Spaying & my Fears...Questions too

[Pam & Trixie]

So Trixie will be Spayed in January...I waited until after her first heat because she had Puppy vaginitis.

Which 'seems' to be gone now that she has been in heat.

 

So I need to decide if I should go with the old Traditional Scalpel Surgery or Laser ($71 more) Which Isnt the main issue...But it is still there...our Estimate from our vet is $340-$760 for her Spay...Chipping is $63...Which I will have done- but it seems rather high.

 

I need to call them with my questions...

Some of the items on the High end Estimate:

 

IV fluids & Pump is an additional $67...Im not sure what this is...if they need it?

Xray the hips $98...I thought that was done after 2 years of age to check for hip dysplasia...?

Therapeutic Laser Post Op...$17.50. I have no idea what that is.

Post Op Pain control $22.50...Will she maybe not need this...if Laser is done?

Post Op Analgesia  $22.50- Again...These last 2 are listed only in the High Column

 

There is also Pain Managment listed $9-$50 (Low -Hi)

 

I have owned 4 dogs that I had Spayed...One had Piometria- ER Surgery.

2 Were under the age of 2...All of them were Scalpel.

 

My Last dog was spayed at 6 years with the Laser & She had Urinary Incontinence starting about 10 months after her surgery... Coincidence??  

So thats my fear.

 

Cone head- $18- Have one of them already.

 

 

[Bonnie and Kona]

Oh goodness, Pam, you must feel so badly for her. Poor little girl. I hope she begins to fee much, much better tomorrow.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

So sorry to hear this! It does sound like she is feeling "funny and pulls" rather than pain. She knows something is different and it may scare her a bit.  Then she goes to her safe place! It's good that she is not crying though and that is what makes me think it is probably what you are suspecting and not pain. Plus the fact that she is sleeping well at night when she isn't moving. Movement must make the incision feel funny to her. 

Does she have stitches that need to be removed or are they the type that dissolve?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Poor Trixie and poor you. I really, really hope she starts to feel better soon!

[Denise & Sophie]

I hope Trixie has a better nite and tomorrow she feels better. Sophie was spayed this month. She wasn't sent home with a cone (I was told to put a t shirt on her). She was fine first 2 days home but I think she was too active because the 3rd day she started moaning. I gave her baby asprin and took her back to vet on Mon. Which was the 5th day. She chewed her stitches out I guess Sun nite. He gave me an ointment to put on her incision and said she was fine. We live in a small town and I have had my vet for over 20 yrs. I paid $180.00. For spaying, kennel cough shot and micro chip. There is another vet practice in town ( I think there are 3 vets). I know they are more expensive.

[Pam & Trixie]

Tuesday morning Trixie finally started to feel better & Not be spooked anymore!

Last night she was able to find a spot to lay within 5 minutes.

And today right away.

 

She does have to have her stitches removed early next week...I wish they were disolvable...I wonder what is the deciding factor that vets use on which they use.

 

She is still wearing the cone of shame.  I do keep it off her when I can watch her like a hawk...But thats the only time as she does lick right away.

Dh looked at the soft cone head & vetoed it...It was black & 2" deeper...he decided she would hate that even more.

Oh, forgot to say she is back to wantign to Play! She shook with excitement when my Daughter s

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Great news!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I asked my friend Wikipedia about the sutures. Maybe your vet wanted Trixie to have a prettier scar : )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surgical_suture

[Theresa and Doodle Dagny]

I called recently on my doodle to get an estimate.  She will be at least 7 mos before we spay because she has an entroprion eye lid and the vet wants to wait until she's almost grown to do everything at once (doesn't want the entropion to come back).  With the spay (scalpel/iv's, meds), chip ($30), and eye surgery we're looking at $600 max.  We're assuming she'll be around 50 lbs at that time. 

[Theresa and Doodle Dagny]

I was just reading through discussions I've responded to (looking for something specific and I can't find it!), and came across this one.  How timely.  

UPDATE: Dagny had her surgery two days ago.  Total cost for 50 lb, 1 year old doodle (ended first heat cycle about a month ago) - entropion repair, scalpel spay, microchip - came to $500.  We are using the large, plastic cone e-collar during times that we are not with her.  This part has been the most traumatic for her so far.  She's terrified of the cone.  But I give her treats when we put it on and take it off.  The first night after surgery was difficult.  She cried from the moment we brought her home until well into the night - literally nonstop.  The next morning, though, she was back to my normal girl.  No licking or fussing with the surgical sites at all yet.

Updating for others who may search for a discussion like this in the future :)

[F, Calla & Luca]

Good news.

[Amy and Annabelle]

Annabelle is being spayed and micro chipped tomorrow. My vet won't do spays on small dogs before 6 months and large dogs 9 months. Annabelle is 6 months old today and weighs 11lbs, she is also 11" at the withers. She is a mini golden doodle. Small dog spay is $130 and micro chip is $36. IV's, pain meds and cones are extra.  I have a little sweater for her that I wanted her to wear afterward. She is a licker so she would be one to mess up her sutures. I really wanted her done at 5 months because I didn't want her going into heat. Luckily she hasn't. However last time I was at the vet with Annabelle one of the dogs in for spaying had gone into heat right then. She was in the cage with her brother and they had to grab her out of there fast. So I guess I can't say I'm out of the woods yet.

[M Kol]

We had the same questions with our puppy. 

We didn't get her chipped.

We didn't get x-rays.

We did get the laser.  This resulted in having her glued shut so no sutures to remove.

We did get the clear cone

We did get IV fluids and pain control.

We did get post-op pain control - but, we didn't need it much. It may have helped her pain, but she also had a lot of distress with her digestive/excretion. After we stopped the pain meds her digestion/excretion became better.

We had a dog before with scalpel before laser was an option.  She was in a lot more pain we think.  We don't know for sure, but she made more noise (moaning) and had more trouble moving.

Our puppy with the laser - the incision healed very nicely. 

Of course, they both recovered.

Good luck to everyone whose puppy goes through this, no matter what the choices are (there are so many)!