Keyhole Spaying

Your pet deserves the best veterinary treatment possible. You as a pet owner rightly expect the most modern, least invasive and most comfortable procedures for your pet. Here at Alphavet, we pride ourselves in offering the highest standard of services in order to give your pet the very best healthcare. All of our highly trained veterinary surgeons are now available to offer laparoscopic spaying as an alternative option to a standard bitch spay.

Alphavet was the first practice in Wales to offer laparoscopic operations, starting back in 2014.

What is laparoscopic spaying?

Laparoscopic spaying is a type of keyhole surgery, which removes only the ovaries and not the uterus. Usually in a conventional bitch spay both the ovaries and uterus are removed. Laparoscopic ovary removal uses three tiny incisions into the abdominal cavity to allow for the insertion of a camera and specialist instruments to perform surgery with the greatest precision and minimal invasion. The equipment that we use is brand new and state of the art; the same as that used in modern human operating theatre.

Laparoscopic ovary removal has many benefits in comparison with a standard bitch spay, which include:

• A quicker recovery (allowing for exercise to be resumed promptly)
• Smaller wounds with a reduced level of discomfort
• Reduces the risk of infection post-surgery
• The cameras allow for organs to be examined more closely

Keyhole surgery can also be used for:

• Retained testicle removal for male dogs
• Orthopaedic procedures such as arthroscopy

“My dog had an extremely quick recovery and was back to normal the following day. The incisions were small which made for easy management post-surgery for an excitable dog. I would highly recommend this method of neutering"  - Elsa’s Owner.

Laparoscopic spaying as a referral?

We are proud to offer laparoscopic ovary removal as a referral service to any pet owners who may not be registered with us. As with our normal referral services, your veterinary surgeon will need to arrange a referral for your dog to receive this specialised treatment.

Post-operative care

Following laparoscopic spaying, your dog will need to be re-examined by the veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse two days after the procedure, followed by an examination seven to ten days later. We advise for the following post-operative care to be followed after your dog has had the surgery:

• Keep your dog on a lead when walking until the second repeat examination and limit the amount of activity they have as suggested by your vet.
• Administer the medication prescribed – if you have any questions regarding the medication please do not hesitate to contact us.
• Try and keep your dog calm and comfortable after surgery to prevent any unnecessary strain on the stitches.
• Make sure they have a warm comfortable bed, as they will want to rest.
• Only give small amounts of food to your dog at first, we will recommend appropriate food, as their appetite may be slightly lowered.
• Encourage them to drink water.