Having had Jet, our youngest Dog, who is just under nine months old, Spayed five days ago I thought it would be a good idea here at the Dog Blog to give a little advice on Dog spaying and tell what happened to our Dogs after being Spayed. Female Dog Spaying aftercare is especially important and there are a few things we should all know.
As always though, these are just my opinions and experiences. If you are ever in any doubt about any aspect of looking after Dogs then consult your Vet.
I wrote previously about when I believe you should get your Dog Spayed or Sterilized so I won’t get in to that debate here. We have three Dogs and they have all been Spayed now. Daisy, the Mother of Jet, had one season and with our best intentions she manged to get out via a quick dash for the door and five Puppies were the result. Luckily we found homes for four but it was a mistake on our part that we didn’t want repeated.
Dog Spaying Cost?
We have a local Vet that performs the Spaying for about 200 Euros ($250). The antibiotics they have for a week after cost about 50 Euros. It can vary dramatically from Vet to Vet and the procedure they do. Ours is relatively cheap and I have heard of many cases of it being up to $1000!!!
Our Dog Spaying costs are relatively low because there is no overnight care afterwards. It is a small clinic and they merely perform the operation. The Dogs go in at nine am and we are taking them home by eleven. If they were to be cared for all day and possibly the night then it would be much higher.
What To Do On The Day Of The Dog Spay?
Hopefully your Vet will have told you not to have let the Dog have food or water since the previous evening. After the Spaying it will take some time for the Dog to come around from the anaesthetic. It took all of our three Girls the better part of the afternoon to come around properly and even then they were in and out of sleep for the rest of the day.
Female Dog Spaying is a major operation and it will take time for them to recover. The first day is normally the worst for them.
Dog Sick After Spaying?
All three of our Dogs were a little sick on the day of the Spay. Not much but it is quite normal for this to happen. As long as it is not prolonged then it is not a major cause for concern.
Dog Shivering After Being Spayed?
Jet, just about visible under her blankies!
All Dogs react differently to the Operation. Our more heavy set Dog, Faye, never shivered but the two more delicate Dogs were shaking like mad a little while after they were brought home. This is normal, especially for lighter framed Dogs. On the day of Jets Spay she had about five blankets on her for the day and this just about stopped her shaking. Dog Spaying aftercare involves ensuring you keep the Female Dog nice and warm.
Try to get a portable heater near to the Dog if they simply won’t seem to stop shivering. Oil filled radiators are always a good choice in my opinion. Better than portable gas heaters as they don’t make so much condensation in the house.
Can The Dog Eat And Drink On The Day They Are Spayed?
This is really down to the Dog. Jet had no inclination to eat or drink on the first day. We gave her a little bit of water and she had a few laps at it. The next day she was a lot more inclined to eat and drink. Faye, on the other hand, by the evening, was up for normal food and lots of drinking. She was only given a little food though and was fine with it.
Daisy, our most delicate Dog, was a lot more sick than the others and for about two days she found it difficult to hold down any food or water. Her body is just a lot more delicate.
See how they react to food and water and take it from there. Just don’t let them have too much too soon.
Dogs can drink water on the day they were spayed, just be aware that they should not drink too much. You may well find that your Dog has no inclination to drink water on the day of the Spay, and may be reluctant to drink for a few days after. It is very much down to the individual Dog.
The Elizabethan Collar, Space Collar or E Collar
The Elizabethan Collar, E-Collar, space collar, cone, or whatever you call it is very important after female Dog Spaying. The stitches, if this was the procedure used, most not be tampered with. Many Dogs natural instincts will be to lick or gnaw at the stitches. You must ensure that they can’t do it.
This plastic funnel that attaches to their collar will stop them from getting to the incision. The Elizabethan collar for Dogs is very important, especially for Dogs that like to gnaw or get bothered very easily. Does your Dog need to wear an E-Collar? I would recommend it, at least for a few days, to see what your Dogs reaction is to the Stitches. Some Dogs will only need the E-Collar for a short amount of time but if your Dog tries to gnaw at the stitches then you need to be very careful indeed.
How Long Should The Dog Wear The Elizabethan Collar?
This is really a judgement call. It is totally down to the nature of the Dog. Faye, the big brash Girl really didn’t seem bothered by the stitches at all. On day two the Space Collar came off and she was fine without it. We kept an eye on her and for our own peace of mind put it back on for the night. Only for a few days though. She just isn’t the kind of Dog that seems concerned by these things.
Daisy on the other hand had to have hers on for nearly two weeks constantly. She was really bothered by the incision and would try to get at it. The Space Collar stayed on until all the stitches had either dissolved or the last few bits taken off.
I would just say err on the side of caution.
