So it's about time to think about spaying Cricket.
I've never spayed before…
How long should I not leave her alone for? She's not too rambunctious, and she usually sleeps for the time that she's in her kennel, but I'm still nervous.
She can be in her kennel for 4-8 hours depending on our work schedules.
Should I take some time off of work?
How bad is it going to be?
She also needs to get a canine baby tooth removed as it hasn't fallen out and isn't even moving. She will be eight months in August.
Is there any tips to make this easier on her?
Thanks!
Normally a spay is not very difficult on them at all. Normally they will send her home with a E-Collar to keep them from licking or trying to take out stitches… All of my girls are up and running around (yes, I know they say to keep them quiet..gggg) by the next day. If you can arrange to be off the day after or do something like have it done on a Thursday and then take off Friday and be home for the weekend, she should be fine by Monday for you to go back to work.
When both of my girls were spayed I opted to skip the e-collar. Both girls were glued and neither even licked the incision. My vet had said keep them quiet for 10 days but, yeah, good luck with that. In my case if I kept their boys occupied and gave the girls special bones etc, I did pretty well keeping them quiet for the first week.
It wasn't perfect and the vet said if I could limit the jumping that was probably the best I could hope for. She let them walk the stairs and take walks after the 2nd day.
LOL, limit jumping with a Basenji??? However, I have found that they might try to jump the first or second day, but if they do and feel the "pain" they will limit themselves. At least mine always did….
i was so nervous before suki got spayed, but it was just fine. she did have to wear the e-collar for the full ten days, but she got used to it quickly. i only made her wear it when i wasn't there to watch her because she did try to lick at it and i was just so nervous. as for trying to keep her from running and jumping, well, there was no way. i really did try to lift her up and down from sofa and bed, but she was nearly always too fast for me and jumped anyway. i was sure i was being a horrible doggy mom, but she turned out just fine. i really was over-worrying for no reason.
We just recently had Blaze neutered and the umbilical hernia repaired at the same time. We were given the same advice: keep him quiet for two weeks and don't let him jump. Yea, right! Other than stopping the B-500, he did pretty much everything he always does without ill effect.
My girl was fine after a few days. I took home pain meds for her, and that helped keep her quiet.
Zuni was spayed this year and had her umbilical hernia fixed at the same time. My vet wants you to keep them quiet for 21 days!!! Yeah, right! Zuni was running around the second day! I did try to stop her from too much rough housing with the other dogs but that was about it.
She DID try to get at her stitches though. I hate the e-collars they send home from the vet, so I have the blow up ones that look like a blue inner tube. That slowed her down a little….but not much!
so I have the blow up ones that look like a blue inner tube.
We have one of those, too…didn't take Blaze any time at all to figure out how to get it off! 
Fortunately, he never really bothered his stitches.
When I had Shaye spayed, they also did an operation to fix a herniated belly button, so her incision was longer than they usually are. The vet sent her home with some honey flavored pain medication which also kept her calm. She didn't have the e-collar - I think that would have frustrated her more and kept her miserable. She didn't lick the incision much, and was up to her normal activities within a few days. They won't purposely hurt themselves by overdoing. After the third day, we didn't even give her the pain meds. Most people I've discussed this with agree the B's seem to handle their neutering/spaying with grace. Probably the only time in the world I would ever use that word to describe B activities. LOL
She DID try to get at her stitches though. I hate the e-collars they send home from the vet, so I have the blow up ones that look like a blue inner tube. That slowed her down a little….but not much!
that's what i ended up getting as well.
My girl was fine after a few days. I took home pain meds for her, and that helped keep her quiet.
With our vet, blood tests are done before neutering or spaying. Then about 3 days later Dr. Gemeinhardt receives the dog or bitch in the morning. Isofluorane is used. Cone collars are sent home already in place on the dog/bitch. And pain meds are freely used as per the clinics policy not to ever have an animal in pain after a surgery. I like that a lot. It's not fair to let animals suffer.
