Thank you for booking your pet in with us to be desexed. For some, this can be a very hard decision but there are many factors that are a positive with desexing your pet. Please see the additional information below regarding desexing your pet.
What we assess on admission
Basic health check and history from you.
Is your pet microchipped and if not do you want this done?
Is your dog due for a heartworm booster?
Does your male pet have both testicles descended? Please see below
Does your pet have baby teeth that haven’t fallen out? In some cases we will recommend removal of these whilst under the anaesthetic which will incur additional fees.
Does your pet have an umbilical hernia? If yes, we will offer to repair this at the time of surgery which will incur an additional fee.
Does your dog have hind dew claws and would you like these removed? This will incur an additional fee, as well as bandage care.
Blood testing
We will always offer a blood test to be performed on your pet with every anaesthetic. Blood tests can give us information about your pets health that we can’t get from an exam alone. The aim of these bloods is to assess your pets hydration status, liver and kidney function to ensure they can tolerate the anaesthetic, as well as information on their white blood cells which can be an indication of underlying inflammation or infection. Please click here for more information about blood testing. Blood testing will incur an additional cost.
Female pets in season
Please be aware there are additional fees if your pet is in season as the blood supply to the ovaries and uterus is increased. To avoid the risk of possible surgical complications and any associated fees we recommend waiting 6-8 weeks after your dogs last season. For cats it can be hard to determine if they are in season as their reproductive cycle is different to dogs. Cats will cycle quickly if there is an entire male in the environment. Why is there an additional surcharge? We often require extra suture, disposables and additional time to perform these desexings. If you believe your pet may have been mated during this time please advise us of this.
Testicles
If your male pet hasn’t had both testicles descend into his scrotum yet, there is a higher importance to perform a castration in his earlier years to prevent future unwanted behaviours or cancerous lesions. Sometimes their testicles can be “held up” in areas they shouldn’t be. They can get stuck in the inguinal canal or in the abdomen and not descend at all. If your male pet has had this occur there will be additional charges to your pets surgery as this will no longer be “routine”.
Large Breed Dogs
If you have a large breed dog you may have been advised by the veterinarian to wait a little longer before desexing them. Please be aware you may be required to have a consultation and health check done on your pet prior to booking them in depending on the timeframe from your pet’s last health check. This should have been advised at booking and will incur a consult fee. There may also be a mature fee if your pet is older than 2 years of age. Why? Ligaments become tougher and vessels become larger which can require extra suture materials, disposables and time for the procedure.
Desexing Tattoo
All cats and dogs desexed in Queensland require a small circle with a line tattooed into their left ear. This identifies they have been desexed. In most cases this is barely noticeable after a couple of months.
Aftercare
The first night your pet may be a bit off their food due to feeling a little nauseous from the anaesthetic. This is normal and to be expected. Your pet may want to urinate more frequently due to having IV fluids during their procedure (excluding male cats).
In most cases a light dressing will be placed over your pet’s wound. This will generally be removed in 3 days at home by yourself. Please advise us if you don’t think you can do this and we can book a time with a nurse.
Check the wound daily at home and let us know if you have any concerns along the way.
A suture check +/- removal of sutures is done on day 10-14. For older patients leaving sutures in until day 14 may be recommended. During this time your pet can not get wet/swim or have a bath. Limited exercise is to be had during this time and we always recommend cats stay indoors during this time.
Elizabethan Collars (E-collar)
All pets will be sent home with an e-collar post surgery. We will always recommend that these collars stay on until the wound has healed. Some people may decide to take these collars off if watching their pet 100% of the time to ensure they DO NOT lick or chew at their sutures. Some people may need to remove the collar so their pet can eat but it must be put straight back on afterwards. If you believe your pet can reach around their collar please come back ASAP to get a bigger size.
Sedatives
If you are struggling to keep your pet quiet post surgery please don’t hesitate to give us a call and discuss the option of sedatives. In some situations this can be the best thing to do to keep your pet quiet so they do not hurt themselves in recovery. If you believe you will need these from the get go don’t hesitate to ask on the morning of surgery when we are going through the consent form with you.