1) If the surgery isn't done "correctly," it can leave the vagina shallow. (I'm not sure why they would want to do this? They still go into heat and if an owner is not closely watching his dog the dog could get penetrated by another male dog. Which would cause injury.)
As far as I’ve been able to tell, the ideal procedure would leave the cervix intact in order to prevent internal organs from getting pushed out (sorry for the graphic images that may conjure) so her vagina wouldn’t be shortened. I have read not all vets do leave the cervix though because you have to make a really precise cut at the uterus so there’s no risk of stump pyometrea.
If you're leaving the ovaries, any remaining uterine tissue will lead to increased risk of stump pyometra. That's why, if done "correctly", the recommendation is to REMOVE the cervix, and the vagina will be left "shallower". The bitch will still attract and stand for males, and will DEFINITELY be at risk for injury if mated by a dog, especially if the dog is "big".
The organs will not come inside out if you remove the cervix. The canal is ligated and it will scar and heal into a cul-de-sac. I haven't seen anything regarding increased incidence of prolapse.
It sucks that the information is so scarce. I've talked with one zoo veterinarian and he seems to actually advocate against the procedure. I've thought about reaching out to the user 1000Extra who is a vet and a zoo. But 1) I don't want to pester him with medical questions. and 2) He hasn't logged into ZooVille in almost 3 months.
I can see why vets wouldn't regularly recommend this procedure, but given the local common interests it's obvious why people here would want to know more about it. Why did your first vet advise against it?
I'm sure other people have the same questions you do about this, so if you've got any specific questions I say go ahead and post them!
Let me try answering the ones you initially asked...
-Behavioral changes => shouldn't be any
-Being less in the mood for sex=> from hormonal standpoint, it shouldn't make a difference. However, if sex feels different or uncomfortable to her after the surgery, she may not enjoy it as much. I'm guessing this is usually not a problem if you wait 'till everything is healed. It's probably different with every individual and one of those "you'll only find out for sure when you try" things. You won't find much info about this out there specifically for dogs, but it doesn't seem too much of a stretch to look at the effect of hysterectomy without ovariectomy on women's libido, which overall doesn't seem to be negative.
-Getting more anxious/aggressive=> shouldn't make a difference
-Any physical changes like getting vaginally tighter=> don't see why this would happen (it wouldn't be "narrower", just "not as deep")
-Coat changes = > This one is usually associated with regular version of spaying, the coat should be preserved if the ovaries are spared (and functioning normally).
I'll take the liberty to add what I feel are implied questions.
-Will she be at lower risk for pyometra: Yes. But if there's any remaining trace uterine tissue, she could get stump pyometra. Also, because this isn't a standard arrangement, if she ever did get issues like endocrine disorders, unexplained vaginal discharge or stump pyometra, it'd likely be harder for your vet to diagnose and treat.
-Can she still have sex:
- with another dog, there are risks of serious injury and death, so that's definitely not recommended.
- Weather she will accommodate you in the same manner she does now, or feel shallower or tighter, is probably something you will have to discover if you go through with this option, but if you can imagine her vagina ending just before her cervix, and if you can picture yourself not ramming it in there such as to cause injury, it'll give you and idea if it could realistically work out or not. Maybe someone with first hand experience will report back here one day?
- What's the best option for my dog: OSS? Spaying her at age X? Spaying her only if she gets pyo? Honestly, not sure there's an absolute right or a wrong answer. Obviously, OSS won't guarantee she never gets sick, or never needs a second procedure to get her ovaries removed (if she has hormone responsive conditions like mammary tumors for example), or always remains "open for business" (and I know that's not your main priority Floofy but I'm putting it in there anyway in case someone else reads this far), but it does seem like a decent attempt to stave off pyo and prolong her active (not-with-dogs-)sex life. I do think spaying her before she has a chance to get pyo is the simplest, most cost effective approach, but it will have major effects on her libido and anatomy. If you end up leaving her intact, just make sure you watch for pyo and mammary tumors, and can care for her if she gets that.
Hope that's at least a bit helpful
) so thankfully no obligation to conform to their bullshit rules.
