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Is it safe for my dog to have spay and dental cleaning together?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Female | spayed | 5 years and 6 months old | 19 lbs

Is it safe for my dog to get both spayed and dental cleaning at the same time? how long can a dog be under anesthesia for ? this will be her first time I decided to do both procedure at the same time so that way she won’t be out under a second time. Am I making the right choice?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 5th, 2018

Great question! Yes, it is safe to combine anesthetic procedures in a dog. Dogs can safely be under anesthesia for hours depending on the procedure needed, although in her case, it shouldn't take multiple hours for these procedures to be done. The vet wouldn't have recommended doing both at the same time if they didn't feel it was safe to do on her. Speak with your vet about your concerns, but this is fine to do. I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Jeffrey Milner

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 13th, 2017

    In most cases, I would recommend doing the dental at the same time. It is better to undergo a single anesthetic episode than multiple ones. Every single case is completely different, but if Aubree does not have any known health issues (particularly issues with her cardiorespiratory or cardiovascular systems) I would just get it all done with at the same time. If the procedure is beginning to take too long or she starts performing poorly under anesthesia, the veterinarian will wake her up. I would definitely recommend using a facility that has good monitoring equipment for a procedure of this type of length. Make sure and ask if Aubree's vital signs, including blood pressure and heart rhythm, will be monitored for the duration of the procedure. Hope this helps!

