After Spaying Care, Tips

[princessnala]

The vet just called and Nala's procedures went well. She was spayed and had dewclaws removed from her hind legs. We got her Oct. 1st, and found out she was at least a year old (not 5 or 6 mos. as we were told). Now it's been a while since I had a young dog and she is full of energy. She loves my 16 and 20 year old sons as they are as rambunctous as she is.
I will be picking her up at 3 today. She will be coming home with an anti-inflamatory med and the vet feels this will help her pain. I have put away her balls and anything else she would chase. I would like some ideas on keeping her calm. She is crated at bedtime and does like her nylabones. Should I crate her off and on during the day to make sure she rests? Or would this stress her? The boys have already been warned about no rough-housing.
We also took her out on a leash this a.m. so that she would not eat any leaves, sticks etc. prior to surgery. She peed but did not have her usual bowel movement. Should I be concerned with constipation post op? I know that is a problem with humans.
Any other tips you can add to aid in her comfort and healing process would be greatly appreciated. We have never had a female dog before so we have never been through a spay. Also never had a dog that needed dewclaws removed.
Thanks in advance,
Lori

[Dax]

I've never had a pup with constipation afterwards. The best advice is to keep her on a leash when you go out walking. That is when mine really bounce and carry on. Avoid other dogs as it will just make her unhappy not to play.

Keep it dry. We had a lot of rain right after Ariel's procedure and she keep getting it wet which resulted in a minor infection.

You can still play with her ball - just roll it to her.

Within a couple of days, she will seem like her old self but you should not do jumping, excessive running or wrestling.

[princessnala]

Thanks, I had not thought of using the actual word wrestling with my sons. With kids you have to be so specific. I am also worried about the dewclaws as those sites have been sutured. I'm so afraid I'll get up in the morning and find a bad situation. I am a worrier by nature anyway, and we just lost one of the best dogs we have ever had. Still extremely sad, and can't talk about it yet. I think this adds to my anxiety over somewhat simple procedures.

[bernicesmama]

my dogs were both pretty groggy for the first day and a little bit the next day. I didn't have to keep them down, they were pretty darn mellow after their surgeries! lol i did make sure to keep them leashed when they went out for potty breaks and if i was not there, they were crated.

[mara]

Shouldn't have any problems with the bowels post op, I don't think. The problem with humans after surgery is that the pain is usually managed with narcotics which cause constipation big time. The first time Mara "went" after being spayed it seemed to hurt her a bit but after that she was fine.

[kshort49]

When Maia was spayed in Sept. she was pretty calm the day I picked her up. For the next week I had to keep her crated because she is a non-stop crazy pup-never stops unless she is in her crate. We had a problem with her healing, but that was because the vet who did her surgery didn't do such a great job. When I got her to my regular vet, things got better and she healed up fine. Just make sure she doesn't lick the site, and like others have said, don't let her get it wet. Best of luck! Kathy and Maia

[princessnala]

Nala came home with us at 4 pm. She acted a little strange at first. She was happy to see us, but a little disoriented. After she had been home approx. one hour she was more herself. I have been feeding her about a half cup of food every hour or so. Before I picked her up, I stopped at the store and bought her some new toys (just a little spoiled)lol. When it became difficult to distract her from her incision or leg dressings; I would pull out a new toy. Luckily, that only happened twice in the beginning. I guess I need to put all her toys away and keep rotating with new ones. She also had a bowel movement, without difficulty I might add. Wish I could be so tough!

[princessnala]

Oh, and thanks for the replies. It trully helps to hear of other experiances.

[AussiesCollies]

I tried keeping my dogs activity level low...boy was I not successful. He was his normal self by that same evening! I just tried to keep an eye on his stitches (he was neutered) and kept them dry. He was fine Good luck with your baby!

[mara]

Sounds like she's doing great!!