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  • Laparoscopic spays at MyVet

What is laparoscopy?

‘Laparoscopy’ is the name used for keyhole abdominal surgery. Keyhole surgery is a minimally invasive technique that is used to achieve the same goals as we would with ‘traditional’ methods.

How does it work?

laparoscopic spays

In many ways the process is similar to a traditional spay. Your pet will be with us for the day and given a full general health check before the operation. The main difference is what happens when your pet is under general anaesthetic.

During a keyhole spay two very small incisions are made, usually less than 1cm, above and below your pets belly button. A camera is placed through one hole to see each ovary up close and in lots of detail.

Surgical instruments are placed through the second hole to seal the blood vessels and remove the ovaries. Each hole is then closed with a small stitch.

Why choose a keyhole spay?

  • There is a reduction in the amount of pain during and after the keyhole spay
  • The surgical wounds are much smaller. 0.5cm-1cm compared to 3-20cm with traditional spays
  • Your dog should have a speedier recovery with a quicker return to normal activity
  • Significantly reduced risk of complications
  • A number of other organs are seen during a keyhole spay. We may pick up other problems with your pet much sooner.

Are there any downsides?

It costs a little extra and there can be a longer waiting list. We also clip a larger area of your pets fur but you will only notice this when your dog is lying down. Complications are extremely rare but if they do occur we can quickly convert to traditional open surgery with no long term consequences.

Is every bitch suitable for keyhole neutering?

We can keyhole spay any female dog but dogs over 5kg benefit the most. We often opt for a traditional spays in dogs less than 5kg because the amount of space available to manoeuvre our instruments during a keyhole spay is reduced. If your dog is under 5kg and you would like to discuss the possibility of a keyhole spay please give us a call.

Keyhole neutering for male dogs

Keyhole castrations are not carried out in male dogs because their testicles are on the outside of the body. However if you have a dog who is ‘missing’ a testicle we can use the same method to remove this testicle from inside. All the benefits listed for the keyhole spay are the same.

Please note this service is only available at our Lucan Branch. For more information on laparoscopic spays for your pet, get in touch with us by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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