Complications due to surgical sterilization by ovariohysterectomy in female dogs: A systematic review

Abstract

Ovariohysterectomy in female dogs is a frequent surgical procedure for sterilization. However, there might be short-term and long-term complications that are necessary to know. This systematic review aims to identify complications due to ovariohysterectomy in dogs, analyzing the methodological quality of the studies that provide data. 40 studies published in Spanish, English, and Portuguese were identified through an electronic search in Pub Med, Medwell Journals, Scielo, Science Direct, and Google Academic. Six descriptive studies of complications due to canine ovariohysterectomy were selected. Studies on complications with non-comparable methodologies were excluded. Heterogeneity was observed in the characteristics and quality of the studies. The majority used convenience sampling, in which the number of participants varied between 72 and 1880. The analysis units were purebred and crossbred canine females from 6 to 108 months of age. The follow-up period of patients for the assessment of complications varied from one week to ten years. The proportion of complications ranged from 0.1 to 74%. The main events reported are those that occur in short term periods, such as anesthetic complications, bleeding, and wound inflammation. In the long term, there is urinary incontinence, pyometra, and obesity. It is concluded that the scientific evidence available on complications in dogs sterilized by ovariohysterectomy is not enough to support decision-making in the clinical practice with respect to the topic addressed