in veterinary medicine. I speak about and teach spay and neuter techniques national and internationally and would be considered an expert on prepubertal sterilization by any standard. To date I have personally sterilized over 130,000 dogs and cats, which include about 25,000 early age sterilizations. Under the right set of circumstances I will do surgery on 3-4 weeks old animals. I certainly would consider and 8-10 week old animal a very routine surgery, but I prefer the animals to be 8-16 weeks of age. The advantage to 8-16 week old animals usually have some vaccinations, (better immunity) are in better body condition and can still get all the benefits of early age sterilization. It is becoming more important to Humane Organizations to sterilize all adoption animals prior to placing them thus 6-8 weeks tends to be the norm under shelter conditions. More veterinarians and humane groups are going to early age neutering because it is a clear win/ win situation for all parties involved. In an effort to stem the growing overpopulation problem in dogs and cats, the AVMA now fully supports prepubertal (8-12 weeks) neutering in our companion animal friends.
I strongly recommend all pet owners to sterilize their companion animals betweens 12-16 weeks of age and believe it is unethical for any humane organization to adopt prior to sterilization.
What can be done to end pet overpopulation?
Pet Overpopulation: The Spay/Neuter Solution
Dr. Jeff Young
Planned Pethood Plus
Dr. Jeffrey Young graduated from the Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1989. He established Planned Pethood Plus, Inc. (PPP) in 1990. PPP is best know for its low-cost mobile neutering services, Native American Reservation work, and training of veterinarians from around the world in more efficient surgical techniques. Dr. Young has served on numerous Humane Society boards and has been an advisor for mobile surgical units all across America. He recently founded his own non-profit group called Planned Pethood International. Planned Pethood International was established to help fund spay/neuter work and veterinary training from its new state-of-the-art veterinary hospital in Bratislava, Slovakia. Planned Pethood International is also actively working in Mexico and will build a veterinary hospital in Merida, Mexico over the next two years. Dr. Young believes his humane ethic comes from being an Animal Control Officer during his veterinary college training. He is most proud of having personally sterilized over 130,000 animals in the last fifteen years, and he is an outspoken proponent of early age neutering for companion animal population control. Dr. Young is driven by a simple underlying mission “to significantly reduce companion animal overpopulation through out the world.” -Training opportunities available for veterinarians and technicians. Dr. Young is available for consultation and helping with campaigns.
Why should I spay/neuter my pet?
Top 3 Reasons You Should
Spay / Neuter
Your Companion Animal!
A basic essence of life is to reproduce! Companion animals have been purposely breed by man & as their stewards we have a moral obligation to do what is in their best interest whenever possible! Companion animals mate solely dependent on their hormones & instinctive behavior. We must not anthroplemorize mating behavior of animals to “Human Love.” For the human males among us we must emphasize that your masculinity is not conjoined to your pets testicles. Medically speaking, your companion animal friend will live longer & be healthier if sterilized. That is best for both humans & companion animals alike. Give the gift of a healthier, longer life to your companion animal friend. Sterilization is the Key.
Reason # 1- To help reduce companion animal overpopulation. Most countries have a surplus of companion animals & are forced to euthanize or disregard their great suffering. Cats are 45x more prolific & Dogs 15x more prolific than humans-they don’t need our help to expand their numbers, they need our help to reduce their numbers!
Reason # 2- Sterilization of your companion animal will increase its chance of a longer & healthier life. Altering your canine friend will increase its life 1-3 years, on average, & 3-5 years for your feline friend. Altered animals have a very low to no risk of Mammary Cancer, Perianal Tumors, Perianal Hernias, Pyometra, Uterine, Ovarian, & Testicular Cancers!
Reason # 3- Sterilizing your companion animal makes it a better family pet, reduces its urge to roam & decreases the risk of contracting diseases. Surveys indicate that as high as 85% of dogs hit by cars are intact (not altered). Intact male cats living outside have been shown to live, on average, less than 2 years! Feline Immunodeficiency Syndrome is spread by bites & intact cats fight a lot more than altered cats.
