Johnsons Veterinary Products Bitch Spray,X-Large

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It is important that clients are fully informed of potential risks/benefits of spaying, but without clear objective information it is difficult to do so. Like humans, dogs are often a bit woozy as they come round, so she will be placed in a cage with soft warm bedding and kept under observation. Usually they will wake up uneventfully and then sleep it off for the rest of the day. After-care Shake the Johnson’s Bitch Spray can before use. Spray the can from about 30cm (12”). Apply a half-second spray to each side of the hind quarters, also under the hind legs and base of tail. Spray twice daily, particularly before exercise. Your bitch should be kept on a lead to avoid any undue risk. If possible, commence spraying two to three days before the Season starts and continue daily until several days after termination. It would also be helpful to spray around doors and gates of the house. At most it could maybe have a use to allow a bitch to take a short walk on lead past a dogs house and maybe keep him from getting too excited.

Figure 3. The uterus and ovaries from a 2yo Springer Spaniel following routine ovariohysterectomy. Note the cyst on the left ovary: this was an incidental finding at surgery. I know you have likely taken the earlier advice but just to be clear more for others reading this in the future than you necessarily Unfortunately, there is little agreement in the available literature on the optimum age for spaying. As mentioned above, the evidence for reduction in mammary tumours when spaying prepubertal bitches is scant, but there may be some merit in doing so ( Arlt et al, 2017). Similarly, the risks of post spay urinary incontinence are not fully known (Beauvais et al; 2002), although the general recommendation is to delay spaying until after 3–4 months in some breeds ( Howe, 2015), possibly later than 12 months in certain larger breeds ( Hart et al, 2016). Again, both of these studies were retrospective, and dealt with quite restricted populations of bitches, so the evidence is far from conclusive. It would make sense that bitches in rescue centres should be considered for juvenile spaying, as this reduces the risk of unwanted litters; it is less clear what advice to give private owners. The author currently advises his clients to consider juvenile spaying (3 months onwards) for bitches whose ultimate weight is likely to be <15 kg, and 6 months of age for those with an expected adult weight of >15 kg. Ovariohysterectomy or ovariectomy? My own opinion is that most bitches should be spayed because of the health benefits. My boxer bitch Tilly was recently spayed. Deciding when to spay

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Various studies have shown that spaying can increase the relative risk of various cancers, such as osteosarcoma, mast cell tumour, lymphosarcoma and haemangiosarcoma ( Hoffman et al, 2013; Howe, 2015), and also increases the risk of bone and joint disease such as cranial cruciate ligament rupture ( Wilke, et al, 2002; Torres de la Riva et al, 2013). However, it is important to bear in mind that these increases in risk are small, and amount to a few percent rise in the incidence of these diseases. It is also important to bear in mind that there are very likely breed-specific relative risks ( Torres de la Riva et al, 2013), and we cannot at present generalise on risks for all dog breeds. It is also worth noting that all of these findings are retrospective studies and cannot reliably demonstrate a causal link between spaying and risk of developing health problems.

Figure 5. Laparoscopic spay procedure. Two small portals are used to manipulate the scope and instruments. Please note: Each batch may vary from consistency, colour and scent due to being natural and handmade. For all of these reasons, the time chosen to spay is usually either before the first season occurs, or 3-4 months after a season. A physical examination by the vet will determine whether a 5-6 month old bitch puppy is mature enough to spay before her first season. Before the operation

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Unfortunately, despite a wealth of literature, there is little or no conclusive evidence for risks of, e.g. urinary incontinence, or for potential advantages, e.g. reduction of mammary tumours. If this happens, she may be acting as if she is nursing pups and the operation at this time would cause such sudden changes in hormone levels that it would be unfair to her. Also if she was producing milk, the enlargement of the milk glands would make it more difficult for the spay wound to heal. Sadly, there is no one answer to all these questions, so some controversy must necessarily remain: however, a review of some of the literature may help the practice nurse advise clients better on their neutering decisions. Should we spay?

This is important, as there is an increasing trend to laparoscopic ( Figures 4 and 5), or ‘keyhole’ spaying, which most commonly involves ovariectomy. There are various advantages to laparoscopic spaying ( Corriveau et al, 2017; Nylund et al, 2017): perhaps most importantly the reduced need for post-operative resting and lead walking. In most cases, the bitch may exercise off the lead from 24–48 hours post surgery. The procedure seems to be less painful, also; possibly due to reduced traction on the ovarian ligament. Various pieces of equipment will then be connected up to monitor the anaesthetic. This is a skilled job which would usually be carried out by a qualified veterinary nurse. Apart from the operating table, the instruments and the anaesthetic machine, a lot of specialised equipment will be on “stand by” in case it is needed.At the moment, it is difficult to recommend a universal policy on spaying. Any discussion with a client or owner must take into account the client's wishes and expectations, as well as the experiences and preferences of the practice. In general, the benefits of spaying outweigh the risks. KEY POINTS While the bitch is being prepared for surgery as mentioned above, the surgeon will be “scrubbing up” and putting on sterile clothing (gown, gloves, hat & mask) just as in all television surgical drama programmes. The surgical instruments will have been sterilised in advance and are opened and laid out at the start of the operation. Performing spay surgery on a bitch is one of the most common surgeries undertaken at first opinion veterinary practices. It is also one of the most controversial surgeries, with many people (veterinary surgeons, nurses and lay people) having firm views on three main aspects: However, a systematic review of clinical papers by Beauvais et al in 2012 found only weak statistical evidence to suggest that spaying at any age increased the risk of urinary incontinence, and concluded that present evidence is not strong enough to provide any recommendation on the best age to perform spay to avoid incontinence, or even whether spaying causes urinary incontinence. Obesity Responsible dog ownership and responsible dog breeding seldom go hand-in-hand: figures from the Dogs Trust suggest that around 50 000 dogs are abandoned each year ( https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34413490). Clearly, neutering will help reduce the risk of unwanted litters (although it will not necessarily improve responsible breeding).