Spaying General Chat

Much as I am not happy about juvenile spaying, both Michal, Tikva's primary vet and also Ram, who looked after my beloved angel Pereg, think that Tikva should be spayed before she has her first season.

She is now six months old [Happy 6th month Birthday Tikki for yesterday] and weighs a few grams under 6 kilos. She is strong, healthy, happy - and a mini monster! But I suppose I had better go by their decision, so she is booked in for next Monday.

Michal will pick us up just before 9am as Tikva is booked in for the first surgery, and I can stay with Tikki while she is sedated and until she is intubated and totally under the GA. Ram will not let me stay with her while he operates although he did during both Little One's major dental work but not during spaying [spoilsport] and Michal will bring her home when she finishes at 3pm. Tikki knows Michal so should be OK coming out of the GA without me being with her.

I did not worry about either LO or Pereg when they were spayed, both about three months after their first season, so why am I feeling "I do not want this" about Tikki?

I'm not sure why the feeling? Maybe it is your gut instinct. What reason did they give for recommending you spay her young and not wait until after first season?

To be honest, Malka, with so many strays in your area and Tikki being let out on the tether, I think my gut instinct would be to go with the early spay.

Rosie was 'done' at six months simply because she needed an x-ray (so GA) and it seemed better to do the spay at the same time rather than risk another GA further down the line. She's absolutely fine

Apparently that is what they now do as so few people bother to have their dogs spayed/neutered and just let them wander loose so I do understand why they want to spay/neuter as many dogs as they can at the earliest possibility.

What is my gut instinct? I have never had a bitch spayed before her first season [I have never had dogs so I know nothing about neutering] and Tikki Tikva has been with me 24/7 since she was just 3 weeks old and I guess - oh I do not know. I am just worried about her and the thought of having to leave her for the few hours without me and how she will react when she comes round from the GA with me not there, although of course Michal will be with her and she knows Michal - who loves her.

Also, having had to have my beloved Pereg euthanised and then the person supposedly looking after Baby Ziva "losing" her after she had only been with me for what, 11 days? I do not think I could bear the thought of anything happening to Tikki, who has wormed her way so deep into my heart almost as if she is trying to make up for my previous losses. .

I know that even though I am fully capable of taking out stitches and/or staples, as I did with Pereg, Tikki is a strong little puppy and no way will she let me do it so I will have to ask Michal to come and do that. And that makes me feel useless and weak.

I would wait but if you are going to do it you have to trust that everything will probably be fine. I understand your anxiety because I worry every time mine go under because their are risk but it is a low risk and unavoidable for a surgery.

Don't feel useless or weak. Many people can't do the removal with their dogs or they don't want to. I have some who are calm so I can easily and others I need someone to hold them for me. With my most recent surgery experience there was about 20 stitches and she is very wiggly dog so I took her in for a follow up and removal.

My vets waited until my female hooligans had their first season, but all the female puppies in the Rescue Home are sprayed before their first season.
Male dogs must be 12 months old before they are neutered 11 months if for medical reasons.

It is not that I cannot or do not want to remove stitches or staples, it is just that physically I do not have sufficient use in my fingers any more. Plus Tikva is not only wiggly but needs chasing round the place [ha ha ha] in order to catch her even to clip her leash on so there is no way I could keep her still enough to remove stitches or staples.

She has morphed from being a normal naughty little puppy into the Kevin stage without a break. Pereg was like that only she was a few months older but just as she grew out of it I am sure Tikva will. Little One never went through those stages - either she was too good to be true or she was a bit thick. Maybe to intelligent!

I am just worried because I am still unsure about juvenile spaying, even though I know I must go by what Michal and Ram say.

Don't feel useless because you can't remove stitches. I wouldn't dream of doing it myself because I'd be too worried and I like the vet to check that everything is fine after an op

Well, whilst still considered a juvenile spay, going by Tikva's size and weight I wouldn't think the cons of spaying early would have any negative consequences on her continued development. The cons are more so in large and slow maturing breeds who are spayed before maturity. No need to worry about not being able to remove stiches either. It's perfectly acceptable for a vet to do so and as @Chris B says, also gives them the opportunity to check the incision is healing well and everything is ok

If I thought that Tikva would lay quietly on her back then I would have no problem removing her stitches, lousy as my hands are. It only needs a pair of scissors [I used tiny embroidery scissors when removing Pereg's spay stitches] and a pair of tweezers, both of which I had sterilised beforehand, and it literally only takes seconds, but there is no way she would stay still for me. I also know how to remove staples but again, with a wriggler like Tikki? My hands are nowhere near capable of trying to risk it now so I will leave it up to Michal, who will call in on her way to the surgery to save me the problem of trying to get there. I am more than happy to pay a call out charge as it basically cancels out the cost of taxi fares, plus is so much easier for me.

