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Rationale For Not Doing Dental And Spay At Same Time


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Both my regular vet clinic and the specialty clinic I use will not do a spay and a vdental at the same time.

 

The way my vet explained it to me, a dental showers the system with bacteria, and prophylactic antibiotics are not always up to the job.

 

The counter-argument is that this risk is not as great as the risk incurred with two anaesthesias.

 

Curious to know what your experience has been, especially if you are a clinician.

 

Thank you in advance for your thoughts!

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My vet will not. Never do a "dirty" surgery with a "clean" surgery UNLESS your patient is such a fragile anesthesia risk that they're possibly damned either way.

Angie, Pewter, and Storm-puppy

Forever missing Misty-Mousie (9/9/99 - 10/5/15)
Fort Wayne, Indiana

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Shine came to me spayed and with a bright clean mouth. I wanted Odin to have a dental while being altered and was told that they would scale his teeth. It doesn't look to me like that happened. I told my vet, I would like to wait a while before doing the dental since he just had anesthesia, and he concurs.

Irene Ullmann w/Flying Odin and Mama Mia in Lower Delaware
Angels Brandy, John E, American Idol, Paul, Fuzzy and Shine
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At the clinics I've worked at, it's been pretty standard to combine procedures as long as they are routine or fairly minor. Our adoption group has placed over 1300 greyhounds, and all dogs have a dental cleaning done at the same time as their spay/neuter when they first arrive. I understand the rationale for not wanting to combine, and that seems to be an increasing trend, but I've never seen or heard of a case where the dog developed an infection thought to be a result of combining a sterile surgery with a dental cleaning. I'd prefer to not double the anesthetic risk by putting the dog under twice. Combining procedures also keeps costs down for the client, which is essential for a rescue or adoption group.

Jennifer &

Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On),

Ollie (whippet), Gracie (whippet x), & Terra (whippet) + Just Saying + Just Alice

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Guest Wasserbuffel

My group does both at the same time. I have a friend with a non-grey who has her dog's teeth done when she's under for any reason.

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Having spent my life in the hairless ape medical field I would like to point out....

 

When the adoption group does both at the same time THEY are paying the bill & will NOT have to explain failed procedures

 

When YOU pay the bill they need to worry about your pup, they also get to charge two times

 

And when hairless apes have elective surgery major dental work is a BIG cousin John no no, it is a big concern about getting all those bugs flowing just before surgery. Spaying is probably more critical as it is a more invasive procedure, just sayin'

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Jennifer and I share an adoption group, so I'm seconding what she's said, I've never heard of there being a problem. I thought most groups did the dental and the spay/neuter at the same time, but I could be wrong?

 

I've never needed to have a major surgery done that wasn't an emergency, but I usually wait or bump the dental up a bit before removing lumps, etc. to avoid putting them under twice, never had a vet suggest that's anything but prudent.

Beth, Petey (8 September 2018- ), and Faith (22 March 2019). Godspeed Patrick (28 April 1999 - 5 August 2012), Murphy (23 June 2004 - 27 July 2013), Leo (1 May 2009 - 27 January 2020), and Henry (10 August 2010 - 7 August 2020), you were loved more than you can know.

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For my vets, the key is JJNg's "routine or fairly minor." They don't want to do a major dental with extractions and another surgery at the same time (except something like a small surface lump removal), and they don't want to do a major other surgery and a dental at the same time. Dunno if it's so much the issue of getting evil dental bugs all stirred up or more just that they want to focus, don't want to keep the dog under longer than necessary, etc. They recommend at least 3 weeks between elective procedures requiring anaesthesia.

 

Can't speak for other vets but I trust that mine have the safety of the pet in mind first and foremost.

Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in Illinois
We miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10.

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When the adoption group does both at the same time THEY are paying the bill & will NOT have to explain failed procedures

 

When YOU pay the bill they need to worry about your pup, they also get to charge two times

This implies that the quality of medicine provided for patients under the care of adoption groups is not as much of a priority as that provided for owned pets. Maybe this is true in a shelter situation, but it is absolutely not true for any of the vet clinics I've worked at. Dogs that are fosters of an adoption group and individually owned pets receive the same recommendations and the same level of care. "Failed procedures" are unacceptable for both the vet and the adoption group. Again, I have never heard of a case where combining a spay and a dental cleaning resulting in complications due to infection, which is the rationale given for why it's not ideal to do both at the same time.

 

Additionally, I don't personally know of any vets who would recommend 2 separate procedures, with the increased anesthetic risk, simply so that they can charge twice. The majority of vets I know and have worked with prefer to combine minor procedures to minimize the number of anesthetic episodes needed.

Jennifer &

Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On),

Ollie (whippet), Gracie (whippet x), & Terra (whippet) + Just Saying + Just Alice

gtsig3.jpg

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