Spaying Your Dog

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Canine OvariohysterectomyA Procedure Description

By Julie Welebir

Figure I: Canine Ovariohysterectomy Procedure

What is Canine Ovariohysterectomy?

With much of American s owning pets today, ovariohysterectomy has become a

pretty routine surgical procedure for both dogs and cats. Ovariohysterectomy is alsoknown as spaying and is the complete removal of the female reproductive tract. It isdone to prevent a female dog from becoming impregnated, essentially sterilizing them.This procedure is equivalent to the neutering procedure in male dogs and is mandatory,by law, if adopting from a shelter.

In this surgical procedure there are multiple steps involved, starting with the useof anesthesia and ending with the stitching of the incision. Anesthesia is done first andforemost to provide the animal with comfort during the surgery itself and without it theanimal would be in a large amount of pain. The procedure involves the removal of theovaries, oviducts, uterine horns, and uterus. The surgery also removes the source of progesterone and estrogen that would normally be produced in the body and play animportant role in maintaining pregnancy.

In addition to preventing dogs from becoming pregnant, the procedure preventsdogs from going into heat, from getting breast cancer, and from getting uterineinfections later in life (known as pyometra). Overall, this procedure can save a female


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pet s life and can prevent the number of homeless dogs from increasing. Millions of dogs are euthanized each year because they are strays and this procedure decreasesthis problem significantly.

What are the Components of the Female Canine Reproductive Tract?

There are many components of the canine reproductive tract and each has aspecific function in the reproduction process. Overall, the components of the femalecanine reproductive tract are quite similar to the reproductive tract in the humanfemale.

Figure 2: Female Canine Reproductive Tract

a) Ovaries: The beginning of the female reproductive tract, where the ova (eggs) andmany of the hormones responsible for induction of heat cycles and maintenance of pregnancy are produced. When a female puppy is born, every egg that will ever bereleased by her ovaries is already present.


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b) Oviducts: The area of the tract composed of tiny tubes that run between the ovariesand the uterine horns. This is the location where fertilization occurs (uniting of thesperm and egg) to form a mature egg.

c)

Uterine Horns: Muscular section of the uterus between the uterine body andoviducts. These can vary greatly in length and diameter from dog to dog, butgenerally increase in diameter during pregnancy and increase in thickness duringheat. Most puppies will develop within the uterine horns during pregnancy.

d) Cervix: Where the uterus ends in the female dog, leading into the vagina.

e) Vagina: Fibromuscular tubular tract that leads from the interior of the female dog sreproductive tract to the exterior of the body.

What does the Procedure Involve?

Pre-surgical:

The surgical procedure can vary slightly from veterinarian to veterinarianbut in general has most aspects in common. The procedure is preceded by acomplete physical examination, a blood test for a pre-anesthetic, a small

sedative to calm the dog prior to general anesthesia, and finally the actualgeneral anesthesia. All of these steps are critical before the surgical procedureitself can be performed.

After these precautions are taken, the dog is hooked up to a monitor andthe vital signs are checked. If all readings (such as heart rate and blood pressure)are normal, then the surgical procedure is ready to be preformed.

Surgical:

Application of Betadine Surgical Scrub: The surgery begins with the addition of a scrub containing betadine (atopical antiseptic containing the chemical povidone-iodine). Thisscrub is somewhat sudsy like soap and has the power to kill bacteriaand viruses. The solution is added to the area of the skin where theincision will take place in order to prevent any form of infectionduring the surgical procedure. This preparation is very important in


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preventing serious complications caused by infection during and afterthe surgery.

Figure 3: Scrubbing for surgery.

Incisions:Throughout the surgical procedure multiple incisions are needed beyond

the outer skin layer. The initial incision is about 3-5 inches in length and ismade near the umbilicus (navel or belly button in humans), in the verticaldirection of the tail.

Figure 4: First incision

The second incision made is in the tissue directly underneath the skin,known as the subcutaneous layer which consists of mainly fat and smallerblood vessels. The smaller blood vessels will bleed but should stop after afew minutes. If they do not stop within this time, they are sometimesclamped or cauterized (closed off through use of extreme heat).


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Figure 5: Secondary incision

The last incision that needs to be made before reaching the internal areaof the abdomen is known as the linea alba (a layer of muscle located inthe center of the abdomen which is covered by a tough layer of tissue).The proper suturing of this layer is critical in order to hold the diaphragm

together and prevent formation of hernias. Forceps are used to hold thetissue up and a scalpel is used to make the incision.

