Author: Amy Holloway
We’re excited to tell you that Clent Hills Vets can now offer a new keyhole surgery option for spaying female dogs, which promotes quicker healing, less discomfort and reduced scarring, and is a great alternative to conventional surgery.
As loving pet owners ourselves, we know you always want the best for your pet. Neutering is a decision only you can make, however, it can be the best decision for you and your pet for many reasons, such as preventing unwanted pregnancies, pacifying unwanted and aggressive behaviour, reducing the risk of some diseases and generally making for healthier, happier pets.
Neutering for female dogs (bitches) is called spaying and involves the internal reproductive organs being removed, which is invasive by its very nature. This is why we’re excited to be able to offer a new way to carry out spays that will reduce disruption and discomfort, meaning pets can get back to their normal routine much quicker.
Keyhole, or laparoscopic surgery, offers a less invasive approach as the name suggests. A small, ‘keyhole-sized’ incision is made and a laparoscope – a long fibre-optic cable system which allows viewing of the specified area from a more easily accessible location – is used to facilitate the procedure. With the aid of tiny cameras and specialised instruments, a spay can be completed with the least amount of internal disruption to the animal as possible. Due to the smaller incision, healing time and scarring is significantly reduced.
We can offer keyhole spays for cats too, however, a small incision is generally required for this procedure in cats so there may not be the same additional benefits as with dogs.
You may have heard of ‘keyhole surgery’ for humans, however, this is something fairly new for the veterinary profession. Here at Clent Hills Vets we are always looking for ways to not only improve our service but also to improve the level of care we can provide to your pets and as such, we are the first veterinary surgery in Bromsgrove to offer this new type of procedure.
We also use keyhole surgery in other ways such as exploratory laparoscopy for liver, kidney, intestinal and pancreatic biopsies. In some large dog breeds, laparoscopic gastropexy can be extremely useful to prevent gastric dilatation volvulus, or ‘torsion bloat’, a life-threatening condition where the stomach can flip over and expand, causing air and gas to trap inside the stomach.
Contact our team to discuss the options for your pet’s neutering procedure.