The Ultimate Guide to Spay and Neutering Aftercare
Your ultimate guide to spay and neutering aftercare
When it comes to spaying and neutering your pet, postoperative care is just as important as the surgery itself to ensure healthy healing and a happy pup.
It’s important to remember that your pet has just had major surgery and needs to be cared for and looked after to prevent any complications. Pet owners can typically pick up their furry babes about 4-6 hours post surgery. In that time, once the animal is taken off anesthesia, they are monitored for temperature, pulse, respiration and alertness. Usually within minutes of them waking, they are usually sitting up, albeit groggy from anesthesia and pain medication.
Now you’re at the vet ready to pick them up; below we’ve outlined important things to keep in mind to ensure speedy recovery.
Make your pet feel comfortable
When picking up your pet from the clinic and you’re heading to the car, don’t allow your animal to jump in or out of the car; they must be carried. For a small and lighter dog, this shouldn’t be an issue, however for large dogs, help them up carefully and slowly so they don’t tear their sutures and cause complications.
Once they are home, allow them to rest on something soft in a cool, indoor area. Your pet should not be left outside, in an outdoor kennel or in a garage after surgery. They have trouble regulating their body temperature post anesthesia. If your pet normally is housed outdoors and you cannot keep him/her indoors, then it is best for him/her to stay at the veterinary hospital overnight.
Food and water
Since general anesthesia can make an animal feel groggy and have a sensitive stomach, give your pet half of their normal meal the evening you get home. The next day, they can start eating as usual, but restricting their intake right after surgery helps them rest and reset their systems and ensures they’re not hurting their stomachs.
As far as water goes, there are no restrictions on H2O.
Anesthesia can cause a bit of loose stool or constipation, so don’t get alarmed by it. It typically fixes itself as they continue on a normal diet and routine. If there is blood in the stool — whether it’s bright red or dark — we recommend calling your vet. Don’t ignore any red flags or warning signs; it’s best to err on the side of caution. If your pet is still having bowel trouble 48 hours post surgery, then call your vet.
Exercise
Despite their activity levels, don’t let your animal exercise for 14 days post-op. This is especially true when it comes to stairs — don’t allow them to walk up or down a staircase to allow the incision sight to heal promptly and fully.
As far as bathroom breaks and walks — we don’t recommend daily walks for 14 days. And if your pup is hard to keep inactive when he/she has to go outside, then take them on a leash in your yard or sidewalk. Don’t stray too far!
We know this can seem counterintuitive, especially with hyper puppies, but being careful is super important; tearing a suture could result in another surgical fix.
If your pet is having accidents in the house, even though they were potty trained before the surgery, don’t be alarmed — it can happen, especially after a big surgery. The problem usually fixes itself within 24-48 hours, but if they are still having accidents a week after surgery, this could be cause to check for a UTI.
Pain Medication
Your pet should go home on pain medication after surgery- this should not be optional. Like any prescription, follow instructions on the medication and any additional details your veterinarian provided.
Under no circumstances should you give your pet over the counter human pain medication. It seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t listen to this!
Bathing
No bathing, swimming, going to the pool, lake, or sprinkler for at least 14 days after surgery, or until the sutures come out. We know this sucks, especially in the summer, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Water can cause a serious infection at the surgical site.
Monitoring the suture site
Keep a close eye on the suture site and monitor for any changes at least twice a day to make sure there is no swelling, discharge, redness, or pain to the touch. If something looks off, give your vet a call, and please don’t apply any topical ointments, such as Neosporin, unless directed.
If it needs to be cleaned for any reason, do so gently with a lightly moistened cloth.
Normally pets will have a post op check up with their vet about a week after surgery. Be sure to keep this appointment to have your pet’s surgery site checked out!
Socializing with other animals in the house
When your pet comes home from surgery, they are going to act different, look different, and smell different, making other pets in the house very curious.
Because of these temporary changes, household animals may not interact in the same way that they normally do. Keep them separated until your post op pet is back to normal.
If you can’t keep them from playing together, they need to be separated for at least 14 days or until you have your pet’s post-operation vet appointment. This is especially important if you have two dogs and one is generally dominant over the other.
Along with the right aftercare, your pup can have a long healthy life with the stem cells gathered from discarded tissue after a spay and neutering process. We’ve outlined how this works here; think of it is as a safety net for your dog’s life down the line.
By: Dr. Shelly Zacharias
