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Questions about spay.

Species: Dog
Breed: Golden Retriever
Age: 2-5 years
I have an appointment to get Gracie spayed on the 17th and had a few questions.
1. The vet wants to give her her booster shot and rabies vaccine on the same day as the surgery. As we live in a rural area and have a long drive to the vet this would be convenient for us but I am wondering if it would be too much for her immune system in one day.


2. Is laser surgery better than conventional surgery? Cost doesn't matter to me, just the fact of what is better for her.

3. Is it strange that my vet charges an extra 45 dollars because she is over 3 years old, and what would be his reasoning for this?

4. She is a very healthy 3 year old, does she need the pre-anesthetic profile done in your opinion?


Thanks for all your help. As you can tell I am a nervous ninny when it comes to my baby.

Lisa


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

You've asked some great questions! Let's see if I can help!

1. Is it ok to give vaccines on the same day as surgery?

Usually I try to avoid doing this. It is almost always safe. However, if the dog were to have an allergic reaction we wouldn't know whether it was the vaccines or an anesthetic agent that was the cause. Also, I prefer to have the immune system dealing with one thing at a time. I have made exceptions though. For example, if someone brings in a wild feral cat that is hard to trap then I will do both at the same time.

2. Is laser surgery better than conventional surgery?

In my opinion, there is not much difference. But, I have to be honest and tell you that I do not have a laser at my practice. The laser takes the place of a scalpel blade. A laser cut causes less bleeding than a scalpel cut. However, in many cases the surgical wound takes longer to heal. For some surgeries, vets do feel that it is better such as declaws and surgeries that normally have a lot of bleeding such as a leg amputation. But for a spay, there is not much difference.

3. Why does my vet want to charge 45 dollars more because she is mature?

This is quite normal. After a dog has gone through one or two heat cycles the spay is much more difficult. There are larger blood vessels which means more suturing and the surgery takes longer than in a puppy. There is usually also lots of fat (even on a lean dog) that is covering the ovarian pedicles and this makes surgery more time consuming.

4. Does she need blood work before surgery?

This is tough to answer. I recommend that every dog has bloodwork before surgery. However, the odds are definitely in her favor that everything will be normal. But, every now and then we see a dog that has a hidden condition that could cause problems during surgery. For example, I once did a spay on a dog and she bled immensely during the surgery and almost died. It turned out that she had gotten into rat poison two weeks before which caused her to have clotting issues. Blood tests would likely have shown me that there was an area for concern. Other things that might come up are hidden infections or kidney issues.

I hope everything goes well for her surgery!

Dr. Marie.


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.