Is it safe for my dog to have multiple surgeries and vaccines at once?

Great question! Yes, it is safe to combine anesthetic procedures in a dog. Dogs can safely be under anesthesia for hours depending on the procedure needed, although in her case, it shouldn't take multiple hours for these procedures to be done. The vet wouldn't have recommended doing both at the same time if they didn't feel it was safe to do on her. Speak with your vet about your concerns, but this is fine to do. I hope this helps!

While any anesthesia carries a risk, spaying is generally a very safe procedure. The risks of anesthesia increase as a dog ages (I'm specifically referencing senior dogs like 10 years and older), but there are few risks for a young and healthy puppy. Your vet is right she could be ill in the future if you don't spay her. Not spaying her leaves her at risk of developing a pyometra in the future. This is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment, and spaying the dog is part of the treatment of a pyometra. That surgery is high risk due to the severity of the illness in the dog from the infection, and it costs thousands to perform. In addition, dogs who are spayed are at an increased risk of developing mammary tumors. Of these mammary tumors, 50% of them are malignant. For her health, it is best to spay her now. I would speak with your vet about getting it done. I hope this helps!

I am so sorry that you are exeoeriencing these problems with Wiggles I am sure it's very upsetting. Because mammary tumours are Hormone linked I would advise spaying her when she has the tumours removed. The last thing you would want is for Wiggles to have another mammary tumour in the future and therefore another surgery. For anaesthetics for older dogs many precautions are taken. Your veterinarian will discuss these with you to help put your mind at ease. They include blood pressure monitoring and intravenous fluid treatment before, during and after the surgery. I believe this is the best course of action and I send you the best of luck.

Just as in people, anesthetic procedures are not without risk. However, if she is deemed healthy and will be adequately monitored during the procedure, the risk is minimized. She should have a full blood panel performed beforehand to make sure she is healthy to undergo the procedure. Your vet should also do a good physical exam to ensure she does not have a heart murmur or other health concerns. Wishing you both the best!

A spay typically does not take longer than 20-30 minutes, but sometimes it can be shorter or longer depending on the dog. For example overweight dogs or dogs in heat can and do take longer. Removing the bump should not take long either, and it could be that whole procedure can be done in an hour to 90 minutes. I would ask your vet for a time estimate. As for the fine needle aspirate (FNA) of her bump, not all types of malignant tumors can be diagnosed with an FNA, so it doesn't mean that her bump is benign if nothing was seen with that test. There are many different types of malignant tumors besides mast cell tumors. While you can see if a bump is a mast cell tumor with an FNA, sometimes it's not always possible so an excision biopsy is needed to get the exact diagnosis. There is a chance the bump could be benign, and your vet is doing the right thing by removed the bump to get a diagnosis on it. I certainly understand being worried about Precious, and I hope that everything does ok with her. Best of luck!

In an overweight dog, there is more fat tissue to get through, and within the abdomen there is fat covering everything making it more difficult to see, and slippery to handle the tissues. It is a little more challenging than a spay in a thin dog. If they rescheduled the procedure with a different veterinarian, it is possible that the veterinarian on duty today wanted to make sure she was in more experienced hands. A spay is a very routine procedure, although no surgery is without risk. You should be thankful that the veterinarian today did what was best for Aubree, and I hope everything goes well tomorrow. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

She would need to be thoroughly examined by a vet. Most dogs that are otherwise stable (as in living day to day without any issues) can undergo anesthesia without complications. The vet may want to take a few extra precautions if they have concern that she could regurgitate during or after anesthesia.