Dear Editor,
I would like to compliment Dr. Austin, et al., for their article titled Laparoscopic Ovariohysterectomy in Nine Dogs (
Dr. Austin and her colleagues state that ovariohysterectomy is a necessity for many of our domestic animals, aiding in population control, disease prophylaxis, therapeutics, and behavior modification. In my opinion, this statement is incorrect. These objectives can be accomplished by performing a simple ovariectomy, rather than the more invasive, full ovariohysterectomy. There is no indication to perform an ovariohysterectomy in healthy, nongravid bitches.1,2 Since many of the complications seen with ovariohysterectomies can be attributed to the cervical stump and the transection of the broad ligament,3,4 many now advocate ovariectomy as the procedure of choice for...