Tikva weighs far more than you would think going by her size and shape as she has a fantastic waist and tuck - and and Michal reckons that at six months she probably will not grow much more. She is not really very big but is actually the ideal size for me as I do not have to worry about her getting in the way of my wheels. Just heavier than I thought she would be even though she is so slim. I guess that means that she is having the perfect diet for her!

I wouldn't worry about it either way. We've had cats spayed in toddlerhood and dogs fixed as adults and everyone turned out fine. Callie was at least a year and intact. After the operation...his hootie is for peeing and nothing else...works for us.

I'm sure she will be just fine, Malka. If she had come through a rescue she would probably be speyed already, and in your situation I think it is preferable to having to stand guard over her for three weeks. The most clingy bitches seem to turn into Houdini's when that time of the year comes around. I know you will be anxious when the day dawns - I hate leaving mine with the vet too - but your vets do sound particularly good, and caring.

I am sure she will be fine Carole - my main problem is going to be stopping her from leaping on and off the couch afterwards! With LO I had a low bed [that was at the previous bungalow] and apart from the first night when she slept on my slippers at the side of the bed, she had no problem getting on and off. Pereg was a devil - my bed here is extra high and absolutely nothing stopped her leaping on and off.

Tikva cannot get on my bed and my couch is quite low so she should be OK. I fished out Pereg's cone of shame [LO did not need one] and it is miles too big for Tikki so I will have to get a smaller one from the surgery, but like Pereg will only put it on if she seems to be bothering her stitches/staples. I think they will use staples - Ram only used stitches for Pereg as he knew I would be removing them.

I have always thought the world of Ram as he was so wonderful with Pereg - and I loved the hugs he always gave me. He has yet to see Tikva and I wonder what he will think of her but I am sure I will get another big hug from him! Anyhow, Michal is now her primary vet and having seen how Tikki is with her I think that she will be fine when she comes round from the GA and sees Michal and not me. It is just that she has never been to the surgery as Michal came here for her shots [and to clip her claws] and Vadim, the Local Authority Vet, came here to give her her rabies shot and microchip her.

My one fear now is that she will come into season before next Monday, which will mean waiting until it is over and then another three months.

Merry had just been done when she came here, and never seemed to notice that she had any stitches. As her breeder's vet was a different one to mine, I took out her stitches with a pointed scalpel blade. I don't remember Tweed bothering with hers either, she definitely didn't have a cone, but you might remember she was obsessive over the tail and skin tag removal.

Malka, a funny story to share. Our Stumpy is a bob tailed Manx. Always a bit intense, very affectionate with humans but the dogs keep a good distance. After she was fixed we had the usually advice. Keep her from jumping...as soon as the pain killer wore off we looked up. There was Stumpy walking on the top of a door frame. She healed fine anyway.

Michal turned up this morning and took Tikva and I to the surgery. It took ages for her to sleep as she was being obstinate, but then she let Ram hoik her up and I stayed with her until she was intubated.

Ram had never seen her before - but thought she was cute Yeah well, I guess maybe she is. But she ran berserk over the surgery! And oh was she noisy.

Anyhow, Tikki has been spayed - Michal called me and said she is fine and will being her home in a couple of hours.

And I want her home.

I bet you're counting the minutes!

Glad little mini monster is okay, she be home soon & will be causing more trouble tomorrow xx

Is she home yet?
Vets are usually glad to get rid of the hooouuuunds for obvious reasons!

Yes well - apart from screaming her head off at the surgery...

and me forgetting my purse...

...and her card...

yes, Michal brought her home some time in the afternoon.

Teeny weeny staples - Michal did bring a cone but no way will I be able to to get it on her.

She has eaten a bit but not much and is jumping on and off the couch.

Much too young to have been spayed but there was no arguing with Ram and Michal - Ram mainly. And she will not let me look at her tummy. But I reckon she is fine as she is currently playing with her toy and the place is a right balagan.

But she is playing with her toys - and although she will not let me look at her staples, from what I have seen they are just tiny staples. They did not give her any pain killiers - they never do. She has slept a lot and is now playing and there is no way you would believe she was spayed yesterday.

Apologies for my disgusting spelling - I am a bit vermished because she is my baby.