How Long Do Stitches Need To Be Left In After The Dog Is Spayed?
Although it seems more and more Dog owners now have the option of Laser Surgery to get their Dog Spayed, many of us will still find our Dogs with quite a number of stitches. These will be internal and external stitches. Our Vet recommended that the Stitches should be left in the Dog for at least a week.
We then had the option of going back to the Vets to have them removed, or, see if they come out on their own. With Jet all her stitches were still there after a week, but I did not want to take her back to the Vets after being Spayed so soon. After a few more days the stitches started to simply drop off. They also began to unravel and I simply pulled them out. After three weeks there were a few stitches still in her, I pulled lightly on them and the stitches simply came away.
Personally I would not be concerned with leaving the stitches in the Dog for a few weeks after being Spayed, but it depends on the Dogs reaction and how easily they seem to come out.
Dog Spaying Recovery. How Long?
Again it completely depends on the Dog. The advice from the Vet was no strenuous activity for as long as possible. The wound may be healing well but you can’t see what is going on inside. They need to heal well. Any running, jumping, playing could cause a major problem.
Although difficult, keep your Dog calm for a few weeks if possible and then take it slowly. I know from experience this is difficult to do. Faye especially was up for running and jumping up walls within two days. She had to be on the lead constantly and at times even in the house. She recovered so quickly she just wanted to play like normal.
Again err on the side of caution and keep them close and never let them run around for the first few weeks. For some high energy Dogs this will be tough but this is a few weeks out of a long life. You don’t want any complications.
Problems That May Arise After The Spay?
Lumps After Dog Spayed?
Many people become concerned about the size of the swelling around the stitches a few days after the Spay. Normally it is a Seroma, a collection of fluid after the operation. It is normally a reaction to the stitches.
All three of our Dogs have been on antibiotics (expensive) for a week after the surgery. This helps them recover quickly and stops the reaction to the stitches becoming too big.
Both Jet and Daisy swelled up quite a bit but although it bothered Daisy, Jet is taking it all in her stride.
Faye, the indestructible Dog, had little to no swelling under the stitches.
What she did get after about a week were two hard lumps either side of the base of the stitches. We were told this is quite common, and in a few days they disappeared.
Dog Is Sick After Being Spayed?
Sickness is normal for a day or so after the operation but if it happens too much or goes on too long then you ned to call the Vet.
Dog Is Lethargic After Being Spayed?
Some Dogs will be fine after a day or so and want to run and play. For others it could be a week or more before you see them getting back to normal. If they are too lethargic after a few days then check with the Vet.
Conclusion
This is by no means a full coverage of the topic. I can only speak about my experiences with our three Dogs. Each of them reacted very differently. From wanting to play basically the next day to another being very sedate for about a week.
The main thing is that if you have any concerns talk to the Vet. Female Dog Spaying is a major operation and your Vet should be there to assist if you have any concerns at all.
Keep a close eye on your Dog, make sure they have a Space Collar on, feed lightly for a few days and ensure they get no large amounts of exercise for as long as you can.
What was your experience like after your Dog got spayed?
Did they react well or did it take a long time to recover? Or do you not even believe in getting your Dog Spayed?
my lab puppy had gotten that huge lump after a few days I had to take her back to vet and they releived it and then had to put staples in because she popped a few stitches as well. Our vet didn’t put the collar on her and I think she needed it. she also did get sick the day I brought her home. she went in at 7am and came home at 4pm that day
great article
Jill, it is so hard to stop them breaking the stitches, especially if they get a lot of swelling. I am surprised the Vet didn’t mention the Collar though.
Question – have you ever had an older dog spayed? I adopted a senior beagle (she’s between 8 and 10 years old) and she’s not spayed yet. We want to get her spayed, but I’m concerned about the procedure because she’s so old. What do you think?
I begin it, and it is miyumama
I will visit it for the first time.
A disease was great.
Please take good care.
miyumama’s last blog post..The discipline – – – pulling habit of the dog
Carolyn, I have only ever had young Dogs Spayed. I really don’t know to be honest. I do know it is a very serious operation and it can really take it out of a lot of Dogs. The older they are the harder it is to recover easily from the Operation. I would talk to the Vet and see what they have to say.
Sorry not to be of more help but I wouldn’t want to advise the wrong thing.
I think a lot is down to the Health and strength of the Dog. Could you let me know what you find out?
Miyumama, nice to have someone from Japan visit. I hope the translation program worked so you could read the posts easily.
