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Spay Day for McKenzie — with a bonus!
By Gina Spadafori
July 16, 2009
Today my 4-year-old retriever McKenzie will go under the knife. We planned for one litter — those puppies are doing well in their new homes – and now it’s time to git ‘er done.
Of note is what else is happening while she’s under: McKenzie is getting her stomach tacked. I always have this done when they’re spayed. It’s not that a big deal when you’re already in there — easy for me to say, right? — and it’s a preventive measure against a genuine life-threatening emergency: bloat.
Because it’s a little more involved than a regular spay surgery, our wonderful primary care veterinarian has recommended handing off to the practice’s boarded surgeon. Both veterinarians know my dogs so McKenzie’s in good hands — not to mention all the techs there love her to pieces.
She’ll be staying overnight, and then on crate rest for a while. But then, she’ll be back to her bouncy ways.
Here’s an overview of gastric dilatation-volvulus, a/k/a bloat, from Purdue, and here’s a study on the efficacy of prophylactic gastropexy, a/k/a stomach tacking.
Hold a good thought!
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A speedy recovery, McKutie! Hang in there, Gina!
(McKenzie’s expressions are priceless.)
Comment by NadineL — July 16, 2009 @ 9:52 am
Is GDV a big issue in flatcoats?
I’ve heard of people doing this with Danes, Rotties, Dobies and Newfies — and frequently with bloodhounds.
Comment by H. Houlahan — July 16, 2009 @ 10:21 am
Not common as in those breeds, but not uncommon, either.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 16, 2009 @ 10:31 am
Update: McKutie is in recovery. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 16, 2009 @ 11:35 am
Yay! i spent most of Mon and Wed at the vet with old (orthopedic injury), young (broke off a tooth) and rescue (assorted!). We had one dog out twice.
Even when you trust your vet, and know it’s “routine”, getting that call that everyone is awake and done is soooo nice.
Here’s hoping McKenzie has an easy as pie recoup!
Comment by JenniferJ — July 16, 2009 @ 11:40 am
Many good thoughts for McKenzie.
Comment by keenwell — July 16, 2009 @ 12:15 pm
It was my understanding that tacking is not highly successful, and that dogs who are tacked are often not diagnosed quickly enough when they do bloat, and then more difficult to treat. This is based on some reading a few years ago, and my own vets. Your mileage may vary.
Personally the idea of a elective procedure like that scares me. But then again, I don’t see the need to spay my girls unless they hav ea medical reason. No judgement here, just to each their own and best wishes to MommieMck.
Comment by Wendy — July 16, 2009 @ 2:25 pm
It’s a judgment call, to be sure. BUT … remember it’s not the bloat itself that’s the killer, it’s the stomach flipping. And the tack prevents that.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 16, 2009 @ 2:43 pm
Wishing McKutie a speedy recovery. Jerry remains awed by how high the Flatcoats could jump.
Comment by Kim Thornton — July 16, 2009 @ 5:10 pm
Wishing McKutie a quick recovery. Pretty soon she should be back with Faith and the rest of the family.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — July 16, 2009 @ 5:21 pm
Also wishing a quick, speedy and full recovery for McCutie!
Comment by Anne T — July 16, 2009 @ 7:27 pm
“And the tack prevents that.”
It *might* prevent it. I’ve seen 2 dogs die despite the tack.
Comment by Wendy — July 17, 2009 @ 8:35 am
Hey Wendy, have a heart. Her dog just had surgery. Don’t you think she’s got enough to worry about right now?
Comment by The OTHER Pat — July 17, 2009 @ 9:25 am
Thanks, Pat, but it’s OK. When I put something out there, I’m fine with discussion and disagreement. :)
As for McKenzie, just talked to the surgeon. She’s fine and coming home at lunch. The real challenge will be keeping her 15-week-old daughter, the puppy from hell, from pestering her while she heals.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 17, 2009 @ 9:29 am
Good luck with that. I still have trouble keeping Harper from pestering Bella. And Bella wants to play with her but lately she’s started coughing when she does, so I have to make them stop. Sigh. Glad McKenzie’s doing well.
Comment by Kim Thornton — July 17, 2009 @ 9:40 am
How is McKutie feeling today?
Comment by Phyllis DeGioia — July 17, 2009 @ 9:42 am
They wouldn’t put her on the phone. But the surgeon says she’s ready to go home at lunchtime. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 17, 2009 @ 9:48 am
I don’t understand.
If you’re a breeder, wouldn’t you want to know if your line is pre-disposed to bloat/torsion or not? Isn’t this a risk you should be accepting?
How is this different than people doing caesarians “just in case” instead of “as needed”, where you could have gained feedback on whether your dogs are natural whelpers or not? (generically talking ‘you’)
Comment by Ann — July 18, 2009 @ 8:48 am
A super question. My personal answer is that there’s only so far I am willing to go to test for congenital issues. CERF (for eyes), PennHIP and OFA (for hips, patellas, elbows) I’m willing to have certified. Thyroid, heart, etc., you bet.
I’m also willing to drag her to dog shows (which neither she nor I like much) and hunt tests (which she likes, but I could live without).
