# Time for Surgery



## Gibbs Mom and Dad (Jun 3, 2013)

We have scheduled Gibbs surgery for Wednesday, October 23. He will be 7 months old. He is having 3 surgeries:

1. Cherry Eye
2. Hernia
3. Neutering


Does anyone have any advice, suggestions or experiences they would like to share? 

The hernia surgery is driving the timing, so advice such as waiting until Gibbs is over a year old to have him neutered is moot at this point. We are set that the biggest risk of any surgery is the anesthesia and we don't want to expose him to it more than once since we don't have to.

Gibbs is approximately 11 pounds, which is the size of his sire. He is weight proportionate to size and bone structure - a healthy lean.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Gibbs Mom and Dad said:


> We have scheduled Gibbs surgery for Wednesday, October 23. He will be 7 months old. He is having 3 surgeries:
> 
> 1. Cherry Eye
> 2. Hernia
> ...


If he needs to have the hernia done now, I'd do exactly what you are doing. IMO, the risks of multiple anesthsias outweigh any possible risks of the specific date of neutering... It just seems unfair, too, to make him misertal over and over. Let the poor lad get it over with and get on with his happy, busy life!

All 3 surgeries tend to be minor by themselves, but obviously he'll be under anesthesia longer because they are doing several procedures at once. He'll also be sore in more than one place, though I haven't heard that the cherry eye surgery is too hard on them. So I'd make sure they give him long-acting pain meds before he leaves the hospital, and then make sure they give you oral ones to use as needed too. Some of them don't seem to need it, but you don't want to be caught without, and have him suffering while you try to get a prescription filled and picked up.


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## SJ1998 (Feb 4, 2013)

Are his adult teeth in also? That is another thing to check as they can pull any extra baby teeth at the same time. 

I am sure he will do great!


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## Gibbs Mom and Dad (Jun 3, 2013)

SJ1998 said:


> Are his adult teeth in also? That is another thing to check as they can pull any extra baby teeth at the same time.
> 
> I am sure he will do great!


He's lost almost all of his baby teeth and they will pull the remaining the same day. I didn't add it to the list because I don't think there are any left to pull. She will check.


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

One more suggestion: Get Gibbs' teeth cleaned while under anesthesia. Good luck!
-Jeanne-


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Bring home pain meds, he will need it for several days. The Cherry Eye will take several weeks to heal and look normal...is he having the little tuck it in procedure.


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

I would make sure he gets some pre-anesthesia blood work done before he has the surgery.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

I 100% agree with doing it all at once. Is it an umbilical hernia?? 

My Lily had hers corrected 10 years ago when spayed and there were NO problems. 

My Lexi had a cherry eye repair approx 7 years ago & she is fine to this day. 
the only issue was that you had to be diligent with the cone, as you dont want him scratching his eye with his paw. 

I am sure he will do great!!!!!


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## Gibbs Mom and Dad (Jun 3, 2013)

I broke the news to him yesterday. I got home from work and he was happy to seee as always. I got down on the floor in front of him, looked him in the eye and told him I scheduled an appointment to get his cherry eye and hernia fixed and at the same time he would get his nuts chopped off. 

He tilted his head and gave me that quizzical look before swiping my face with his tongue.

I don't think he understood.


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## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

Speedy recovery Gibbs, not much to add except you're smart to get everything done at once. I keep telling Tim his little sister is coming soon and I get the head tilt, I don't think he understands either, but oh goodness he will soon.


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## Pucks104 (Aug 16, 2012)

Don't you think its best that Gibbs has no clue what's coming?


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Tell them to cut his nails if you have a problem doing them. Does he have a Micro Chip ID, if not get it inserted at this time. 

He will be fine. Are you taking him home late that afternoon?


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## Gibbs Mom and Dad (Jun 3, 2013)

Pucks104 said:


> Don't you think its best that Gibbs has no clue what's coming?


It was a tough choice and a close call as to which way to go. I considered the "plausible deniability" route by not telling him. I figured I could just blame the "mean female doctor" and deny any culpability. My main fear is that one day he'll catch me coming out of the shower and bite my nuts off in revenge.

Ultimately, I decided honesty is the best policy since I knew I'd only get the WTF tilted head look from my poor clueless buddy.


