What organs are removed when a bitch is spayed?

[Cob-Web]

The reason I ask is because M & S are offering "failure of spaying" cover as part of their new Insurance Policy - up to £250 towards the cost of veterinary treatment for an ectopic pregnancy in spayed bitches   

I thought that a routine spay is the ovario-hysterectomy....the removal of the ovaries, fallipian tubes and uterus which makes the likelyhood of an ectopic non-existent, doesn't it?

The M & S literature highlights this as an additional benefit of their *new* policy - but what actually is the likelyhood of a bitch spay failing, and if it does, isn't that due to error on the part of the veterinary surgeon? 



(as an aside, I can't imagine that £250 goes very far towards the cost of treating an ectopic anyway....... )

[Jane S]

I've never heard of an ectopic pregnancy in a spayed bitch before so it must be a pretty rare event. Sometimes you do hear of tiny pieces of ovarian tissue being left behind after surgery which results in a spayed bitch continuing to come in season. When this happens, more surgery is needed to remove the tissue so it sounds like this would be covered by M&S (although you'd expect the vet responsible would pay for these extra costs )

[MegandMolly]

Do they clip the tubes, not remove much instead?  I agree with Cobweb - I can't see how it could happen, thought a spay removed all the bits? Will ask the vet when next in

[Sarah.H]

I saw lots when I was at college and they removed everything as you said, can't see how they could still get pregnant  .

[Jane S]

I've just googled and apparently it's possible to do a tubal ligation (tie off tubes & leave ovaries intact) instead of a full spay (where everything is removed) but it's not something that most vets will do.

[cdpops]

Well I may sound really dumb now, it won't be the first time  , but if ovaries are removed hoe come bitches are not prone to all the problems associated with a total hysterectomy in a woman? like osteoporosis etc

[Cob-Web]

I've never heard of an ectopic pregnancy in a spayed bitch before so it must be a pretty rare event. Sometimes you do hear of tiny pieces of ovarian tissue being left behind after surgery which results in a spayed bitch continuing to come in season. When this happens, more surgery is needed to remove the tissue so it sounds like this would be covered by M&S (although you'd expect the vet responsible would pay for these extra costs )

That's what I thought Jane - I think M & S are marketing any plus-points that they can find to try and convince customers that they offer a high level of insurance cover; even if the likelihood of the cover being needed is almost nil 

[MegandMolly]

I've never heard of an ectopic pregnancy in a spayed bitch before so it must be a pretty rare event. Sometimes you do hear of tiny pieces of ovarian tissue being left behind after surgery which results in a spayed bitch continuing to come in season. When this happens, more surgery is needed to remove the tissue so it sounds like this would be covered by M&S (although you'd expect the vet responsible would pay for these extra costs )

That's what I thought Jane - I think M & S are marketing any plus-points that they can find to try and convince customers that they offer a high level of insurance cover; even if the likelihood of the cover being needed is almost nil 

Cobweb - cynical but prob true!, Like you said £250 wouldn't go very far anyway

[bernie]

Ruby was recently spayed and our local vets use key hole surgery to do this, they also told me that they only remove the ovaries and leave the uterus in place as when the ovaries are removed the problem of disease (and unwanted pregnancy, of course ) of the uterus is eradicated,  as the hormones which cause disease are no longer there.

[Countrygirl]

When we had our last cocker, Sophie, spayed, we asked the vet if he could leave her ovaries there and just remove her uterus.  He told us that it was very difficult to do this and they always remove the ovaries.  When we said we were concerned about her losing her ovaries because we were thinking of the problems younger woman have, in that they have to take HRT if they lose their ovaries, he said that dogs didn't have a problem like that.  Have to say that Sophie lived until she was 14 and didn't seem to miss the hormones.

As Cobweb says, I understood a spay was the same as a full hysterectomy and removal of ovaries, so I cannot see how a bitch could then get pregnant.  I have certainly never heard of it happening to a dog or a human.  I have heard of failed sterilisation, so maybe M&S are meaning that.

[KellyS]

I did hear something recently about bitches being spayed too early causing issues with bone growth & Osteoporosis.

I guess if they remove the uterus aswell you prevent pyometra, something I wouldn't want to witness again....

[Tori]

That's what I thought Jane - I think M & S are marketing any plus-points that they can find to try and convince customers that they offer a high level of insurance cover; even if the likelihood of the cover being needed is almost nil 

Hmmm....i wonder how well they publicised that you have to call them first before you take you pet to the vet out hours in an emergency......ah yes i remember how.....'Call our vets line first then we will tell you whether your pet needs to be seen' ......see now i AM cynical

[Cob-Web]

That's what I thought Jane - I think M & S are marketing any plus-points that they can find to try and convince customers that they offer a high level of insurance cover; even if the likelihood of the cover being needed is almost nil 

Hmmm....i wonder how well they publicised that you have to call them first before you take you pet to the vet out hours in an emergency......ah yes i remember how.....'Call our vets line first then we will tell you whether your pet needs to be seen' ......see now i AM cynical

Funnily enough - I have e-mailed questions about that particular new clause, too     

I'm awaiting their reply about the biological likelihood of ectopic after spaying - the more I read, the more of an impossibility it seems 

[Tori]

Funnily enough - I have e-mailed questions about that particular new clause, too     

I can picture it now sat night and a client calls about their bitch who's a bit of colour but no vomit or diarrheoa, slightly of food, not sure if drinking more or less, no discharge from vulva last season 5mths ago......Would they say take it to your vets for a consultation or to see how see goes and call them monday??? bearing in mind the local vets now OOH service that all the vets in my area use charge £138 to walk through the door and consultation.  I bloody well hope so!  We just had a new client register her new puppy with us because she called her old vets when her dog had the same clinical signs as above.....she was told to keep an eye on her for a day with a bland diet and if no better after that to bring her back.....taken into vets 35hrs later as no better ....opened up....massive closed pyometra which had ruptured......she died ....Makes you think 

[KellyS]

her dog had the same clinical signs as above.....she was told to keep an eye on her for a day with a bland diet and if no better after that to bring her back.....taken into vets 35hrs later as no better ....opened up....massive closed pyometra which had ruptured......she died ....Makes you think 

That's exactly what happend to us with our first cocker suffice to say we changed vets...