Bringing Your Pet In For Surgery

 

=Why should I sterilise my pet?

=Common misconceptions regarding sterilisation

=What does sterilisation surgery involve?

=About surgical procedures at Vital Vet

=What to do the evening before surgery

=A few options to consider before surgery day

=Surgery costs– important issues to consider when

      comparing prices of routine surgical procedures

 

 

When should I sterilise my pet?

 

We recommend sterilisation at six months of age. In females, this is of particular importance as they will come into season around 7 - 9 months of age. In males it is important to sterilise before unwanted behaviours become habitual. If a male dog is showing signs of developing these behaviours (aggression/mounting/marking) sterilisation can be done earlier (4-5 months).

The anaesthetic risk associated with any surgical procedure is higher in younger and older animals, which is why we recommend to wait until they are 6 months of age. 

 

It is never too late to sterilise your pet! If your pet is not sterilised, the associated health risks (prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mammary cancer, pyometra, uterine cancer) are greatly increased as they age.

 

Why should I sterilise my pet?

 

Health reasons

Females

· If you sterilise your pet before her first season, you will greatly reduce the chances of her developing mammary (breast) cancer.

· If you sterilise her before her first season, she only has 0.5% chance of developing mammary cancer. If you wait until after her second season, she will have 26% chance of developing cancer (52 times more likely).

· Sterilisation eliminates the risk of her developing uterine cancer and pyometra (a life-threatening infection of the uterus).

 

Males

· Sterilisation greatly reduces the risk of prostate cancer

· Sterilisation eliminates the chance of him developing testicular cancer.

 

Behavioural reasons

Females

· No messy seasons

· Prevents unwanted pregnancies. Thousands of animals are euthanased every year due to unwanted litters.

· Reduces the desire to escape and roam in search of a mate.

· Prevents harassment of males during her seasons.

· May aid in reducing dominance behaviours and aggression*

 

Males

· Curbs the desire to roam and search for a mate. Unsterilised male dogs can get very frustrated if confined to a garden and can become destructive or try to escape.

· Less likely to get into fights with other animals, especially in the case of male cats.

· Can help reduce dominance behaviour and aggression.*

· Reduces leg lifting / marking behaviour which many people find unpleasant due to the strong odour. *

· Reduces mounting behaviour*

 

Common misconceptions regarding sterilisation.

 

Should I let her have a litter first?

There are many reasons why you should not let her have a litter or a season before you sterilise her.

· As mentioned above, her chances of developing cancer will greatly increase if you let her have a season or a litter.

· The surgical procedure is much safer and less painful if they are immature (if she has not had a season/litter).

· Some people choose not to sterilise their pet because they want their family to experience “having puppies”. This can be a romantic notion, and reality can be quite different. We feel that it is important for children to learn responsible pet ownership, and to put the health and wellbeing of your pet first.  

 

Aggression & Unwanted behaviours

 

* Sterilisation alone should not be seen as a ‘cure’ for these behaviours. We recommend sterilisation before marking behaviours and mounting become a habit. Once your dog has a habit of doing these behaviours, sterilisation used in conjuction with behavioural therapy may help reduce the frequency, but may not stop it altogether. 

 

* Aggression is caused by a variety of different factors. While sterilisation is recommended to help reduce the role of hormones in aggression (testosterone), it is important to discuss options in detail with your vet before deciding to sterilise your pet for behavioural reasons alone.

 

Will it change my pet’s personality?

 

This is a very common misconception about sterilisation. While sterilisation may help curb aggression in some animals , and calm anxious or frustrated animals -  it will not make them lazy or sluggish.

 

Will it make my pet fat?

 

The reduction in hormone production can sometimes affect your pet’s metabolism, making some animals more prone to weight gain. If you monitor your pet’s weight and maintain regular exercise and a balanced diet, this should not be an issue. Royal Canin has an excellent “Neutered cat” formula which has controlled calories.

 

What does sterilisation surgery involve?

 

Your pet will need to come into hospital for the day, and will require a general anaesthetic. Your pet will receive strong pain relief and an anti-inflammatory injection. Your pet will also go home with pain relief anti-inflammatory tablets to ensure their comfort in the days following their surgery.

 

Females

 

Both ovaries and the uterus are removed (ovariohysterectomy) through a small incision in the lower abdomen. She will have two to three stitches in place which will need to be removed ten days following the procedure. The stitches can be removed quickly in a follow up nurse appointment and it will not hurt your pet.

 

Males

 

A very simple procedure where both testicles are removed through a small incision. Male dogs will have two small stitches, but there is no need for male cats to have stitches as the incision is too small.