Our vet keeps the doggies overnight, we dropped #1 off at 7:30 the morning of the procedure. (#2 gets it at the end of this month, at 4 months old, #1 went in at 8 months after a heat–uh, never again)
Anyway, we had the option of a laser procedure, which cost only slightly more, that we opted for because we have the low to the ground Corgi’s (females). They also did not get food or water after midnight the night before. They spend the night after the procedure because the vet wants them fully recovered and eating, drinking, and pottying before going home the next day.
The following day, #1 was mostly back to her old self and chasing tennis balls. Incision site healed nicely, never had any problems total cost was just over $300 and she received great care.
Angie, that sounds great. The laser procedure would definitely be easier on the Dog and I’m glad you had that option. Hopefully more Vets will offer it in the future.
We recently had our 12yr old male beagle neutered and he did great. Showed no interest in his stitches. No collar needed.
I just got my 1 and 1/2 year old pitbull spayed and she did so good. It cost a little over 200.00 for laser spay and complete bloodwork. We took her in at eight in the morning and she was ready to go at 4p.m. She hopped into the van on her own….not her usual hop but a hop nonetheless and we went home where she proceeded to lay down pretty much for the rest of the evening. The next day she got up and we walked her a bit and made sure she got some exercise. I think she finally ate a little bit this day. Three days after the surgery she was hiking with us at our local state park. She is doing quite well. She had inside stitches placed and the incision is healing quite nicely. I feel so relieved that everything went off without a hitch.. She did not wear one of those goofy collars. She keeps the area clean and we are not to bathe her for several weeks.
Mary Jo, glad it went well. It is always harder the older they get when they have operations. It is amazing how differently different Dogs can be about stitches.
Laurie, judging by the comments here it seems Laser is the way to go. We haven’t got anything like that here but it sounds great. So glad she healed so quickly. Faye was like that but it was awful for Daisy. Different Dogs react so differently. That is a very good price as well.
I’m glad to hear technology is catching up even for animal medical needs. I also doesn’t hear that much here at our place but thinking about it really makes me feel great for my pet Lab who tends to need medical attention from time to time because of hyperactivity.
I’m glad things turned out ok. I was very worried for my dog as I have never had a pet spayed before, but my friends and everything I read told me it was the right thing to do.
Shelley, technology really is moving at a pace isn’t it?
Hi Janet, glad all is OK. Female Dog spaying is a big worry. It is such a majot operation. Glad you got your Dog spayed though.
I was just wondering, when you get a dog spayed does it stop the bleeding that happens when they come in heat, or do they still bleed?I have 5 pound chihuahua and she is having her 2 heat cycle.She is a house dog with no chance of getting breed, but the blood is so nasty. I got the doggie diapers but at night she trys to pull them off.So my question is will getting her spayed stop the bloody cycle????
Hi Sherry
A good question. When the Female Dogs are spayed it means there is no menstrual cycle so yes there will be no blood. I certainly know what you mean about the mess. When our first Dog Daisy came in to season she bled very heavily. I was just glad we didn’t have carpets everywhere.
I hope this helps.
We are in day 2 post op from having our Lab, Jette, spayed. Keeping her subdued is easier said than done, that’s for sure!!! We are keeping her on leash all the time in the house to keep her from chasing the cats (which they LOVE), and carrying her up and down the steps when she goes outside to potty. This morning, when I checked the sutures, I noticed they are seeping. Is this normal? It’s not blood, otherwise, I’d be at the animal hospital! I called the emergency line for our vet, and they said that as long as it’s pink and not red (which it is not red) to keep an eye on it. Should I be concerned?
Danielle
Hi Danielle, now, obviously the Vet knows best and this is only my opinion.
All of our Dogs seeped after the spaying. It seemed to be quite normal. Daisy was very bad but the other two just had a bit of a seep around the stitches for a few days. It is quite normal and if the stitches get a lump around them them this can increase the pressure on the stitches and can make the seeping worse.
I would just keep an eye on it, but I am sure it will be fine. It can really take it out of a lot of Dogs being spayed. It sounds like you are doing the right thing by not letting her jump about, and the fact she wants to is a very god sign indeed. I hope this helps. If in any doubt though see the Vet.
I’ve just had my 5 (probably) year old rescue dog spayed this morning and despite having gone through it before with my last one (13 years ago) I wasn’t sure what the after effects were, so thanks so much for your wonderful blog. We’ve had her for 2 months now and a more lovely companion would be hard to find, a fabulous replacement for our last puppy who died 2 years ago aged 14.
She’s very unhappy and is shivering at lot, so I have her cuddled up on cushions (her bed isn’t acceptable!) with a blanket over her. My only concern is that she’s bleeding a little when she moves. The vet says not to worry too much though as it was probably the journey home so I am just keeping an eye on it.
If I’d had the option of laser as mentioned above I would certainly have taken it up. I feel so bad for putting her through this, although I know it’s for the best.
thanks again for the information on what to expect.
