We understand that desexing your pet is a big decision. It is natural to worry about being parted from your pet. It is a long day for most pet owners.

What is involved?

Quakers Hill Veterinary Hospital takes bookings for desexings on any weekday. A few days notice is normally fine. Occasionally your day of choice may not be available due to prior bookings. All eight of our veterinarians are competent surgeons. You may elect a veterinarian whom you feel most comfortable or best knows your animal to perform the procedure.

Generally, we ask the patients to be dropped off to the hospital between 8.30 & 10.30am on the day of the procedure. Drinks of water may be given but no food after 9pm the previous night, ie, no breakfast. We understand morning admits can be difficult with respect to peak hour travel to work. We can offer 2 options:

  1. admit the patient the previous weekday evening usually between 5.30 – 8.00pm (the overnight stay is no extra cost); or
  2. book a specific time with the receptionist to admit at 7.45am or 8am on the day of the procedure.

After admission, the animal is given a general health check especially noting the cardiovascular function (heart rate, rhythm and any evidence of murmur; mucous membrane colour and moisture; capillary refill time; and pulse rate and pressure). To further enhance safety, we offer a pre-anaesthetic blood profile which assesses proteins, glucose, red cell volume, and liver and kidney function. This rules out underlying metabolic dysfunction which your pet may have been born with or developed. Results are returned within 10minutes.

Your pet will receive a pre-medication to start pain relief and minimise anxiety. This promotes relaxation, safety and comfort. In most cases, an intravenous anaesthetic agent is administered so we can place a tube in the airway (an endotracheal tube) to maintain an open airway, optimal oxygenation and maintenance of the anaesthesia with the “gold standard” isoflurane. The choice of agent will depend on age, breed and most importantly, the health of your animal. All patients are monitored by an experienced nurse making regular documented assessments. This is aided by a pulse oximeter which monitors the blood oxygen level and pulse rate. On completion of the procedure, a 24-hour non-steroidal pain relief injection is administered. The nurse stays with the patient until the swallowing reflex returns and the endotracheal tube can be safely removed. The patient returns to its bedding and cage, and is regularly observed during the day. A majority of pets will return home that evening. The occasional reason for an overnight stay is concurrent illness, marked tiredness after the procedure or excessive discharge from a wound. Usually the nurses will call you mid-afternoon re optimum time of pick-up. Recovery time is an individual characteristic. Most patients are tired for 24 to 72 hours. All dog desexings (“castrations” and “spays”) will come home with an extra 4 days of pain relief and cat desexings receive an extra 3 days of pain relief. This complies with the 2014 WSAVA guidelines (Research Council (US) Committee on Recognition and Alleviation of pain in Laboratory Animals. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2009.).

Why desex?

Desexing has many health benefits for our male and female pets. Desexing a male dog will prevent testicular cancer, most types of prostate disease, and growths and hernia around the bottom. Behavioural advantages are that they are less likely to roam and or mark their territory with urine.

Desexing a female dog before her first season virtually eradicates the chance of breast cancer, prevents the frustration of enduring a heat (attraction of male dogs and bleeding), and stops any chance of an uterine infection.

It is widely acknowledged that an animal’s metabolism slows down post desexing especially with female dogs. There is a simultaneous increase in appetite. Studies have recommended reducing your desexing pets calorie by 30% to prevent future weight gain. As with humans, obesity is linked to increased risk of arthritis, heart disease and diabetes.

Here at Quakers Hill Vets we addressing these changes by providing every normally priced desexing with a complimentary bag of Royal Canin Neuter Food. The gift pack also contains an collar to prevent your pet from biting its stitches, and either treats for dogs or a toy for cats.

This systematic approach is what we like to call Complete Care.

  • best anaesthetic protocol for every animal; safety is enhanced by an optional pre-anaesthetic blood test
  • “hands on” regular documented monitoring by nurse-technicians
  • complimentary extra 4 days of pain relief for all dog desexings and 3 days for female cat desexings

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