Ethel's Spay

On Friday 1st May, our Ethel was spayed (also called neutered). She is not going to be a mum in her life, and therefore we decided it would be the right thing to do, getting this done. She is now on the road to recovery, however will be restricted to rest for a week. She won't appreciate not being able to run and play, but she will soon be back to her normal self and it will be as this never happened for her. She is one brave girl.

Rest is on the menu for my brave girl.

So what is spaying, and what happens, and why is it available? Well, spaying is a procedure taken out by a vet to prevent pregnancies in bitches. Owners of female dogs who do not want their dogs to have puppies, or risk the chance, choose to get their bitches spayed. Spaying is known to help prevent some illnesses in entire bitches, however there are arguments on either side. It is, simply the choice of the owner. This operation removes both ovaries and the entire reproductive tract down to the level of the cervix. This is in bitches; The male version is castration, which removes the dog's testicles when carried out. Although spaying is mainly carried out in bitches to prevent unwanted pregnancies, it reaps many other benefits, too, such as helping to prevent false pregnancies, womb infections, and the bitch will also never come into season again. Once the operation has been carried out, the bitch will be woken from her general anaesthetic, where she will need constant TLC and rest until the wound has healed. The wound will be located on the dog's lower belly. If you notice any abnormalities, such as leaking and excessive bleeding, another visit to the vets is needed. You will also be booked in for a post-op check up around a week or less later, so the vet can assess how she is healing. Until the wound is healed up, your girl will need to either wear an Elizabethan collar, a large collar which surrounds the head, preventing her reaching the wound to lick and irritate, or, she could even wear an adapted baby grow, in which we have chosen for Ethel to wear. She can sleep comfortably in her baby grow, and it prevents her getting at the wound.

We are joining our hosts Dachshund Nola and Sugar The Golden Retriever for the Black and White Sunday Blog Hop. We send many thanks their way, and you can join in below.