I just took Grayson, my bishon poodle mix, in to get spayed. She is a rescue from the pound and has had alot of serious back problems already at the age of 2. They keep telling me that this is the best for her but I am SO worried. I pick her up today after 5:00. The vet bill was about $250 but I am also getting her teeth cleaned while she is under to try and get rid of her bad breath!! So please think about my dog today and I will update you after I pick her up! Thanks for all the information it has been very helpful and stress reducing.
Sue, I am glad you had it done, it really is for the best I think. Sorry for the delay in replying.
Hello worried Dog Mum, I am certainly thinking about Grayson today. I know it is horrible and the next few days can certainly be upsetting. Expect lots of wobbling about and she may well be sick. All normal but horrible to see.
I am glad the post was of help. It was certainly something I wish I had before we got our first Dog spayed. That was a good idea to get her teeth cleaned at the same time. Try giving her bones to chew on a few times a week in the future. It completely cleans their teeth which means you will never have to worry about bad breath again.
Let me know how it went. I know getting female Dogs spayed can be a very worrying time as an owner, especially when we see them so helpless afterwards. Give Grayson a scratch behind the ears from me.
I have just had my 7mnth dachshund x russell spayed,after first 3days the internal stitches gave way as she is extremely lively so had to be restitched. She has no outside stitches this time just internal & somesort of glue!I am keeping her as quiet as possible-no jumping,no walks,it is very difficult. She too has the lumps either side but they do noy seem to be effecting her.We will return to the vets if i am too concerned.
This is such a great site! Thanks for all the info on spaying!
I took my 9mo boxer in this morning to get spayed and I’m so lonely now! I was hesitant to take her and leave her overnight, but I keep telling myself it is for the best. She normally sleeps in the bed with me but I guess the next few days/week will be different since the bed is so high.
I’m also having her dew claws taken off while she is under. Vey says she will be very sore. She only has them on her front paws though. I dont want them to be accidentally torn off and cause her more pain so we’re having them done too.
Thanks again for the great info!
Elaine, my apologies for not replying sooner, somehow I overlooked your comment. I hope all is well now.
Hi Anna,
Don’t feel lonely, she wil be back and on the bed in no time:)It’s a very good idea to get her dew claws removed at the same time. I wish that I had done the same.
Just try to keep her from running or playing for at least a week as the stitches (if used) can easily split.
I hope it all goes well and that she recovers from the spaying quickly.
This is a wonderful site! We found a stray Lab when we were camping 3 weeks ago. Actually, she found us when she came into our campsite and submissively introduced herself. She’s about 12 months old. We already have 2 other dogs of similar size. We know nothing of her history. Two vets checked for signs that she had already been spayed but there was no indication. Still, they said it was possible she already had been. So it was very stressful deciding whether or not to have exploratory surgery done and a spay if she had not already been done. But the more heat cycles a dog has, the greater the risk of mammary tumors. For that reason I didn’t want to wait to see if she went into heat. So I decided on the surgery and she was spayed this last Wednesday. I was glad that I didn’t put her through that for nothing. I had her nails trimmed at the same time. She seems to be doing very well. She didn’t get sick and seems to be leaving the incision site alone. Keeping her from running and playing with the other dogs is not easy. Like others have said I have to keep her on a leash outside at all times and sometimes even inside. And we’re only heading into day four post op.
Thanks for all the great information and for providing a place to express our experiences and concerns.
Thanks for taking the time to write such a thorough article! I had my 2 yr old pup spayed 3 days ago and after waking up at 4 am I went online to search and make sure she was not in any pain. This article makes me feel much better! Thanks again!
Hi Michele,
Thanks for poting your experiences on getting your new female Dog spayed. It is great news that she reponded so well to the operation. It can be very traumatic for many Dogs.
I hope that by now she is totally back to normal and enjoying life with her new owners. I wonder what happened to her to be lucky enough to be found by you?
Hi Laura,
Glad that the post helped you feel a little better after getting your Dog spayed. I hope she is doing fine now and back to normal. It should onlybe a few weeks after the spay for Dogs to be back to normal.
I really appreciate this site! I bought a 1 1/2 year old Shih Tzu and had her spayed two days ago. When I picked her up at the Vet’s office to bring her home I was told that she has had at least one litter because her uterus was stretched and enlarged and not tight and smooth. It had also been torn at some time in the past. The people I bought her from hadn’t told me and I am so glad that I made the decision to have her spayed. I don’t know much about this condition but I suppose it could have caused her some sort of problem later on. She is very subdued today still and isn’t eating or drinking much. She hadn’t pottied since I brought her home but this morning she finally relieved herself even though I was taking her out every couple of hours during the day since I brought her home. She will drink a little chicken broth every now and then but still won’t drink water. I also had her teeth cleaned at the same time and maybe her mouth is a little sore (they said her teeth were terribly bad but it was cosmetic and she didn’t loose any.) She looks so pathetic but I know she will be so much healthier when we get past this.
