The prognosis is good for young, healthy dogs. If there are complications, the prognosis will depend upon the individual case.
Possible complications of ovariohysterectomy include hemorrhage, infection, recurrent estrus cycles due to the inadequate removal of the ovarian tissue, body weight gain if diet and exercise are not monitored, accidental ligation of a tube leading from the kidney to the urinary bladder called a ureter, and urinary incontinence due to the lack of estrogen. Other complications that can be seen with any abdominal surgery include anesthetic problems, suture reactions and infections, delayed wound healing or breakdown, self-inflicted trauma, and seroma, or blood-tinged fluid accumulation at the surgery site.
Most of these can be prevented by careful surgical technique and proper postoperative care. If the proper precautions are taken, the risk of complications is minimal. If complications do occur, however, the veterinarian should be notified promptly. Dehiscence, or separation of the incision layers, can be an emergency situation requiring surgery to replace abdominal contents. Dogs can chew out their sutures and cause great damage to the abdominal organs in a very short period of time.
The veterinarian will determine the appropriate treatment for any complication that may occur. Some examples of treatments include controlling bleeding by exploring the surgery site and ligating the leaking vessel; draining the fluid from a seroma and applying a pressure bandage; and providing hormone supplements to control hormonal urinary incontinence.
