Buzz
Spaying your female dog is a responsible choice. Removing the uterus prevents conditions like pyometra, a serious infection. If performed before the second heat cycle, the surgery also reduces the risk of breast cancer later in life. However, it’s natural to feel anxious about your pet undergoing surgery. Proper post-operative care minimizes the risk of complications and ensures your dog’s comfort during recovery.
Steps
Bringing Your Dog Home After Surgery
Prepare transportation for your dog. Your dog will be allowed to go home once it can stand and walk. However, this doesn’t mean it can walk all the way home. Carry your dog in your arms, or if it’s a larger breed, arrange for suitable transportation.
- The veterinarian may keep your dog overnight if it appears drowsy from anesthesia or is unable to walk.
Ask a friend to accompany you. Bring a friend along when you go to the clinic to pick up your dog. It can be hard to remember all the instructions while you’re eager to reunite with your four-legged companion. Your friend can help you listen to the vet’s advice, which you might forget in your excitement.
- Your friend can also hold doors open and assist you in getting your dog in and out of the car.
Write down any questions you need to ask the vet at the clinic. Most veterinary clinics provide comprehensive aftercare instructions, both verbally and in writing. Before heading to the clinic, jot down any questions you have about post-surgery care for your dog.
- You’ll feel more confident in caring for your dog if you write down your questions and ask the vet one by one.
Caring for Your Dog Immediately After Surgery
Keep the environment calm for your dog. When you get home, your dog will need a quiet and relaxing space to rest and recover. Avoid scheduling the surgery on a day when there’s a noisy gathering at home, as your dog won’t feel comfortable around crowds.
- Limit visitors during this time. While your dog might be excited to see people, it may try to get up and move around when it should be resting.
Stay home for the first 24 hours after your dog’s surgery. Many people wonder if they need to stay home with their dog for several days after spaying. This isn’t necessary, but you should stay home for the first 24 hours to ensure your dog is eating, alert, able to relieve itself normally, and not in excessive pain.
- Call your vet if anything concerning happens during the first 24 hours.
- If you must leave, consider hiring a reliable pet sitter and providing them with detailed instructions.
Provide a light diet for your dog after surgery. You can feed your dog on the evening of the surgery once the anesthesia begins to wear off. However, offer smaller portions than usual. Anesthesia can cause nausea in some dogs, and overeating may lead to vomiting.
- You can give your dog small portions of cooked chicken breast, rabbit, cod, or turkey paired with plain rice or pasta.
- Alternatively, consider purchasing specialized dog food for nausea, such as Hills ID or Purina EN.
Resume your dog’s regular diet one day after surgery. The following day, you can return to your dog’s normal feeding routine. Keep in mind that it’s normal for dogs not to defecate for 2-3 days after surgery.
Limit leaving your dog alone to 4-hour intervals in the days following surgery. For the first 3-4 days after bringing your dog home, you can leave it alone for up to 4 hours at a time. During this period, your dog will likely sleep and rest, while you can monitor its condition and address any concerns.
- Refer to the section below on "helping your dog manage pain" to learn what signs to watch for.
No need for close supervision after 4-5 days post-surgery. If no serious complications have arisen by this point, you can leave your dog alone at home. After this period, the focus should be on allowing your dog to heal until stitches are removed around 10-14 days after surgery.
Prevent Your Dog from Licking the Wound
Leave the bandage on the wound for 24 hours. Some veterinary clinics send dogs home with a bandage over the incision. Keeping the bandage intact for 24 hours helps protect the surgical site from infection.
- Some clinics no longer use bandages as they can irritate the dog’s skin.
Use an Elizabethan collar to prevent your dog from licking the wound. You must stop your dog or other pets from licking the incision, as this can lead to infection or cause stitches to come undone. An Elizabethan collar, often described as a cone-shaped device, is an effective solution. These collars are typically made of clear plastic.
- Choose a collar that fits your dog properly. The narrow end should fit snugly around the neck and attach to the regular collar. The wider end should extend 5–7.5 cm beyond the dog’s nose to prevent it from reaching the wound.
