hello, our Bonnie is due to be spayed in 3 weeks time. (She’s had 1 season). Does anyone have any tips/advice on after care, and how she is likely to be in the days and weeks following. Thanks
All dogs will be different. Our Belle bounced back to normal the next day. She had no on-going pain relief, only the jab they gave here on the day. She was on lead walks for 7 or 10 days (I forget) - that was a bit of a nightmare, she was frustrated. Some dogs will react more to the anaesthetic. She didn't bother with her stitches so didn't need a cone or a vest. (Scooby was very down for 3 days following an anaesthetic for something else).
When they come home on the day of the spay, they do look rather sad and perhaps whine but that is usually due to the anaesthetic. By the following day all five of my dogs over the years, have bounced back to normal. It is usual to keep the dog on the lead for ten days, but a vet I know, let hers off after 4 days, I wouldn't recommend that though! The last bitch I had spayed only had the teeniest incision, about an 1" long. I have never had to use cones for any of them. It seems like an eternity at the time of having to keep them on the lead, but you will forget
Cooper had a rougher surgery than most, and took several days to for the incision to quit weeping. She had to be sedated prior to doing the pre-op blood draw because she is so reactive to instruments. Because she vomited during the surgery she had some meds to coat her esophagus post op. Keeping track of her meds was a pain the first week because she had 4 or 5 drugs, and some could not be taken with others. We had to keep her pretty quiet for the 1st week so she could heal well, but she did not need a cone. Tilly's and Ginger's speys were less difficult, even though Ginger's at 4 years and after one litter of pups.
My pup had a laparoscopic spay which is less invasive and leads to speedier recovery but she was still discombobulated after surgery and whined quite a bit when she got home. After a night's sleep she no longer whined. I slept downstairs with her the first night to make sure she was ok and made the sofas impossible for her to jump on! I used a medical vest, instead of a cone, to protect the incisions and prevent any licking of them. I bought it from the vet's and it was put on by the vet nurses post op.
Thank you all, Bonnie did really well. She came home a few hours after the op. She was very dozey and whiney at first, but did go to bed easily and slept really well. The next day she was sick a couple of times, still suffering from the op, but by the 2nd day she was back to normal. We are now on day 5, and she’s a big handful! Our vet has said she could now go for a short lead walk, but it is so hot out, I’m just letting her root around in the garden. She is a real handful between 7pm and 9pm in the evening, but she’s been like that anyway for the last 6 weeks, nothing to do with her spay. We are trying to keep her occupied with low key “find it” games around the house, but adolescence is such hard work eh? I keep telling myself to hang on in there she’ll calm down in a few years ha ha! But it’s exhausting. But regarding the spay, it’s gone relatively smoothly, a friend has lent me a blow up collar, which is working well, I’ve taken it off a couple of times, but she does go straight for her belly. Her stichtes are nice a neat and clean, 4 bright purple ones to be taken out next Monday, I’m really pleased with her progress, just not her behaviour . It’s like she’s forgotten all her boundaries and is thriving on mischief. She’s almost 11 months, This is normal right??
@Caro A , I'm pleased to hear Bonnie's spay went uneventfully and she's making a good recovery. It does seem that a lot of youngsters go through the phase of apparently forgetting what they've learnt. I think the only answer is to just keep on with the training - consistency will win in the end