I just wanted to say thanks for this article and for posting your experiences. I feel better after reading it.
Our 5 month old retriever/irish setter cross was spayed today and I was more stressed out than I expected! I’m feeling extreme mommy guilt for making her wear the cone to bed, even though I know it is for the best. Maddie does not want to eat or drink and has been pretty much laying down all evening. I’m hoping that she feels up to eating something tomorrow morning.
Hi Diana,
I hope she is feeling much better now. It is normal for them to be off food and drink after being spayed but they soon (sometimes too soon) get back to normal.
Getting her teeth cleaned was a good idea. I am a firm believer in raw meaty bones for keeping Dogs teeth sparkly white. Why not try introducing her slowly to some raw bones that are suitable, it really does save ever having to have their teeth cleaned.
I hope she is back to being a chirpy Dog soon. I know mine were extremely relieved when they had the elizabethan collar removed.
Hi Shawna,
I’m glad the article was of some help, that was the main reason I wrote it. It is a stressful time as you simply don’t know how the Dog will react after being spayed.
Don’t worry if she is off her food for a few days. She may also be a little sick, even from simply drinking water. The shock of the operation and the anaesthetic canm ake them quite upset for a few days.
The cones are horrible, especially if, like mine, they make a point of banging in to everything to make a point! Better than them getting to the incision though and it is only for a few days.
I hope she is feeling better today. All the best.
Hello!
The blog is great! My loved dog Pecas a 3 year old american cocker spaniel will be spayed on Sunday at 11 am. The problem is that we live in China! So i am a but worried! Should I do something before the operation to make it better for her? I am giving her bach flowers to calm her and prepare her a bit! Any suggestions?
I love her very very much and i hope this operation makes her stay with us for many many years!
Thanks a lot!!!!
Hi Elena,
Thanks for the kind words. There isn’t really anything that you need to do before the spaying apart from ensure that she doesn’t eat after the evening before.
I am sure that it will all be very straightforward and that she will be with you for many years. I wish you the best of luck.
All the best.
Hello! My baby already had the operation, the only problem is that one part of the uterus, near to the vagina is too big! They didn’t remove that part because they said they need to make some tests! But they say that the vagina is too big and that in the next 3 days it needs to get smaller, otherwise its dangerous! Does someone know what is that!! They are gonna give her hormones but i don’t get the conection between the hormones and what she has!!
Please I am very worried!!!
Elena
Elena,
I wish I could be of more help but I am sorry to say that I really can’t offer any advice on this matter. It is certainly the realms of experts. I really don’t know how I can help although I wish that I could. Let’s hope that the treatment the vet gives her will help.
If anyone reads this and can help then please leave a comment for Elena.
Elena, please come back and let me know how it went. I am hoping that all will be well and you have my best regards.
Hello
She is doing very well the doctor says everything is going great! Still need a few days to see how it goes!
Thanks for your worried!
Elena
Elena,
That’s great. I bet you are relieved.
Hello! I’m a small 8 month old chihuahua and my mom is taking me to get spayed soon. She’s a bit worried because the surgery is on a Tuesday morning and we have a summer camping trip scheduled Fri-Sun.
I love to spend my time wrapped in a blanket on my mom’s lap, even when we’re outdoors. Do you think I will be well enough for a short weekend trip?
Any advice would help. Thanks!
Hi L.J,
I think that as long as you promise not to run around and risk splitting your stitches then you wil be fine. Just try not to get too excited as your insides will need time to heel and running or jumping can make it take a lot longer. Have a nice trip and be a good girl.
Hi
I had my first dog, Tahlula (abandoned Puppy), spayed at 6 months old and she coped perfectly well. She never touched her stitches and was very sensible until they were removed. However she has developed very mild incontinence now (at 91/2 years old), which the vet said was a result of spaying her so early. When I got my new puppy, Matilda (the product of an accidental litter) I was advised to let her have a season before spaying, in order to stop the same thing happening to her, however against this advice, I decided to take the chance as I would rather mild incontinence than a litter of pups or worse! She is now on day 2 of post op and you would never think she’d had anything done….slight problem in keeper her calm but glad it has not affected her.
Dogs Body,
Daisy developed a similar thing a few months ago, about a year after she had Pups. I thought it may have simply been an infection (UTI), which they can be more prone to in some cases if they are spayed young. I tried adding apple cider vinegar to her food. It worked. The problem has now cleared up and no more incontinence. Worth a try if it happens to your young girl.