This, for one planned litter of six great puppies in 30-plus years of having great dogs, and maybe one or two more planned litters before I shuffle off this mortal coil.
But I’m not willing to put her life at risk by taking a chance on a bloat episode when I can reduce that risk. McKenzie is, first and foremost, my family.
She’s resting comfortably in a crate by my side, by the way. Still not feeling that great, but the pain meds are clearly helping her cope. Her 15-week-old daughter Faith is sleeping with her entire side against the crate. I think she would much prefer to be inside with her mother.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 18, 2009 @ 8:54 am
Fed and watered the chickens, and had more thoughts …
You can go a lot of directions with this line of questioning.
For example, how about someone who breeds to a show standard and never tests for performance ability, or even decent temperament? What are you accomplishing then in learning about your lines?
Arguably, an ethical breeder takes everything into account, but still — I would say — doesn’t risk her own dog’s lives to test theory.
Everyone has to make her own decisions on what’s most important because you can’t have it all.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 18, 2009 @ 9:22 am
Is that your final answer? :-)
I was about to give an observation and a follow-up question when I noticed the two edits.
Comment by Ann — July 18, 2009 @ 9:34 am
Go for it. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 18, 2009 @ 9:39 am
Ann, also — I’ve never tacked a dog’s stomach, but those I know who have tell me they can still tell when the dog is probably having what would have turned into full-on bloat and torsion if they weren’t tacked. Most of these were owners who had dogs who previously bloated, and many of these observations were made about those very dogs — in other words, they were seeing a similar set of symptoms as that dog had exhibited during the earlier bloat incident.
So I don’t think it’s accurate to say we are truly losing that information, even though of course it’s not definite. But an honest and observant breeder will probably still know.
Beyond that, I’m with Gina. In the end, I’d come down on the side of what’s best for individual dog rather than the breed as a whole, because my responsibility to my dog is greater than my responsibility to an intangible like “the breed.” Ideally I’d want both, to protect my dog and have the information. And in this case, I think you can have both *to a certain extent*, and I can live with that.
Comment by Christie Keith — July 18, 2009 @ 10:02 am
Wendy, you’re incorrect in your facts on the success of tacking surgery.
About 75 percent of dogs who bloat once and don’t have it done will bloat again. By contrast, of dogs who have had a gastropexy, only around 6 percent bloat again.
Comment by Christie Keith — July 18, 2009 @ 10:06 am
Also,and I think Gina made this point yesterday, while we tend to say “bloat” the oft fatal event that follows is the torsion.
So you don’t actually “mask” bloat via a tack, the dog can still bloat, but the stomach is prevented from undergoing torsion, giving much more time to address the bloat and improve the outcome.
Not all dogs who bloat also have torsion. When I was dealing with a dog with cancer last year, she bloated several times, no tack These episodes were relieved by passing a stomach tube.
In non “bloat breeds” it is generally worth looking for other underlying disease. I had a friend whose dog bloated due to an ulcer caused by medication. Once he was taken off the drug, put on ulcer meds, he stopped trying to inflate, and lived six more years without another episode.
Comment by JenniferJ — July 18, 2009 @ 10:50 am
I’m late to this discussion, but as a Dane owner/rescuer/breeder for 30+ years I know a little about bloat!!
But from a breeder’s standpoint, OF COURSE I want to know if my bloodline (or a bloodline I am planning to breed to) has a tendency toward bloat. At least in Danes, there does definitely seem to be a genetic component since in some family lines bloat is fairly common, and in others it is very rare. This seen among many dogs that live with many different families in different parts of the country, so hopefully husbandry practices are balanced out as factors. There is no “test” for bloat yet, so the best we can do is look at parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles etc etc and see how many bloated and how many died without ever having bloated. You won’t be able to track down info about every single relative 2 or 3 generations back, but if you are dealing with ethical breeders you will be able to find out about most of them.
Tacking does not mask bloat - you can still definitely tell that the dog bloated and you still have to get him/her to the ER right quick. The tack simply increases that individual’s chance for survival, which is a good thing in anyone’s book.
Comment by Barb — July 18, 2009 @ 12:02 pm
It is disheartening to listen to everyone talk about having litters when there are so many dogs being put to death everyday in shelters. There are proven studies that spaying/neutering your animal early in their life (before having any babies) is beneficial to their health and to society. There is no need to let them have one litter.
Comment by Dana — July 29, 2009 @ 6:12 am
There is a “need” if you’re trying to protect, preserve and continue the existence of a heritage breed, which is why I PLANNED a litter for McKenzie. I didn’t “let” her have a litter.
The people who have her puppies would not have taken a shelter dog. They were looking for a purpose-bred dog, and they compete with their family companions.
Nor will any of those puppies end up in the shelter. Like any responsible breeder, my contract specifies that the dogs come back to me if families cannot keep their pets.
As for those studies: There are also studies showing the opposite, that there are risks to altering, especially early.
McKenzie is now spayed, and all my pets are neutered except one. That one male dog will not be breeding unplanned. In the hands of a responsible pet-owner, a leash and fencing is as effective a form as birth control as castration.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — July 29, 2009 @ 6:19 am