spaying in older dogs is hard!

[Stacy]

Ava was spayed on Wednesday and she came home, got on the bed and pretty much didn’t leave it for three days. She’s good at resting, I’ll give her that.  She wouldn’t get up even if coaxed. I had to pick her up and put her on the floor so we could go outside. I’m glad she’s 65 pounds and not 100.  She could walk. She just didn’t want to. On another note, that dog can hold it forever.

Yesterday she started having some drainage from her incision. It was serosanguinous and odorless. She didn’t feel warm, and the incision itself wasn’t red. If it had been a patient I wouldn’t have been worried. So of course I was completely freaked out! Not so freaked out that I thought we needed the emergency vet, but we were at my vet’s office when they opened this morning.

So, she’s fine. She has some fluid built up beneath the skin. He said it was pretty common with older dogs (I wonder if she would have benefitted from having a drain for a few days) She got a shot of steroids and antibiotics and she’s already acting like she feels better. She felt well enough to jump off the couch and growl at my dad when he came over. That’s a subject for another day. As soon as she’s better I’m calling that trainer. It’s sort of nice that she wouldn’t let the boogey man get me, but she can’t protect me from my people.

 Anyway, she’s also having some vaginal discharge that the vet feels is probably related to her having been in heat recently before she was spayed. And don’t google possible causes for vaginal discharge in dogs after spaying because I freaked myself out even more.

Part of me wonders if I should have just left her intact. I wouldn’t have bred her. And they hadn’t had any success with breeding her for a while. That’s why I have her. I know there are health benefits to having her spayed, but I sure do feel guilty making her go through elective surgery. My poor sweet girl.  I am ready for her to be all healed. And sometimes it’s hard not to listen to that panicky voice in my head that is worried that she will have some terrible complication and die. The rational part knows she will be fine. But I sure do feel guilty.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Let me put your guilt about having her spayed to rest: 

Why should you get your female dog spayed? Here are three horrifying actual conditions that can happen to female dogs as they age when they are allowed to remain intact:

• Mammary gland tumors / breast cancers
• Perianal fistulae
• Pyometra

Pyometra is by far the most common outcome, exceeding both mammary tumors and perianal fistulae, of leaving a female dog intact. It is also the easiest to prevent by having your dog spayed. What is pyometra? Put simply, it is a condition in which pus accumulates within the uterus. Secondary infections that arise when a female dog develops pyometra are even more dangerous to her health and requires immediate care to prevent death.

How does all this get started? In the standard estrous cycle, white blood cells do not enter the uterus while the organ’s lining thickens to prepare for pregnancy. If there is no pregnancy, that lining is not sloughed off and excreted, as in the human menstrual cycle, but absorbed over time back into the body. After several consecutive estrous cycles without a pregnancy, cysts can begin to form in what remains of the uterine lining. If the cervix closes and bacteria are present in the uterus, the infection can take hold.

I don't think we need to go into the risks and horrors of mammary cancers and perianal fistulae as well, the above should be enough to convince you that you absolutely did the right thing. 

Guilt begone! 

[Stacy]

Those are all terrible things! I'm glad she doesn't have to worry about that anymore. I just wish I could make it easier for her. She's been very stoic about the whole thing. We've done a lot of snuggling. And I'm sure she forgives me. Sadly, I'm very good at finding things to feel guilty for. I'm sure I'll come up with something else soon!

Thanks Karen!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

She'll be just fine and I am positive that she forgives you, lol. In fact, I think she'd thank you if she could, and not just for this. :)

[Stacy]

Thanks! She's a really special girl. I can't imagine how anyone could not just adore her. 

She starts 10 days of keflex tomorrow, and I would rather not ruin her perfectly formed stools. I have provable, and I know I'm supposed to separate it from the antibiotic as much as possible. Should I still just give her one a day? And how long after she's off the antibiotic do you suggest we continue? 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'd give the probiotics for a couple of weeks after you discontinue the Keflex. I think one a day should be fine, but two wouldn't hurt, lol.

Cephalexin nauseates JD; it helps to give him a generic Pepcid about 30 minutes before the antibiotic. You might want to consider doing that with Ava. 

[Stacy]

That's really good to know. I think I have some pepcid around here somewhere - and I don't even think it's expired by 10 years. You have a ton of knowledge about human drugs that I never would have guessed that dogs could have. It's extremely helpful. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Unfortunately, I got that knowledge the hard way, courtesy of a very sweet, very unhealthy Labradoodle, and his many veterinary specialists. :) 

[Stacy]

He is so lucky to have you, and we are so lucky to benefit from all of your knowledge!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Stacy, You did the right thing and Ava will be fine. It is hard watching them suffer, especially since they don't understand what is happening. Fudge was spayed around 7 months and we went through a time with her incision. I thought it would never get better and it did and she is as feisty as ever :) Good luck and keep us posted.

[Stacy]

Poor Fudge. I'm glad it all turned out okay. Katie was spayed at 8 months and had a suture reaction. She acted like she was both dying and going to eat me if I tried to look at it. But she too got through it and is no worse for the wear. I just want Ava to hurry and heal so we can have fun! I left her home for an hour and a half today to take Katie to the park and I know Ava would have liked to go. The only car ride she got today was back to the vet. 

[Lynda Kamrath]

Yikes.  I am right at the stage of deciding when spaying would be best.  MonaChica is five months old and about 40 lbs.  The vet said about six months or before first heat (however you determine that?).  She will be six months the middle of November.  Before the holidays?

[Stacy]

I have had experience with the spaying of three dogs. My first, Olivia, jumped off the couch the day after I brought her home from her spay and broke her leg. The broken leg overshadowed the spay by a lot. She had no issues at all with the spay. Katie with her very common suture reaction was being a bit of a drama queen. And Ava and her incisional drainage, which was complicated by her age and all the litters of pups that she's had. And as hard as all of them have been on *me* the dogs have all been fine. 

Katie is the only one who I got as a pup and got to really decide the timing. I was going to do it at 6 months but then postponed it until she was 8 months because that was when I had an extended time to stay home and watch her. That was the big thing for me. I didn't want to bring her home from surgery and turn around and go right back to work. My big fear is always that they are going to rip their sutures out and make a huge mess. So I would do it when it's convenient for you. Katie hadn't gone into heat when I had her spayed, but I'm not sure there is any guarantee about when they will for the first time. 

It's been a pretty low key week. I've watched a lot of netflix. Read doodlekisses, tried not to get worked up about political postings on facebook and watched the dog sleep. But she's doing well now. And I'm sure she would have been fine if I hadn't been here every second too. It is possible that I'm a little over protective of the dogs. 

Good luck to MonaChica! I'm sure she will do great.