One comment about "pain"…. While I agree that pain meds are needed, I disagree that they should be used freely...ggg And "little" pain reminds the pet that they need to slow down and take it easy.... the tweak of discomfort is usually enough for that reminder.
I always request full blood work before any type of surgery. And I have blood work done on my yr olds as a base line and then at least every two years up to the elder years that then changes to every year. I think that blood work is so very important before any surgery or procedure.
LOL about Cone Collars.... I always tell the clinic to "keep"... if I need one, I make my own. If you seach the threads you can see what others have used instead of the Cone Collars
Zuni was spayed this year and had her umbilical hernia fixed at the same time. My vet wants you to keep them quiet for 21 days!!! Yeah, right! Zuni was running around the second day! I did try to stop her from too much rough housing with the other dogs but that was about it.
She DID try to get at her stitches though. I hate the e-collars they send home from the vet, so I have the blow up ones that look like a blue inner tube. That slowed her down a little….but not much!
The inner tubes make a great neck pillow. I had to get one yesterday. 
Cricket is booked in for the 18th. I will drop her off, she is to get blood work done as well, and they will keep her overnight. I am off Friday, me and Husband are off all weekend, and Husband took Monday off. (He's so worried about his little girl)
…and now we are wondering if she's become a lady... She's 8 months old today and has been licking her 'lady parts' for the past three days. I haven't seen blood, but Husband thought he did. She has actually licked a wet spot on our bed, we thought she peed, but it didn't smell and wasn't coloured. Her 'parts' are also swollen, but there doesn't appear to be any irritant.
Can we still go ahead with the spay date?
and I'm assuming, if she is in heat, she will have to be on house arrest when we go out to the farm this weekend, as there are two unfixed males and one pregnant female that are the working dogs.
No, if she is in season they will want to wait till it is over…. 30 days at least. And yes, total house arrest!
And just a question why are they keeping her overnight? Do they have overnight staff?
Sounds like she is coming in season, so you will likely have to change the date. And I also wonder why an overnight stay. Both my girls came home the same day. Unless they have staff there at all times, she is better off at home if you are there to keep an eye on her. Mine always slept with me, so I never bothered with an Elizabethan collar…...I am a light sleeper and would wake if they started licking themselves.
(the overnight stay thing seems to be getting more common......they even wanted to keep my boy in when we had him done! I said "no way" and took him home. It's a money grab IMHO, as most clinics don't even staff the place overnight)
Oh, and count me among those who don't believe in pain meds. I never bothered with anything once they left the vet's and it was never any problem. Pain is a very good signal that "you shouldn't do that".
I agree, unless there is 24 hour staff, bring her home with you. Assure them that she will be kept calm and watched. If they argue, ask who will be watching her at 2 am at their clinic if there is a problem.
Check with Bob… but these girls have been notorious at coming in heat at 8 months of age.
Since you just have Cricket, she could easily be keeping herself super duper clean... and NO visiting boy dogs for her!
My Vet went ahead with the spaying yesterday, even though she was in heat. And I got to take her home the same day, because there is no one there from 7pm to 7:30am. I asked her if that struck her as odd. Charging someone for an overnight stay, when there's no one there. You'd think that if you are keeping the animal for observation, they would be observed. She said it was to ensure a calm environment away from children. I said great, I have that environment and I'll pick her up at 5! no argument.
Cricket was not a happy camper. They told me I should go back and get her. Her cage had a red caution tag on it and she had a small chain attached to her collar, plus the cone on. She greeted me and Husband, then pulled us down the hall. The receptionist had to catch up to us in the parking lot to hand us our invoice!
She dozed on the way home, then snuggled for our movie time. But last night, she barely slept. She did not like sleeping in the kennel, and we didn't like the cone scraping our legs. The cone has now been replaced by the tape wrapped towel idea… in pink... and she is much happier.
So I worried for nothing. She's managing the pain well and not overly excitable. I did not get any pain meds, but I don't think she needs any.
Thanks everyone for answering my questions.