- Alternatively, you can use an inflatable collar that restricts head movement. These collars resemble life preservers and fit around the dog’s neck.
Dress your newly spayed dog in an old T-shirt if there are other dogs in the house. If you have multiple dogs, any of them might try to lick the surgical wound. To prevent this, find an old T-shirt large enough to cover the dog’s body and the incision. Keep the shirt on for 10-14 days. A cotton T-shirt works well as it is breathable.
- Slip the T-shirt over the dog’s head and thread its front legs through the sleeves. Adjust the shirt to fully cover the wound and secure it so the dog can move comfortably. If the shirt is long enough, cut holes for the hind legs.
- Replace the shirt if it gets dirty.
Caring for Your Dog’s Wound
Inspect the incision every morning and evening. Observe the wound without touching it. A healing incision should be dry, with no discharge. During the healing process, the edges of the wound may swell slightly to help close the incision.
Identify signs of infection. Pay close attention to symptoms such as heat, swelling, or discharge from the wound. Contact your veterinarian immediately if you notice blood or pus oozing from the injury. While blood is often from capillaries leaking into the fat layer beneath the skin rather than serious internal bleeding, it's still crucial to consult your vet to rule out any dangerous complications.
Clean the surgical wound only when dirty. Unless instructed otherwise by your vet, avoid touching your dog's incision. However, if your dog gets dirt on its belly while outside, you can gently clean the area. Here's how:
Keep your dog's bedding clean. If the wound is left uncovered, ensure your dog rests on a clean, dry bed to prevent contamination.
Ensure your dog gets adequate rest
Understand why rest is crucial. The principle behind rest is to avoid any activity that might stretch the incision, increase blood pressure, or cause stitches to burst. Ideally, your dog should do nothing but rest—stay in bed, avoid stairs, jumping, or walking around.
Limit your dog's physical activity. This means no running, playing fetch, or engaging in games that involve chasing objects. Avoid letting your dog climb stairs or jump on and off furniture. Consider using a baby gate to block stair access during recovery.
Use a leash when taking your dog outside for bathroom breaks. Always take your dog out with a collar and leash instead of allowing it to roam freely. A leash gives you better control and prevents injuries if your dog gets excited and tries to chase something.
Assist your dog when getting in and out of the car. Prevent your dog from jumping in or out of the vehicle. If necessary, ask a friend to help lift a larger dog into the car when returning from the vet or going on outings.
Keep your dog on a leash when resuming walks. If your dog becomes restless and full of energy, consult your vet to see if short walks are appropriate. Always use a leash when taking your dog outside.
Avoid rough play with your dog. If you have other dogs that enjoy roughhousing, supervise them closely to ensure they don’t jump on or play too aggressively with the recovering dog. Avoid tug-of-war or other strenuous games.
Consult your vet if your dog is overly active. If your energetic dog refuses to stay calm despite your efforts, inform your veterinarian. They may prescribe a mild sedative to help reduce your dog's activity level.
Help your dog manage pain
Administer pain medication as prescribed by your vet. As with any major surgery, ensuring the patient isn't in pain is crucial. Most clinics use a combination of pain relievers (opioids and non-steroidal) on the day of surgery and provide medication for home use.
Watch for signs of pain in your dog. Dogs react differently to pain; some whine, while others hide. Common signs include restlessness, whining, changes in posture, irritability, and loss of appetite.
Contact your vet if you believe your dog is in significant pain. If your dog's pain doesn't subside, call your vet. They may prescribe additional pain relief, such as tramadol, to help manage your dog's discomfort.
Contact your vet if you notice severe symptoms. Vets typically schedule a follow-up 3-10 days post-surgery. However, if you're concerned before this period, reach out for advice. Key warning signs include:
Advice
- Active female dogs often stretch their bodies, straining the stitches. This increases infection risk, and inflammatory cells gathering at the wound can cause a "stitch reaction."
