Elective Surgery
Technically, elective surgery is surgery agreed at a time and place between patient and surgeon. In contrast, of course, to emergency surgery. However, in the animal world this covers the neutering, spaying or de-sexing operations.
When we spay a female dog or cat the surgery is a complete ovarohysterectomy. All the reproductive organs are removed. This is done to prevent the animal coming on heat as well as to stop them having unwanted offspring. The bitch is a very unusual mammal as it prepares for and behaves as if pregnant after every season. In some dogs this leads to a false pregnancy. In my experience the most common presentation of abnormal behaviour is a bitch who has recently had a season and now has mammary development. The owner often reports that the dog is guarding a bed and has become obsessed with a particular toy.
Older un-neutered bitches often develop mammary tumours and pyometras. These conditions can require extensive surgery and recovery time but early neutering reduces the risk.
The biggest disadvantage of neutering is the weight gain. I have endless conversations with owners about methods for controlling weight gain. If there is a change in metabolic rate after neutering - this means the body "runs" at a slower rate; food intake has to be altered accordingly. Treats must only be low-calorie e.g. carrot, apple or special biscuits. Increasing exercise will help use up calories.
I am sure that the advantages out-weigh the disadvantages.
What about the male animal? Well, it is essential to castrate a male cat. I had to collect a semi-feral stray, a beautiful tabby, but on the way to surgery he sprayed urine in the car (I had taken precautions but he managed to find the smallest gap in the plastic). It was over 4 months before my children agreed to come in the car with me again because the pong was so strong! I am making light of what is really a serious issue. The un-neutered male cat is a danger to himself and other cats in terms of fighting, road accidents, spread of leukaemia virus and feline aids - we see them every week.
There are still owners whose excuse for not neutering a male animal is that it will alter the animal's character. When I rescued my dog (Johnson) he was about 8 months old and had been living partly on the streets. Unruly would be a polite way of describing his behaviour. I was reluctant to take him to surgery immediately as I wanted him to bond and settle and get some confidence in his new life. An experienced helpful nurse took me to one side and bluntly said that if I didn't do the operation she would. We compromised on an injection that chemically castrates and lasts for about 6 weeks. The main point of the story is that after the injection I finally made some progress with training Johnson so that I could let him off the lead and know that he would come back (as long as there was not a squirrel nearby....or a cat....or a football). In all seriousness castration did not alter his character but made him capable of concentrating on what I was trying to teach him.
This is not meant to be a comprehensive discussion about neutering.
Epilepsy and Fits
Moving on to a different and difficult area. I would like to briefly talk about Epilepsy and Fits.
One of the most frightening events for a pet owner is if they witness their animal having a fit (or one of the above). Many times I have been woken up in the night or called at the weekend by an owner frantic with worry because their pet is lying unconscious and shaking.
I would like to clarify some of the terms above because they are all used to describe similar symptoms. Epilepsy is a common condition in dogs (rare in cats). Epilepsy is the name given to a brain condition that mostly has an inherited cause. The changes in the brain that cause an epileptic attack lead to the symptoms a seizure. The classic description of an epileptic seizure is: paddling of the limbs, frothing at the mouth and a time span of 5-10 minutes.
A convulsion describes uncontrolled muscle movements and there are various causes. A fit is the physical bodily manifestations of convulsions. Clear as mud!
I have practiced as a Small Animal Vet all of my working life - in busy surgeries and my experience of these terms is: Epilepsy is by far the most common cause of "fits". If we always knew the diagnosis at the time we would call them seizures. Poisoning with slug pellets or other organophosphorus compounds is the second most likely diagnosis of an animal having a "fit". Heat stroke is the third. Brain damage due to a road traffic accident or tumour the fourth and fifth, eclampsia, (Eclampsia occurs in small dogs or cats suckling a large litter of young and is due to rapid lowering of blood calcium levels).
There are other causes of fits and convulsions. low blood sugar levels in diabetics are common but generally treated by the owner. I have even treated a dog with a hangover but never knowingly one that had drunk excessive alcohol or eaten drugs.
I began with epilepsy. This is common and I know many dog owners have been terrified and shocked when their pet experiences a seizure. However, the good news is that on the whole, epilepsy is easily treated. The drugs are relatively inexpensive (but must be used and kept responsibly) and as long as liver function is monitored dogs seem to live completely normal lives. Sometimes a dog will have one seizure and then not have another for some years. Epilepsy is mainly diagnosed when a pattern of seizures occur within a few months.