Thanks for that I’ll keep it in mind
I too couldn’t sleep this evening and looked up about post procedure care or cautions, I have a 1 1/2 year old red border collie named Unique, very active, so I’ve had to leave her in the house while I’m at work during the day, she was full of energy the day after, eating, drinking, talking at me lol and its now day 5, I noticed the lump under the stitches and was worried, but she doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of obvious distress and from what I’ve read it seems to be par for the course 🙂 thanks for all the different input, put my mind at ease which I’m sure she senses too! Ciao
This site is great. Wish I read it BEFORE I had my dog spayed! Anyway, I had my 2 1/2 year old Boxer spayed Friday. She’s doing well. I made the mistake of giving her water and food when she got home and she threw up about 7 times over the next 2 hours! I felt horrible.
She wasn’t given any antibiotics at all. Is this normal? I had her spayed at an inexpensive place and they gave her pain medicine for 3 days, but no antibiotics. Also, I was wondering if I need to clean the stitches for her or just let her lick them occasionally which I’ve seen her do. I don’t let her do it for very long at all so it doesn’t irritate the skin.
They appear a little raised and pinkish-red. No blood or oozing though. That’s good! They also said only the males need the collars and usually the females don’t need them.
Comments or suggestions?
Susan
Hi Susan,
We too had our girls spayed at an inexpensive vets. He did not stock antibiotics but he always gave us a prescription to be filled. As far as I am aware they should always have antibiotics after the operation. I would call the vets and ask about this.
As for the elizabethan collars it totally depends on the Dog. I would not let her lick the stitches though. She may start doing it for prolonged times when you are not present or sleeping. They realy need to dry out as quickly as possible. They should not need cleaning but this is where antibiotics are important. It is easy for them to get dirty, even if the Dog licks them. Find out about this straight away if you can.
If she keeps licking the stitches I would get a collar. Two of ours kept trying to lick the stitches while the other one seemed to totally ignore them.
That’s great theat the stitches are not oozing or bloody, that is exactly what you want them to be like. Just ensure she has minimal exercise for a good few days to allow them to continue healing. I would get those antibiotics though, it ensures that nothing can become infected.
I hope this helps and thanks for your comment.
MY 1 1/2 YR OLD FEMALE LAB IS GETTING SPAYED TODAY. WILL THIS STOP HER AGGRESSION TOWARD OTHER ANIMALS?
Robin,
I am sorry to say I really don’t think that it will. For males getting the op it will definitely help but for female spaying I don’t think it will make a difference. I would try socialising her as much as possible with other Dogs. Familiarity should calm her down a lot.
Hi there,
My 24 week goldendoodle puppy just got spayed yesterday. Her reaction seems to be a bit unique. I think the drugs they gave may have made her a bit paranoid and she keeps getting scared by her hind legs – seriously! It’s like they’re numb or she doesn’t know what they are and when she sees them she hops around trying to get away from them – it’s really weird! Needless to say keeping her calm is a bit of a challenge. She drank the evening of the operation and ate too. And she had both bowel movements within minutes of leaving the vets, but no irregularities or throwing up. Except for this weird hopping thing where she’s freaked out by her hind legs, everythig is going well. Have you heard of this hopping/paranoia thing? We’re hoping that as the drugs wear out she’ll calm down.
Thanks so much for the advice!
Heather,
Apologies for the late reply. It does just sound like the numbness freaking her out a little. I have not heard of it before but all Dogs react differently. I hope she is OK now. It sounds like she did really well after being spayed. All the best.
Hello, I had my two Yorkies spayed on Friday, It is now Monday Evening. They are both 7 months old and biological sisters. One of them is doing fine and seem to be recovering quite well from the spaying. My problem is the other one is very quiet, she just lays around, no energy. She only moves when I go out the front door to watch me. She actually did quite well when I brought her home on Friday evening, but today Monday, she is not. I am quite concerned. Is this normal? Thank you.
HI Concerned Mom,
Is she eating and drinking? She should be on her way to recovery but it can take longer in different Dogs and they can be quite listless.
However, I am not a professional. If you have any concerns I really would call the vets. Sorry I can’t b eof more help. She is probably just recovering a little slower and it has realy taken it out of her.
Thank you for your response. She is eaing. Actually today she seems a little better. When I first got home from work, I turned the ceiling fan on and she started trembling. Needless, to say I will not turn the fan on until she is fully recuperated. I feel that it was too cold for her, so I got a blanket and wrapped her to keep her warm. That last for about 10 minutes. After that, I took her to the patio, she began smelling as if she was enjoying the change in scenry. I see a little more activity but not much. I know she is still in pain because when her sister tries to play with her, she growls and I have never seen this happen before.