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## Gibbs Mom and Dad (Jun 3, 2013)

HavaneseSoon said:


> Does he have a Micro Chip ID, if not get it inserted at this time.
> 
> He will be fine. Are you taking him home late that afternoon?


Yep, they're doing that too.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

he'll do fine John , not to worry lol


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## wildhilda (Oct 3, 2013)

Actually, I would not let chip him, make the nails or anything else that can be done without anesthesia. 

It is right that the anesthesia is the greatest risk by undergoing surgery but that is true as well for the length of one anesthesia. It should not be longer than really necessary because every anesthesia is a great physical and cardiovascula strain and the more the longer it is.

I and my vet would have decided differently: hernia and cherry eye in one surgery, neutering one year later - this is enough time between two surgeries so that the next anesthesia would have no greater risk than the first one.

But you have made your decisions and I am sure that everything will be fine - he is young and healthy, so everything will be all right.

But I, too, would recommend a complete blood count before. 

Will he get the anesthesia by injection or by inhalation?
I do not know, if it is possible with these sorts of surgeries, but if it is than I would pledge for anesthesia by inhalations it is far less straining.

Hilda was neutered in April and I chose anesthesia by inhalation and that was great. She recovered really quickly from the anesthesia.


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## RoutineAvocado (Feb 6, 2013)

wildhilda said:


> Actually, I would not let chip him, make the nails or anything else that can be done without anesthesia.
> 
> It is right that the anesthesia is the greatest risk by undergoing surgery but that is true as well for the length of one anesthesia. It should not be longer than really necessary because every anesthesia is a great physical and cardiovascula strain and the more the longer it is.
> 
> ...


Chipping takes like 2 seconds to do. Like getting a piercing. But I see the concern for prolonging anesthesia.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

I'm all for chipping.
Hernia and neutering should go fine.
I do not know anything about cherry eye.
I think he is young enough to not have the teeth cleaned at this time.
All will be well - glad you are scheduling the surgery and giving Gibbs enough time to get himself psychologically ready. He will surely be confident that you will nurse him back to good health in the days that follow.


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## wildhilda (Oct 3, 2013)

gelbergirl said:


> I'm all for chipping.
> Hernia and neutering should go fine.
> I do not know anything about cherry eye.
> I think he is young enough to not have the teeth cleaned at this time.
> All will be well - glad you are scheduling the surgery and giving Gibbs enough time to get himself psychologically ready. He will surely be confident that you will nurse him back to good health in the days that follow.


just not to be misunderstood - I am in general for chipping - actually in Germany it is done when the puppies still live with their breeders - when they get their first vaccination.

At this time they get their European pet passport, in which the chip number has to be filled in. So that is why, since 2002 I think, all dogs are chipped.


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## Gibbs Mom and Dad (Jun 3, 2013)

gelbergirl said:


> ... glad you are scheduling the surgery and giving Gibbs enough time to get himself psychologically ready ...


I don't think the male of any species can ever truly be psychologically ready to have their testicles cut off.

We grow attached to them (or vise versa), and they give us countless hours of enjoyment (even if only a few minutes at a time).


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Gibbs Mom and Dad said:


> I don't think the male of any species can ever truly be psychologically ready to have their testicles cut off.
> 
> We grow attached to them (or vise versa), and they give us countless hours of enjoyment (even if only a few minutes at a time).


Yeah, they do spend a lot of time licking them.:bolt:


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## Gibbs Mom and Dad (Jun 3, 2013)

krandall said:


> Yeah, they do spend a lot of time licking them.:bolt:


It's a "dirty" job, but someone has to do it. :jaw:


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## RitaandRiley (Feb 27, 2012)

My DH was upset when Riley was neutered. He said "Do you think he misses them?" I said I didn't think he ever knew he had them in the first place.


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## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

Oh my goodness look what this thread has turned into. ound: No comment


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

RitaandRiley said:


> My DH was upset when Riley was neutered. He said "Do you think he misses them?" I said I didn't think he ever knew he had them in the first place.


All joking aside, I think that HAVING them and not being allowed to USE them is probably much worse for the animal than being neutered. Not sure about humans... I think they'd still object!


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## Gibbs Mom and Dad (Jun 3, 2013)

krandall said:


> All joking aside, I think that HAVING them and not being allowed to USE them is probably much worse for the animal than being neutered.


That thought provides some comfort to me.


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