Dog Spaying Methods

According to the Humane Society, animal shelters euthanize half of the 6 to 8 million pets entering them each year. Pet owners that have veterinarians or animal shelters spay their female dogs can help prevent shelter overcrowding and euthanizing. Veterinarians offer two types of spaying methods: traditional surgery and laser surgery. For both methods, the veterinarian will perform an ovariohysterectomy to remove the dog's uterus and ovaries so that she will not have puppies.

  1. Traditional Surgery

    • Traditional surgery is the most common way to spay a dog. To prepare for surgery, the veterinarian places the dog under anesthesia. He cleans the incision site and makes a small incision below the dog's belly. The veterinarian removes the uterus and ovaries through the incision and closes the inner wounds with dissolvable sutures. The veterinarian closes the outer wound with more substantial sutures or staples. In 9 or 10 days, the veterinarian can remove these.

    Laser Surgery

    • Some veterinarian offices are equipped to spay dogs using laser technology. Laser surgery is a relatively new way of spaying and not all veterinarians offer it. Like traditional surgery, the veterinarian places the dog under anesthesia before the operation. He uses a laser instead of a scalpel to separate the dog's reproductive organs. While laser surgery is less painful than traditional surgery, it takes longer for the dog to fully recover. It is also more expensive.

    Considerations

    • Each spaying method has pros and cons. Laser surgery is more expensive than traditional surgery because the veterinarians have to undergo specific training in order to learn how to use the equipment. Specialized laser equipment also costs more than common surgical tools. Dogs spayed with a laser feel better faster than traditionally spayed dogs, but the healing process is slower. Because pain is not indicative of internal injury, laser-spayed dogs are more likely to re-aggravate their injuries with energetic playing too soon after surgery. Traditionally spayed dogs heal faster. However, traditionally spayed dogs have a tendency to lick the incision site, which can lead to infection. They also suffer more short-term pain.