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Related Questions

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for how long can a dog be put under anesthesia mine is 4 years old and tomorrow is her surgery both spaying and dental cleaning. But i was just wonder how long is too long for a dog her age.
Age is less important than overall physical health. If her pre anesthesia bloodwork comes back normal and her physical examination is normal before her procedures, the risk of anesthesia complications are low. Of course no anesthesia is without risk, but in an otherwise healthy dog the risk is pretty low. Now I don't know what type of dental procedure she will end up needing. If it's just a cleaning it should be relatively quick, and a spay in a dog Aubree's size is generally a 30 minute procedure so hopefully she won't be under anesthesia for more than, maybe two hours. That is generally an acceptable anesthesia time for a healthy dog. Now if she needs a lot of dental extractions your vet may talk about doing them at a different time since she will be under for the spay tomorrow as well. I hope this is helpful, and I hope Aubree is on the road to recovery soon!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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my dog has never been put under her surgury is already as dxpensive as it is, i can't afford to do the blood work but she has never had any health issue her breathing seems just fine i mean i take her to the vet often. Also she is 4 years old soon sh
Spaying your dog will contribute to her living longer and having a healthier life by eliminating the surge of hormones from when she goes into season that can lead to a uterine infection that can be life threatening, not to mention the additional stresses the hormones and the anxiety of being in season can have on a dog. Bloodwork is a good idea, to get an idea of how her organ systems are functioning and how well she will tolerate the anesthesia. Getting both procedures done at one time will eliminate the need for more than one anesthesia event, so that itself lowers her risk. Ask you vet if they are willing to work with you on getting the bloodwork done, either by running just liver and kidney function testing or if there is a discount for doing all of the work at one time.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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are there any major risks when putting an over weight dog under anesthesia. My yorkie silkie is 18lb she was schedule to get spay today but the vet on duty couldn’t do it bc she was a little chuncky he said, tomorrow she has to go back in and another
There are a couple of reasons that they may have delayed Aubree's surgery. Overweight dogs have a lot more fat in their abdomen which makes the spay procedure more difficult. The surgeon today may have felt that the surgeon who is on tomorrow is a better surgeon or may have worried that they didn't have enough time on the schedule today to do both her spay and her dental. Overweight dogs will sometimes need more careful anesthetic monitoring, but that is always part of what we do when a dog is under anesthesia. Although anesthesia always has risks in any dog, we do everything we can to minimize those risks and certainly the health benefits of a spay and a dental cleaning are worth those risks. Remember, they would not have delayed Aubree's procedures unless they felt it was in her best interest, so they will do everything they can to take care of your baby. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and makes you feel better. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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are there any major risks when putting an over weight dog under anesthesia. My yorkie silkie is 18lb she was schedule to get spay today but the vet on duty couldn’t do it bc she was a little chuncky he said, tomorrow she has to go back in and anothe
In an overweight dog, there is more fat tissue to get through, and within the abdomen there is fat covering everything making it more difficult to see, and slippery to handle the tissues. It is a little more challenging than a spay in a thin dog. If they rescheduled the procedure with a different veterinarian, it is possible that the veterinarian on duty today wanted to make sure she was in more experienced hands. A spay is a very routine procedure, although no surgery is without risk. You should be thankful that the veterinarian today did what was best for Aubree, and I hope everything goes well tomorrow. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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i have an 8 year old german shep / lab mix. i have him scheduled for a tooth cleaning and the vet uses ketamine/atropine for anesthesia. Is this relatively safe compared to other methods?
Thank you for using Boop by Petco. Both of these drugs are commonly and safely used in anesthesia for dogs. Often they are combined with other medications or inhaled anesthesia. If you have concerns about anesthesia, I recommend discussing those concerns with Oso's veterinarian. Doing things such as preanesthetic bloodwork and fluid therapy while under anesthesia can help identify or minimize anesthetic risks.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My 10 yrs old dog is getting 2 lump removal and spay surgery tomorrow. She's also going to be getting microchipped and 2 boosters tomorrow as well. Should I be worried that there are too many operations done on her the same day?
No, it is common to combine procedures together, such as a lump removal and spay. It's safer for Honey to have anesthesia once for both procedures, as putting her under twice may have more risks. It's also common to give vaccines and a microchip while doing a spay.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Hi My dog’s breed is bichon frise, she is 7 Month old and she has not been spay yet , I'm so scared of anesthesia and her doctor told me if you don’t spay her , she may be ill in the future , What should I do?
While any anesthesia carries a risk, spaying is generally a very safe procedure. The risks of anesthesia increase as a dog ages (I'm specifically referencing senior dogs like 10 years and older), but there are few risks for a young and healthy puppy. Your vet is right she could be ill in the future if you don't spay her. Not spaying her leaves her at risk of developing a pyometra in the future. This is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment, and spaying the dog is part of the treatment of a pyometra. That surgery is high risk due to the severity of the illness in the dog from the infection, and it costs thousands to perform. In addition, dogs who are spayed are at an increased risk of developing mammary tumors. Of these mammary tumors, 50% of them are malignant. For her health, it is best to spay her now. I would speak with your vet about getting it done. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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is spaying your dog a high risk procedure? i’ve been so nervous about spaying aubree she will be going tomorrow and I can’t keep myself calm i’m really scared. she will be also getting her teeth clean while she’s under anesthesia. she is a yorkie sil
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! As much as any surgery and anesthesia can be routine, a spay is a very common procedure. Complications are rare and we take every precaution to have successful outcomes. You vet wants everything to go well too! Spaying her is the best thing for her health! I wish Aubree the very best tomorrow!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Health & Wellbeing
Is this reversible? Should I get her teeth cleaned after Christmas? Or wait until February? She already has noticeable bad breath (if I intentionally try to smell it) but it goes away if I apply a bit of CET toothpaste on her teeth. Her last dental w
I would recommend having Precious’ teeth cleaned sooner rather than later. They longer you wait the more you risk having newer problems develop. Your veterinarian will be able to create an anesthetic protocol that is most safe for Precious. Her quality of REM sleep should not in any way affect her general anesthesia. The length of anesthesia depends on if issues are found during the procedure. If extractions are needed this will obviously prolong the procedure. A normal cleaning usually takes about 30-45 minutes. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Best of luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My dog had a pollepus removed off her wome but my vet said they have roots and need to be removed so he's going to remove it and spade her at same time she's 12 and I'm worried she won't pull through
Just as in people, anesthetic procedures are not without risk. However, if she is deemed healthy and will be adequately monitored during the procedure, the risk is minimized. She should have a full blood panel performed beforehand to make sure she is healthy to undergo the procedure. Your vet should also do a good physical exam to ensure she does not have a heart murmur or other health concerns. Wishing you both the best!
Updated on September 24th, 2025

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