Can someone please tell me the pros and cons of the different types of spay for a bitch please.

It's for a medium sized, six year old bitch who has had one caesarean, so already has a scar.

Thanks

I too would be very interested to hear of a 'different' type of spay? Along with a different type of 'neuter'?

I have gone for a normal spay with bitches that have needed a section.  I understand that everyone raves over a lap spay, but I would rather have the one incision. 

I had a bitch spayed with a lap spay, she had 3 tiny cuts which had 1 stitch in each (could have been glued also vet said). After 2 days it was like she had never had anything done.

Showing my ignorance here.  Can anyone explain what a lap spay is, please?

Me too need to know ........ all my bitches, previously 'Sectioned or not, have had a full mid-tummy spay, everything out.  I always let them have one season after the 'Section, to give them more time to recover however.  And although some took this better than others (it's a Basset-thing) we had no problems other than one who I'd left a day over the 10 to have the stitches removed (I'd take them out myself with non-invasive surgeries but not with a spay incision).  Day 10 was a Sunday and up to the following day when I took her into the vets, she'd been fine.  When we rolled her over, what we found was a gunky mess.   So embarrassing!!!    With my fine-skinned Whippet, her stitches managed to tug away where they went into the skin alongside the wound but that didn't affect the wound healing.

I don't know everything but as I understand it the normal spay removes the uterous so reduces risk of pyometra, the lap spay doesn't. But I might be wrong. That's why I asked really as not sure of all the pros and cons.

Have had 2 friends recently had bitches spayed on the lap method and they have said they need minimal recuperation, but I wondered more about the overall health benefits of each method.

Laparoscopic Ovariectomy: A Safer Alternative to Traditional Spaying

"An Ovariectomy differs from an ovariohysterectomy in that only the ovaries are removed, leaving the uterus in place. According to reports comparing the two techniques, it was found that Ovariectomy is less invasive and eliminates the risk of ureter ligation at the uterine body. All other known risks are comparable between the two procedures"

I was about to say the same thing Dancer. For me if I spay I would be doing it for health so not removing the risk of pyo would make it not the option.
Interesting point in the article re the reduced risk of pyo due to no testosterone being produced without the ovaries. Think this would need more information for me
 

Is it possible to have a laparascopic ovary sparing spay?  Take the uterus but leave the ovaries, or part of them?  I know the spay can be done that way but can it be done with the smaller incisions?  Just curious, I know there is some research on the benefits of keeping ovaries.  A female work colleague had pieces of ovary left for the health benefits of continued estrogen production about 30 years ago.

The trouble is that leaving even a scrap of ovarian tissue means the bitch will still be attractive to male dogs as if she wasn't spayed at all, with all the nuisance of having to keep her isolated from other dogs to avoid being a nuisance to other dog owners.

Thanks for that Admin.  I understand the difference now and it will be interesting to see what others say about the pros and cons for either procedure. 

The trouble is that leaving even a scrap of ovarian tissue means the bitch will still be attractive to male dogs as if she wasn't spayed at all, with all the nuisance of having to keep her isolated from other dogs to avoid being a nuisance to other dog owners.

I'd have to agree with this.   I have my own ideas (as usual!) about Pyometra.   We have never had one, in all the bitches we kept over the years.   And I'm not tempting fate here because our last bitch, a Whippet, was spayed at around 11 months.  Fact is none of my bitches were taken out off our properties when in season.  They were kept strictly on the area I used (away from the males) for in-season girls.   As mine is/was a low to the ground breed, it was always possible they'd squat in the wrong place and pick up infection, especially when wide open (in season).  I may be wrong in that there are other reasons for Pyo. but perhaps it is significant that we had none, using this regime?

I may be wrong in that there are other reasons for Pyo. but perhaps it is significant that we had none, using this regime?

I doubt it very much. I have had 2 pyometras in the past few months, both in 3 year old bitches -one had been mated, the other not. Neither had been anywhere else but our own garden during the seasons. It's just the luck of the draw. Before these two I'd had just one pyo and that was in an 8 year old never mated bitch, and this was about 10 years ago. Have had bitches since 1988.

Statistically maiden older bitches are most at risk of Pyo.

I have owned now since 1988 10 bitches of two years and above and been lucky so far.   7 have been spayed between 2 and 7 1/2 years, the other three age 2 - nearly 6 are entire..

I would always do a full spay because, as others have said, a large part of my reason for spaying is taking the risk of pyo away, and it would be there with the uterus left inside. I have known of many pyos in unspayed bitches with varying outcomes. One of the saddest was my mum's Jack Russell. She didn't have her spayed because she didn't want to risk an "unnecessary" op. As an elderly dog, who was still very healthy for her age, she suddenly got very ill with pyometra, on a Sunday of course, and because of her age-- anaesthetic risk/recovery time etc. was pts in agony. Yes, she was an old dog and wouldn't have had very much longer but it was a horrible way to lose a dear friend, and a great shock because she had been so well and happy earlier. My poor mother was traumatised by it.

Agree, I spay primarily to eliminate Pyometra risk, which is why I like t spay mine when they are fit and well after their last litters, which I prefer to have before they are 7. 

My breed are really in their prime at that age.

I had a bitch spayed 11 days ago -simply because she is one I did not want to breed from, too small for my liking (17 kgs -most bitches in breed 22-24). 3 ½ years old and super energetic Malinois. I removed her stitches yesterday. TWO stitches! Smallest incision I have sever seen. She was 100 % normal from the moment she came back from the vet. Very hard to keep her quiet! And this was just a normal spay, although of course of a healthy bitch. Seems a bit pointless to risk leaving the uterus in when a traditional spay can be as easy as this.

Plus I don't know about where you are but they are charging £100 more for the lap spay here

I think one of the reasons for the lap spay is to do with spay incontinence - leaving the uterus in place removes the risk of it being caused by physical changes from a traditional spay.  Obviously hormonal changes are still a risk though.  Also, and I may be wrong so someone feel free to correct me if I am, but I'm sure I read that in removing just the ovaries, the uterus atrophies and the risk of pyo is removed (or at least drastically reduced) that way.  I never researched that though so don't quote me on it!