Hopefully in a few days there will be more progress. Again thank you.
Hi
My German Shepherd Bitch is getting spayed tomorrow. She normally sleeps upstairs on a futon in my son’s room (spoiled, I know). Will she be alright to walk upstairs (she’s a bit heavy to carry) or should she sleep downstairs and I sleep on the couch?
Am I being overprotective?
Thanks
Cat ,that’s an evil word here by the way;)
If you bring her home the day of the spay she will not make it upstairs. The meds keep them pretty much out of it the first day and they are very wobbly. I would also not risk it for a few days as it will not help the stitches to heal.
She may also need to get up in the night. Many Dogs are sick the first day so quick outdoor access is preferable. I hope it all goes well, let me know how she gets on. All the best.
Concerned Mom,
That’s great.Sounds like she is a clever Girl and knows not to play much for a while. Glad that she is doing a lot better now.
I am happy to report my little girl is doing great today. It took her a whole week to get back to normal but today she is running around and playing with her sister. Both of their stitches have now fallen off and I removed the collar from their head. For anyone who have a small dog, when the vet give you a collar for your dog, please make sure it is not too loose on their head. I had that problem this week and my little girl got the collar caught in her mouth. Thank God I was home to take it off. I am so relieved.
Again thank you.
Concerned Mom,
That’s great. Glad she is OK now. That’s good advice about the elizabethan collars as well. Our Dogs really hate them and make a point of bumping in to things to prove it.
Thanks for letting me know, I know it is a very worrying time.
When my girl was spayed today our vet had a great suggestion.
Instead of the Elizabethan collar, you can put a tshirt on your dog, long enough to cover the belly, then pull the excess fabric up on top of the back and secure it with an elastic band or shoelace. That way the dog can’t access the incision site and they don’t have the misery of the collar. Gracie is resting comfortably this evening, but not interested in eating or drinking. I’m more concerned about the not drinking because I know dehydration can happen fairly quickly and that can be quite serious. Hoping she’ll be back to her perky self tomorrow.
Colliemom,
That’s a great idea.
I wouldn’t worry too much about her not drinking much the first day, they are very tired and will sleep a lot. She should be fine by tomorrow and begin drinking lots. I hope that she recovers quickly. All the best.
Hi,
Glad to find out this post, it is very helpful. I have 9 month Chihuahua, she will be spayed on this comming Friday, i am really worried about the surgey, coz she is really tiny, scared of anything going wrong on her. I have been convinced that the vet is really good and performes about 200 surgeries on weekly basis, can you believe that? I just hope everything goes well after surgery. Will keep you posted.
Hi Conniwinni,
I am sure all will be well. The vets wouldn’t perform the operation unless he knew that she is big enough for the op. That is an amazing number of operations to perform. Keep me posted, I am sure she will be fine. Just make sure you keep her nice and warm afterwards.
Hi! I was wondering if it is normal the day after spaying for my almost 6 mo. old mini aussie shepherd to go in circles, whimper and whine and lick at her pee area. She also wanted to poop this morning but wasn’t able to get it out. She pees fine though. I feel bad to go anywhere-even if she’s in the crate because I want to comfort her. She’s not licking the incision too much, not sure how overnight went. I am buying her a doggie shirt today to try instead of the collar. Please help, I would love to be reassured. Thanks!
Good morning,
Just let you know that the sugery went well and my baby is recovering very quickly. She was back to herself the second day. I am very happy with the result. Thank you for being so supportive.
Conniewinni,
That’s great. I’m so glad she recovered so well. That is very good news. Give her my best.
Hi Tracy,
A lot of Dogs can react like that because they may still feel slightly numb and this will give them the impression that they may be peeing. It can also mean they don’t go to the loo properly for a few days as the sensations are all wrong so they are not really sure if they are going or not.
If it carried on for more than a few days then I would be concerned but the day after the spaying can leave them either very numb or the soreness starts to really distract them. I hope this helps.
Hi . We are just about to go to the vets to bring 6 month old Willow the Boxer bitch home after being spayed today . We have learned a lot from reading this site and it has been a comfort to know that we are not alone in our concern for our baby . She is normally a bundle of energy so keeping her quiet for a while should be difficult . Our 4 year old male Boxer Jet has missed her today and will be as glad as us to get her home . We will try some of the tips that we have read . Thanks.
