You naturally want the best for your dog. One of the best ways to ensure the health and happiness of your female dog is to have her spayed. Spaying can prevent breast cancer and eliminate bloody discharge and improve behavior. It is important to take special care of your furry family member after the surgery to guarantee a smooth recovery.
Here are a few useful tips for taking care of your dog after spaying.
Reduce Your Dog's Activity
Just like people, dogs require plenty of rest after a surgical procedure. If your dog does too much too soon, she can damage the stitches. Avoid taking your dog for long walks or letting her jump and run. If you have other pets or little kids at home, keep them away from your dog until she recovers.
Stop Your Dog From Licking the Incision
Your dog may try to lick the incision after spay surgery to relieve itching. However, this can lead to infection and delay the healing process. If your dog can't stop licking on her own, you should think about putting a cone around her neck.
Do Not Give Your Dog a Bath
Your veterinarian will want you to avoid bathing your dog until she is fully healed from the spaying surgery. Bathing can increase the risk of bacteria getting into the surgery site.
Keep an Eye on the Incision
After spaying surgery, you should check your dog's incision at least once a day. Check for abnormalities, such as excessive swelling, redness, and bleeding. If you detect any of these abnormalities, you should take your dog to see a veterinarian as soon as possible. He or she will inspect the incision and determine what is going on.
Reduce Your Dog's Food Portions
Your dog may experience nausea after having anesthesia. As such, she might not have her normal appetite after the spaying surgery. To keep your dog comfortable, you should cut her portions in half. If your dog seems to be getting her appetite back, introduce more food slowly.
Help Your Dog Stay Warm
It is normal to feel a little cold after getting anesthesia. For the first couple of days after spaying surgery, make sure that your dog has a blanket.
If you follow these helpful tips, you can help your dog recover successfully from spaying surgery. If you have additional questions, you should get in touch with your veterinarian.
Veterinarians are essentially doctors for your pets. However, the term "vet" is actually quite fitting, since it rhymes with the word "pet."
Every pet should have a good vet, and they should see that vet often for checkups, vaccines, and flea and tick treatments. When a vet has a history with their client, they will be better able to treat that pet appropriately should something go wrong.
We love the work that veterinarians do, which is why we are so pleased to post about that work on this blog. We hope that by reading here, you become a more informed pet owner and veterinary clients.