Rowena is being spayed tomorrow!

[Gayle Sheridan]

With much reluctance I have booked my beautiful Rowena in to be spayed tomorrow. At almost 9 years of age I know it is in her best interests but she is so gorgeous and such a shame that she never had a litter. Fingers crossed surgery goes well and she will recuperate quickly. She will be happy at no more seasons and no more shows and removing the risk of pyometra. Sigh, but I am rather sad.

[Laura Kolbach]

i am sure all will be okey with your girl!

[yvonne]

good luck , hold my fingers crossed

[Kristina Brannlund Westin]

Good Luck for tomorrow, we are keeping fingers crossed for Rowena!

[Myra Thomas-Rhodes]

Sorry to hear that, Gayle. I am sure all will go well, so try not to worry.

[pat predeth]

,,,, Hi Gayle ,just popped in to say hello, I think you have done a very sensible & brave thing in having her spayed now rather than later, it save's a lot of heartace .I had a bitch who had a pyometra I though she was having a funny season,,,, sad to say I lost her ,,,but I learned a very hard lesson from that & I dident want to take the chance of loosing my last girl,,so I had her spayed at 8yr's ,,she lived on with no problem's till she was 131/2 yr's & went to sleep peacfuly in my arm's,, It take's a lot of thinking about but you have done the very best for her,, I think we share a friend in Meg Webb, I would have been benched near you at show's Well take care PAT x

[Sue Randle]

hi Gayle ,,, just noticed your blog .. had my 9 yr old Corriecus bitch speyed 3 weeks ago because she had a pyo .. you really have done the right thing .. she is happier and actually blooming better than for a few months .. always had wierd seasons too .. wish I'd done it earlier.
Rgds Sue (Rionore)

[Gayle Sheridan]

Much appreciate all of the positive comments and especially the experiences of Pat and Sue.
The operation was more complex than an ordinary spey, probably because of Rowena's age, so she had to stay over night at the Vets on a drip. She also had a cyst removed off her vulva so has a row of stitches there as well as on her tummy. I picked her up yesterday and she was still very quiet. However she ate two meals for me before bedtime and insisted that she sleep on the bed as usual and not in a crate. She was chirpy this morning and doing little dances, so obviously feels quite good in herself.
Having bitches speyed is quite controversial with other breeders, esp in UK, saying that the fluffy coats and incontinence result. However, this has only happened once with one of my girls so fingers crossed.

[pat predeth]

Hi Gayle ,,,,,,,a quicky anser to your last comment ,,a fluffy happy setter or a sleeked coated unhappy one I know which I prefure,, you can combe & trim to make them look good ,,,your place look's a wonderful & you take in abandoned but well coated ex setter owner's ha ha ha ! ! ! if so I am on my way ,,,I bet in a couple of week's she will be back to her old self,,, take care PAT x

[Angela Roberts]

Glad your girl is on the road to recovery. I took the decision to have Magic spayed when she was 7 years old as her seasons were only ever 5 months apart and then started getting closer and closer together, she bounced back after the operation and my vet suggested giving her 'Incurin' an Oestrogen based drug to prevent the coat going fluffy. She had one tablet a week for nearly all of the rest of her life only increasing it when she got to 12 as she had started to get a little but incontinent. Her coat stayed lovely and she grew the best feathering she had ever had. From that day until she was nearly 12 years old she won 18 best veterans in show at open shows and was twice the winner of the veteran class at the Gundog Society Of Wales championship show, her coat took no more work than any other show setter. We also cut back her food after the operation in preparation for the weight gain and she went quite thin so we increased it again and she always ate the same after the operation as she did before possibly due to her being a lively outgoing character who was hardly ever still. I believe there is also a homeopathic drug which can be given to help prevent coat wooliness, I will look it up and post it here soon.