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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Complications years after spay surgery from nylon cable bands in dogs

By Werner, R E et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1992·Somers Point Veterinary Clinic·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Nylon cable band reactions in ovariohysterectomized bitches.

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Plain-English summary

Five female dogs developed complications years after being spayed with nylon cable bands used as ligatures. Symptoms included fever, stiffness, difficulty urinating, abnormal vaginal discharge, and straining to defecate. After the bands were removed, all the dogs recovered and the symptoms resolved. This case suggests that nylon cable bands should not be used in spay surgeries due to the risk of long-term issues.

People also search for: dog spay complications · nylon ligature problems in dogs · female dog fever after surgery

Abstract

Nylon cable bands used as ligatures caused postsurgical complications in 5 ovariohysterectomized bitches. Clinical signs included fever, stiffness, strangury, draining fistulae, vaginal discharge, and tenesmus. Most signs first appeared several years after surgery, and all signs were resolved after removal of the bands. On the basis of our experience, we suggest that nylon cable bands not be used for ovariohysterectomy ligations.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1537693/