A spay is a routine procedure that is done daily in the veterinary practice. Nowadays it is becoming more popular that owners are asking for the keyhole spay procedure, but does that mean that every vet practice does this?

Table of contents

What is a spay?

A spay is a surgical procedure for the female dog or cat. The procedure involves the removal of the ovaries and uterus. Spaying prevents unwanted infections like pyometra and some cancers and prevents unwanted pregnancies. So what is the difference with a “traditional” or “standard” spay (I’ll refer to it as a standard) vs a laparoscopic or “keyhole” spay? 

Well, it’s mostly about how we get into the abdomen. A standard spay involves making an incision in the centre of the abdomen and removing the ovaries and uterus through the relatively long (several cm) incision. A keyhole spay is laparoscopic, so it involves the use of cameras and tools inserted into the abdomen via two or three separate but much smaller incisions, then removing the ovaries. 

The pros of keyhole spay. 

There are some advantages to keyhole spay against the standard routine spay. Let’s have a look through some of them.

  • Wound size. The wound size is a lot different to the standard spay surgery. With the standard spay procedure the wound is in the centre of the belly, known as the midline. The size of this wound depends on the surgeon, but must be large enough for the surgeon to be able to look inside and see what they are doing, as well as removing the ovaries and uterus. With keyhole spay there would be three small incisions which are normally around 1cm.
  • Recovery time. The time for recovery from a keyhole spay is around 5 days, which is a shorter time then the standard 10 to 14 days. 
  • Better cosmetic look. Some owners don’t like to think of their dogs having scars. A keyhole spay wound may have a better cosmetic look. 
  • Less painful? A keyhole spay may be less painful because we haven’t made such a large incision down the centre of the abdomen.
  • The lively patient. Keyhole spay is ideal for patients that are lively and are going to be difficult to keep as rested. This is because the recovery time is potentially quicker.

The cons of keyhole spay. 

So what are the cons of the procedure?

  • Usually, three wounds as opposed to one. This means you have to keep an eye on three wounds that are healing. 
  • Has been known to be painful. The abdomen is filled with gas so the ovaries are easier to visualise. This could be a bit more painful or uncomfortable than we think as there is trapped gas. 
  • Longer anaesthetic time. Anaesthetic time is longer for keyhole spay as there is a lot of equipment that has to be set up in a sterile manor, so whilst this is being done your dog would still be under anaesthetic.
  • Risk of complications. With any surgery there is always a risk of complications. Whilst a spay is a routine procedure it is still major abdominal surgery. The main complication with a standard spay is bleeding during the procedure, there is likely to be more of a risk with a standard then a keyhole spay as we remove the ovaries and uterus, rather than just the ovaries. This complication can still happen during keyhole spay, sometimes the problem can be resolved but if not then there is a risk that the procedure would change to a standard spay to try and resolve the problem. 
  • Clip size. With every spay it is important to clip an area of hair, big enough so the wound is not contaminated with hair. With a keyhole spay a bigger area of hair has to be clipped.
  • Size of dog. Not every dog can have the spay procedure via keyhole. It all depends on the size. Smaller dogs under 10kg are often considered non-ideal candidates for keyhole as they are too small. 

How do you find a vet that offers keyhole spay. 

So how do we find a vet practice that does keyhole spay? The first thing to do is ask your practice. Do they have the equipment but it’s just not advertised yet? Always ask them first. Speak to your practice and see what they advise. They might be aware of another practice or even another branch local to you that can do this procedure. 

The next thing you could do is to ring another local practice. It isn’t ideal to use another practice at the same time as your current one, in case history is missed. If you do use another practice then make your current practice aware of this. Another way is to ask friends and see if their vet practice does this procedure, word of mouth is always a great way to find things out. Use search engines and look at other practices websites to see what they offer. 

We have to be prepared for the cost of keyhole spay

It is significantly more, this is likely due to the more anaesthetic that has to be used and the use of the equipment as there is a lot more used.

Whilst there is a place in the practice for keyhole spaying, the standard way has been done for years and is still widely used – and there’s nothing wrong with it. If your practice doesn’t offer this service then there isn’t anything bad about that, it could mean that there isn’t enough demand for it or the equipment and training is too costly. 

Further Reading: