Blood work for dog getting spayed - Page 1

I have a 4.5 year old female gsd that I wanted to get spayed.  I made the appoitment for the end of this week, but they just called and said they needed to do bloodwork before they could do the procedure.  She has already been under anethesia to get her hips done for OFA and a second time to have a tooth removed when it was broken.  They said they need to do this for dogs over 2 years old.  Another lady at the office told me it was optional, and I thought since she has been under a couple of times she should be ok.  I definetly want to make sure she is safe, but I dont want to waste money on something I dont need.  Does anyone know if this is neccessary?

most surgeons wont touch older dogs/cats unless blood work is done...otherwise if something happens they are responsible besides i think its only $45.00 to get it done.

OK, thanks! 

my vet says when they hit 5 years they need the test, so much has changed as they get older.

Does anyone know what they are checking for?  When I asked on the phone they just told me it was to make sure she didnt react badly to the anethesia.  

They can't tell how they react to anesthesia with bloodwork. It gives them a baseline on electrolytes and kidney function. I always have it done if my dogs are having surgery. That way, if they have problems post op you know what they were like beforehand. You also know if anything needs to be corrected prior to anesthesia.

This really burns my ass when Vets require bloodwork for surgery. As someone who has been in the medical field for years when a human is scheduled for surgery and pre op is required, basic bloodwork is done to test for clot factor and to make sure organs are functioning ok and no infection is present DAYS BEFORE surgery. Vets dont test for any of this. There is no way a vet will know how a dog will respond under anesthesia until the dog goes under. If the tests were truly necessary, then they shouldnt be optional (which I have told vets this in the past) We dont allow human patients the "option" to have bloodwork done. And if the person has a heart condition, then they are required to have cardiac clearance. Ive NEVER had a vet offer this even for a heart condition dog. I think its a way for vets to charge more because if they really cared, then the tests would be set up the same as for humans. be required AND the appropriate tests would be done (ie clotting time etc) within a couple days of the surgery. Not an hour before. Like what is that going to accomplish.

Dont get me started on Rymadyl for post op pain control. Grrrrrr! Hope your dog doesnt have complications and have to go back under. Then those tests you paid for that most likely didnt include clot times, will be useless and a dog could bleed out. 

If a vet requires it and your an establised patient, go elsewhere.

They said they do give pain meds after.  I didnt ask what they would be.  I have heard bad things about Rymadyl (sp?) as well.  Besides that, what other options are there for pain meds?  Would msm, asprin, or something different help? 

You can try morphine but it makes most dogs really loopy. If your going to ask for morphine I recommend crating them afterwards.  Barb

Great way for a Vet Hospital to pay for expensive equipment... yes if every dog under 8 is tested for each minor surgery it's possible that one or two out of a thousand may have an issue that would be detected... but the other 998 are doing little more than paying for the upkeep of the hospital.  The hospital I worked in did several spays each week, and unless there was a suspicion of something wrong no BT's were needed.  The Vet also spayed dogs thru an incision no more than 2" long (usually 1/2 that) unless there was an unusually uterus.  None of these 4-6" incisions that I've seen on other dogs.  The next morning the gals were up and around with hardly a hesitation... we didn't give pain meds unless they seemed uncomfortable... and in reality a little discomfort kept young athletic pups from trying to do calisthenics and risking ripping out sutures... 

The price of routine Veterinary care has gone thru the roof as an excess of medications, vaccinations and tests drive the prices up to where the average person is priced out of the market. 

Sorry, is much a pet peeve with me just now...     If you can afford the BT's go ahead, they won't hurt anything, However I still don't think in most cases they're needed.