 

 

 

Surgery day- About surgical procedures at Vital Vet

 

· On the day of your pet’s surgery you will need to bring them to the hospital between 8.00am and 8.30am (we can book an appointment time for you). We open at 8am so earlier admissions can be arranged on request. When you arrive in the morning you will need to have a short consultation with our veterinary nurse to complete a surgical admission form.

· Dr. Barry will give your pet a veterinary check and administer a pre-medication. This is similar to what people receive before surgery, it has a pain-relief component and help your pet relax.

· We use an intravenous induction agent, followed by a gaseous anaesthetic which is administered through an endotracheal tube.

· The surgery will take place in our surgical theatre and your pet will have its’ own sterile surgical kit.

· Throughout the surgical procedure your pet will be monitored by our qualified veterinary nurse and various monitoring equipment (ECG, pulse oximetery, heart rate, respiration).

· After the surgery, your pet will wake up in our hospital area with a heat pad and blankets to ensure his/her comfort. Your pet’s temperature will be taken and he/she will be monitored until they are awake and ready to go home.

· Sterilisation surgeries are a day procedure and one of our veterinary nurses will contact you once your pet is awake to arrange a discharge appointment for late that afternoon.

· Due to the strong pain relief, your pet may be a bit sleepy that evening, and will need to stay in a warm, quiet area.

· The stitches will need to stay in for ten days (except in male cats). It is advised to try and keep your pet quiet during this time. Your pet can still go for walks, but no off-lead exercise until the stitches are removed.

 

 

 

We uphold strict standards in our surgical theatre.

This photograph is of our surgeon Dr. Ariadna

Marczak in our surgical theatre. She is about to

perform an orthopaedic procedure on our patient                                                            

Cassie’s leg. You can see the green sterile drapes

and the sterile surgical instruments. She is wearing

a surgical gown, gloves, hat and mask to ensure a

safe surgical environment.

 

 

 

What to do the evening before surgery

 

· Your pet will need to be fasted overnight to ensure the safety of the anaesthetic.

· Please remove any leftover food after their evening meal.

· It is important that they do not have any food after 10pm.

· They may have water overnight so that they do not get dehydrated.

 

· Please remove their water bowl on the morning of surgery.

· Please take your pet for a short toilet walk before coming in to hospital.

· If your pet is taking medication, please give them their usual dose unless otherwise instructed.

 

 

A few options to consider before surgery day

 

Pre– Anaesthetic Blood Testing– click here for information

 

Microchipping - $49.50 (price includes lifetime registration with Australasian Animal Registry)

Microchipping is strongly recommended for all pets.. If your pet goes missing or is stolen, any vet, ranger or pound can scan them for a microchip. This will allow your pet to be returned to you immediately. Microchipping can be performed at any time, but if your pet is undergoing a general anaesthetic it is an excellent opportunity to insert the microchip with no discomfort.

 

Tattoo – An optional, complimentary service.

A sterilisation tattoo is a small black tattoo about the size of a 5c coin. It is an optional tattoo which can be done when your pet is under general anaesthetic. The purpose of the tattoo is to provide a permanent external indicator that your pet has been sterilised.

 

Bathing

If your pet has stitches, he/she will not be able to have a bath until the stithces are removed (10-14 days after surgery). It is advisable that you bath your pet before surgery day if needed.

 

Issues to consider when comparing prices for surgical procedures

 

All veterinary clinics aim to provide sterilisation procedures at subsidised prices, to encourage desexing and responsible pet ownership. We strive to keep our prices as competitive as possible but we will not compromise our standards of care.

 

When considering variances in prices we encourage you to enquire what the quotation includes. Our sterilisation prices at Vital Vet are all inclusive. This means that our sterilisation fee includes your pet’s anaesthesia, surgery, hospital stay, pain relief injections, pain tablets to take home and their follow up suture removal appointment.

 

We aim to provide the highest standards of care for your pet. Your pet will stay in comfortable cages on a heat pad and blankets. Your pet will get an individual sterile surgical kit and wake up from anaesthetic with caring, attentive nurses. We use superior anaesthetic and monitoring equipment and high quality suture material to ensure your pet’s comfort. We are proud of our hospital and surgical facilities and invite you to come into the hospital to see behind the scenes. At Vital Vet we can provide you with the peace of mind and comfort in knowing that your pet is receiving the best possible care. 

 

To discuss your pet’s procedure with one of our nurses or Dr. Barry please phone us on 6296 7711. We look forward to meeting you!