Spaying your female pet can provide them with a variety of health benefits. Did you know that there is more than one option for the procedure? In this article, our Apple Valley vets discuss laparoscopic spay surgery for dogs and cats, highlighting its differences from traditional surgery and its benefits.
What is Laparoscopic Spay Surgery?
When it comes to spaying surgery for your pet, both traditional and laparoscopic surgery achieve the same result: sterilization. One benefit of laparoscopic surgery compared to traditional spay surgery is that it minimizes invasiveness and enables your pet to return to running around sooner!
Laparoscopic Spay Technique
While performing laparoscopic spaying, veterinary surgeons typically create one to three small incisions along the abdominal body wall. They then insert the camera and surgical instruments through these incisions to carry out the procedure.
CO2 gas is introduced into your pet's abdomen to enhance the visibility of internal organs and structures. The surgeon uses the camera to navigate the internal area and transmits the images digitally to a screen in the operating room.
This enables the veterinary surgeon to complete the procedure without the need to enter the abdominal cavity physically. Once the blood vessels are sealed, the surgeon carefully removes the ovaries of your cat or dog.
The Difference Between Laparoscopic and Traditional Spay Surgery
Regardless of the sterilization method that your pet undergoes, general anesthesia will be used on your cat or dog. Your pet will require thorough diagnostic testing to confirm the status of their health prior to surgery, ensuring that they can withstand the anesthesia and the procedure itself.
Both methods are effective, but laparoscopic surgery for cats and dogs involves making smaller incisions, which results in less tissue trauma, reduces bleeding, and lowers the risk of infection.
Benefits of Laparoscopic Spay Surgery For Dogs and Cats
There are a number of benefits that are seen when laparoscopic surgery is used for spaying, such as:
- Smaller incisions
- Shorter time in surgery
- Less bleeding
- Faster wound healing
- Quicker recovery time
- Less painful
While laparoscopic spaying surgery is beneficial in many ways, there are still certain circumstances that require the traditional spay technique, such as when there is an infection of cancer present in the uterus. If your dog or cat is in heat, then their veterinary surgeon will likely also recommend waiting until the heat has passed before performing any spaying technique.
How is Recovery After a Spaying Surgery?
If the surgery went well and had no complications, the vet surgeon will likely release your dog or cat on the same day. Your pet may feel fairly drowsy due to general anesthesia when you bring them home.
For the first day, only allow your pet to go outside for quick bathroom breaks and gentle walking for the first two days. Your pet should be able to resume their typical daily activities within 2 to 3 days post-op.
Your pet's surgeon will schedule a checkup with your dog or cat approximately 7 days after the spaying surgery to ensure the incision is healing well and there are no complications. If you notice any bleeding, discharge, or discoloration around the incision, contact your Apple Valley vet as soon as possible.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.
