Partial spay, anyone have this?

Lacysmom

Forums Regular
I am reading more about having a partial spay done for Sadie at the appropriate time, instead of having both the uterus and ovaries removed. This makes so much sense to me. Can you imagine the physiological impact on a child's body if we removed her ovaries right when she was starting to menstruate? So, why are we doing it to the dogs? I've learned the removal of all gonadal tissue (uterus and ovaries) is illegal in one Scandinavian country.
I also understand that most USA vets don't do the partial spay, as it is not taught at any vet school. One of the dangers of removing everything, is the dog having a much higher risk for certain cancers (bone cancer, mast cell cancer, and hemangiosarcoma). The sheltie that I lost in April had hemangiosarcoma, so this is a big concern for me.
I'm wondering if anyone here has had a partial spay. Looking for answers....
 
What I know about the hormonal control of reproduction (and it isn't that much, admittedly) is that the entire thing comprises a very delicate interplay between a number of hormones targeting a variety of different organs, in an elaborate interplay of positive and negative feedbacks. Taking any one of those hormones out of the mix is bound to cause problems, as the entire sequence is thrown out-of-kilter. It's kind of like reaching into a finely-tuned mechanical device and taking out some part at random. So with any complex organism, animal or human, the less meddling one does, the better.
 
Back
Top