Figure 6: Third incision

A scissors will often times be used in order to lengthen the incision in thelinea alba, but must be used with care in order to prevent puncturing anyinternal organs like the bladder.


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Figure 7: Scissors use

Locating the Uterus and Ovaries:After making all necessary incisions, the uterus needs to be locatedwithin the abdomen for removal. In many cases a tool known as a spay

hook is used to dig underneath abdominal organs and pull out one of theuterine horns. This horn is then used to locate the ovaries and eventuallygently pull those through the small incision as well. (The entire procedureis repeated for each ovary, one at a time)

Figure 8: Location of the uterus and ovaries (The arrow shows the ovary)

Applying the Clamps:Clamps are then used cut off most of the blood supply to the ovary andprevent hemorrhaging. The clamps will make it easier to insert a sutureand will stop the flow of the blood from the abdomen to the ovary.

Usually three clamps are used with the first being place to the left of theovary, the second above the first, and the third to the right of the ovary.All of the tissue that lies to the right of the second clamp will be cut off and removed during the surgical procedure (shown by the arrow).


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Figure 9: Clamping off tissue

Removing the Tissue and Suturing:After preparing the tissue for removal through use of clamps, the tissuelocated directly within the second and third clamp is removed throughuse of the surgical scissors. This removal of the tissue includes the

removal of the third clamp.

Figure 10: Removal of third clamp

Two sutures are then placed underneath each ovary to replace theclamps. The surgeon can then use the still attached ovaries to locate thecervix and gently slide it out of the abdomen through the same incision.

Figure 11: Ovaries still attached


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After the cervix and remaining body of the uterus has been located,clamps can be placed at the base of the cervix. The clamped off area,containing the uterine body and the two ovaries, is cut away through useof a scalpel. Stitches are then inserted under the clamped off area, as

they were in the case of the ovaries. After the sutures are in place, theclamps are able to be removed and the cervix is placed back into theabdominal cavity.

Figure 12: Clamping off the Cervix

Suturing of the Initial Incisions:The first tissue layer to be sutured is the linea alba. As stated previously,this suturing is very important and needs to be done in a careful manner.Strong and secure suture material, such as stainless steel, must be usedin order to ensure minimal tissue damage.

Figure 13: Suturing of the Linea alba

The next tissue layer that is closed up is the subcutaneous layer (tissueimmediately under the outer skin layer). This layer is not as muscular asthe linea alba but should still be sutured with care. In addition, the suturematerial used is much different than the stainless steel in the sense thatit dissolved over a period of a few months.


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Figure 14: Suturing of the subcutaneous layer

The final layer to be sutured is the outer skin layer. Sutures can be placedon the outside and removed within seven to ten weeks or can be placedunder the skin and will dissolve on their own. Finally, a pain injection is

dispensed in order to relax the dog after waking and allow the healingprocess to begin immediately.

Figure 15: Suturing of the outer skin layer

Post-surgical:

Many dogs are either released the same afternoon as the surgery or theday after the surgery. Due to the pain injection given immediately following theprocedure, the dog may be slightly disoriented when she returns home and maynot have much of an appetite because of the anesthesia. Therefore, only a smallamount of food or water is offered about an hour after returning home from thehospital. Some dogs will be hungrier than others and more food will be given.Dogs that have undergone this surgery should not be extremely active outdoorsfor a few days or until the outer incision wound has healed.

Though these post-operative instructions seem limiting and severe, itwould be much more debilitating, not to mention devastating, if the dog were todevelop cancer or extremely painful uterine infections later on in life. Inaddition, this procedure prevents more dogs without a home from becomingpregnant and giving birth to more stray puppies. The procedure saves lives bypreventing dogs from ending up in overcrowded shelters and from reaching an

extremely upsetting fate.


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Information Sources:

1) Major Source: "Canine Spay." Long Beach Animal Hospital . Web. 29 Mar. 2010.

.

2) "Spaying - Procedure & Recovery - Animalhealthchannel." Animalhealthchannel, Your

Animal Health Community - Developed by Veterinarians - Animalhealthchannel . Web. 29

Mar. 2010. .

3) "Spaying (Ovariohysterectomy) Female Dogs." Dog, Cat, and Pet Care Tips, Health

and Behavior Information by Veterinarians . Web. 29 Mar. 2010.

.4) "ACVS - Ovariohysterectomy." American College of Veterinary Surgeons . Web. 29 Mar. 2010.

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