Keyhole or Laparoscopic Bitch Spay

In a conventional spay, the ligaments connecting the ovaries to the abdomen have to be stretched, which causes pain. With keyhole spaying these ligaments are cauterised and cut, which is significantly less painful.

Due to the positioning of the instruments, is it necessary to clip a large area of hair on the sides and the belly. This ensures the area is sterile for surgery.

All incisions are closed with either dissolvable stitches under the skin (no need to remove) or external stitches (these need to be removed). Most pets do not pay attention to the wounds, however, it is important to ensure they don’t lick. Every pet gets a comfortable body suit to wear for a few days after the procedure.

For a conventional spay pets need to rest for 10-14days, with keyhole procedures the rest time is just 2-3 days so long as the recovery goes as planned.

Most pets are very comfortable after keyhole surgery. We administer pain medication on the day of their operation, and we provide 48 hours follow on pain relief as a precaution.

Many studies have been performed looking into the risk of leaving the uterus behind. So long as the ovaries are fully removed, there is no benefit to the patient of removing the uterus. In order to develop pyometra, hormones are required, which come from the ovaries. Therefore, without ovaries, it is not possible to develop these conditions. If we see that the uterus looks abnormal during the procedure, we may be able to remove it laparoscopically or may advise converting to open surgery to do so.

The effect of both surgeries is the same. Spayed females will not have seasons, cannot become pregnant, and will not develop false pregnancies. Spayed animals cannot develop life-threatening uterine infections (pyometra) or ovarian tumours.

In addition, spaying a female dog before her third season has been proven to reduce the risk of developing mammary cancers later in life.