Laser Spay or Traditional Spay - Which is better?

Spaying your cat or dog is an important part of preventive care. You will not only prevent unwanted kittens but also reduce the risk of serious diseases. Here, our Carrollton vets discuss the importance of reproductive care and the difference between laser spaying and traditional spay surgery.

Cat & Dog Spaying Benefits

Spaying your female pets is an easy way to help protect them from a number of potentially deadly diseases and conditions, as well as reducing undesirable behaviors and preventing puppies or kittens.

Spay Surgery For Cats

By spaying your female cat, you can help reduce the risk of serious malignant tumors as they get older.

Spaying also helps to reduce your cat's chances of developing an infection of the uterus, and of developing cancers of the reproductive organs.

Undesirable behaviors in female cats can be reduced with spaying, including; increased and overly intense affection, intense rubbing on objects, marking territory with urine, the desire to wander, and heat-induced howling.

Spay Surgery For Dogs

When you spay your dog before she has gone through her first heat you can help to reduce the potential risk for uterine infections and breast tumors.

Spayed dogs won't go into heat if the surgery is done while they are young. Female dogs who are not spayed typically go into heat every six months, for approximately 2 - 4 weeks. While your female dog is in heat she will excrete a bloody vaginal discharge and may seem edgy, clingy, or jumpy.

What happens during a spaying procedure?

Regardless of the type of spay procedure that is performed on your pet the procedure to be as follows:

• A 2-3" incision just below the belly button into the pet's abdomen. Typically, the reproductive tract, both ovaries and the uterus are then removed through this incision.
• Then the incision will be closed using internal stitches, skin glue, skin staples, and/or stitches.

The Difference Between Laser & Traditional Spaying

Laser Spaying Procedure

If your vet opts to use laser surgery on your pet they will forgo the use of a scalpel and utilize either hot or cold lasers. Some vets believe that performing the surgery with the use of a laser helps to both reduce the risk of infection and cut down recovery time due to the cauterization of blood vessels as the laser beam vaporizes the cells and "cuts" through the tissues.

Some of the benefits that veterinarians believe the laser provides are:

• Decreased levels of pain in the immediate postoperative period.
• Reduced bleeding to the cauterization of blood vessels as the laser beam cuts through the tissues.
• Decreased risk of infection due to the superheating of the tissues at the incision site which helps to destroy bacteria present at the time of surgery.
• Less swelling at the surgical site.

Using lasers instead of a scalpel can give the surgeon extreme precision, nonetheless, as with traditional surgery using a scalpel, laser surgery is not risk-free. While your pet may experience less pain with laser spaying, there is still a risk of some of the same complications as traditional spaying.

Traditional Spay Surgery

While some vets may prefer the use of lasers to perform surgeries, others still prefer to use a scalpel. Vets use scalpels for many procedures and are skilled at doing so thanks to it being one of the most commonly performed procedures.

Benefits of traditional spay include:

• Readily available at most veterinary hospitals.
• Often costs less than laser spaying.

Hemorrhage is not common when a skilled veterinary surgeon spays a pet, but it can occur regardless of the type of surgery performed.

By choosing a reputable vet and an animal hospital that you trust the risks of complications due to the spaying surgery (whether laser or traditional) should be minimal. When you book an appointment to have your pet spayed, you can ask your vet any questions that you have and they should offer all the information necessary for you to make an informed decision.

How to Help Your Pet Recover From Spay Surgery

Once the surgery is complete your cat or dog will need time to recover and heal. This is the same whether they had a traditional or laser spaying surgery.

Here are tips for a safe and comfortable recovery:

• Provide your pet with a quiet place to recover indoors and away from other animals.
• Reduce your pet's activity level for about two weeks following surgery, or as long as your veterinarian recommends.
• Prevent your pet from licking the incision site. Licking could cause an infection. Using a veterinary 'cone' or a post-surgical t-shirt can help to prevent your pet from licking the wound.
• Do not bathe your pet or allow them to swim for at least ten days after surgery.
• Check the incision site daily in order to monitor healing and watch for early signs of infection.

Whatever type of spay surgery you choose for your pet remember that the overall benefits of spaying far outweigh the risks involved in this surgery. If you are at all concerned about the risks of spaying your female animal contact your vet for further information and their recommendations on which type of spaying is right for your pet.

Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.

If it's time for your female cat or dog to be spayed please contact our Carrollton vets to book an appointment.