Neutering a second Yorkshire Terrier, male

I had an e-mail appointment to neuter a Yorkshire Terrier, 2.7 kg only. He was so well behaved. "But in the house, he lords over us," the sister with the brownest sun tan I had even seen in a Singaporean Chinese girl. Usually this tan is for Caucasians who sunbathe for hours.

Teeth scaling needed. Two lower puppy canine teeth were extracted as they accumulated food in between the permanent and puppy canines.

Xylazine 0.15 ml IM. Then isoflurane gas by mask and intubate. Smooth surgery. I was very surprised that there was very little bleeding from inside and from the skin suture. Only one ligation of the spermatic cord using 3-forcep clamp method and closed method of neuter. This was one of those very satisfying neuters. I advised tolfedine 4mg/kg oral for first 24 hours and then once daily. Tolfedine was given by SC post-op.

The other Yorkshire Terrier owner (also a lady) did not contact me at all after neuter. Similar suture. Similar query from my assistant Mr Min again: "No subcuticular suture?" when he saw me giving one 2/0 horizontal mattress. He must have had been impressed with seeing many subcuticular sutures done by my associate vets and so he was much surprised as to why I did not do it.

Good post-op outcome (lack of complications) counts. He had not seen any skin irritation complaint from my case if you ask him. "Subcuticular sutures are not necessary if you don't traumatise the surrounding tissues and close with horizontal mattress," I told Mr Min who is a veterinarian qualified in Myanmar. Well, he is new to Singapore veterinary surgery and he can see 3 vets with 3 different styles. So, it is up to him to learn the best practices from the 3 vets. And be a better vet.

There is no need to return for stitch removal and so I don't see the Yorkshire anymore. No news is good news.