Spaying an older bitch - Page 2

I will do it. I don't want anything bad to happen to her, I'm just sad I never got a replacement from her. But I have my looney-tunes Belschik g-daughter to keep me busy. 

The Vet I worked for was a wonder!  Though he was primarily a Large Animal Vet... he could spay even very large deep chested dogs thru an incision that was only 2" long, and close it with a special stitch that left no scar at all.  He was an absolute wonder with a blade and I do miss assisting in surgery with him.   Just a ^5 to Dr. Kent T. Kay from Millerton, NY... hell of a surgeon and one of the worlds best people to work for. 

 Know anybody in the Sacramento area? 

Hey I took your advice, decided to go with a laparoscopic spay. It's only about a hundred bucks more, and I hear that the recovery is WAY quicker. So that is that! Thanks, all. 

I've known your vet, Autumn Davidson, for nearly 25 years. She is absolutely top notch. Moreover, she is a well-established breeder (of Labs) in her own right. Also, works at a specialty practice in Rohnert Park.

By all means, have the surgery done by the soft tissue surgeons at the VMTH. For one thing, the spay/neuter fund is underwritten--flat rate (in males, no extra charge for a cryptorchid)--no matter how complicated--including blood work and hospitalization.

Your bitch will be hooked up to every monitoring device known to man/god: including: IV fluids, Doppler, blood gases, ECG, respiratory monitor, etc. You will have different surgery technicians  and anesthesia techs.

I would not recommend a laparoscopic spay.  IMO, better to get inside a bitch her age and take a look at the surrounding organs/tissues. For all you know, she may have some ovarian cysts tightly attached to the intestines or an incipient splenomegaly (prior to hemangiosarcoma).