Hi, my yorkiepoo, Zoey was just operated on today. I picked her up from the vet at 6pm. I know it is normal for the dogs to be lethargic but she seems so drained it scares me. I just had my male yorkie fixed last week and he did remarkable. He wasn’t this exhausted when I brought him home. He was a little tipsy but not like this. She is 4 years old, never had a litter, she just wants to sleep, no shivering just pants every now and again. I offered her water but she was not interested so I just wet her tongue. Can you tell me if this is normal behavior? Thanks so much. I appreciate any replies…
Hi Angelie
Sorry for the delay, having technical issues. It all sounds totally normal. Hopefully she will be much better today. 2 of ours we totally uninterested in drinking the day of the op but were better the next day. I hope she has perked up now and feel free to ask anything else.
I got better idea. Why not spay and neuter all man ,women and children in the US so they all can lower they chances having breast cancer or prostate cancer since the odds of getting one is pretty much the same as in your pets!? Enough of that mambo jambo about spaying/neutering poor animals.Guess what,your vet doesn’t give a damn if your dog will die during/after the procedure or will develop health problems(and she/he will,i can assure you),all they care is money,unfortunately like most people living in the US.What happened to your reasons and senses,stop being robots and do what media/vets tell you to do.Have your own head and think for yourself for once!What about all those wild animals,how come they do not need to get spayed/neutered and they live happy,healthy lives,ah? Just think for a second!!!!!!!!!!!
Seaguel
Our pets are not in the wild and there is no natural selection. Our Dog had five puppies because she was not spayed in time and ran away for the night. What do you think I would do if the same happened to the other two Dogs I have and the one puppy we now have as well? In a few years we would have hundreds of Dogs.
I think I have thought about it all carefully and speak from experience. I know the realities and I know that spaying is the best thing for my household and for my Dogs. Otherwise all the puppies they would keep having would have to be put to sleep by a vet and I don’t want that.
brownie ( my 7 months golden retriever )had the operation today , i left her at the vet 9am and picked her up at 4pm…she was unable to get into the car , I had to help her put front feet and help her the bottom …i know she was in pain when i did that but i got no help…she got home very sick , drink a lot of water when i bring to her mouth ,,,i afraid she has pain so i gave her pain relief ( now i know that’s wrong ), the nurse told me to give her before bed time but i just cant see her in pain ….30 minute after she had the medicine , she drown up ….
She has the collar , vet said keep on for 2 weeks but i just cant see her with that for 2 weeks …can i take out sooner ( one week) ? Brownie looks at me seem very upset and mad that i put her in all this pain … i feel so bad , is she really mad at me ??? I know i just cant sleep tonight ……
Brownie,
It’s not your fault so don’t feel bad. You are doing the best thing and she isn’t mad at you. As for the Elizabethan collar it totally depends on how quickly the incision heals and if your girl will try to lick the stitches or not. Our Dog Faye was not interested in the stitches so the collar was off in 2 days. The other two girls were totally different.
I am sure it will all b e fine so don’t worry.
thank you so much for your reply… Brownie is fine next day and now she is pretty much normal …I feel better now …again , thank you .
I recently rescued an abandoned dog that the neighbors left behind. She is a pitbull mix puppy. I am assuming she is about 7-8 months old. I had her spayed on Thursday and she is doing very well, however, I just noticed that the area around the suture (inside her belly and not the incision) is alittle swollen and hard. She is eating, pooping, and acting fine. There is no bleeding or leaking of the wound either. I was wondering if this is normal? I don’t remember my other two dogs’ surgery, but I also wasn’t a hypochondriac then either when it came to my babies. One of my dogs has epilepsy, so I freak out anytime something isn’t “normal.”
I know I should be keeping her quiet, but how do you keep a puppy quiet? Is that a joke? Thank goodness my other dogs hate her right now because she’s new, so they are refusing to play with her.
Just wondering???
Hi Danielle,
Glad the spaying went so well. By keeping them quiet I meant just to not let them run around much or jump up as it can damage the stitches and hinder recovery. If she is feeling fine though and the stitches are holding well then all should be okay.
The lumps are quite common and all ours had them to some degree. They are very hard and appear on one or both sides of the incision. I would not worry and they seem to go down after a few days. It sounds like she is doing just find and I hope this puts your mind at ease. Of course, if you have any concerns then I would certainly call the vet but it all sounds OK.
Hope this helps.
hi Three Dog blogger–
good info!
just having my baby “Shae” (5 month old small mixed black lab)spayed as we speak–
other female 3 1/2 yr. black lab was done @ 6 month~~no probs-
these 2 are the only females I’ve ever had (ALL MALES in the past)
when I dropped off Shae @ vet this am she emitted this unbearable odor– which is the 4th time she’s done this since I got her from a rescue in Sept. (the rescue tells me that as a pup she was in/out of vets and/or hospital due to pneumonia so gets nervous easily)
I asked vet tech if they could take care of this,(excrete a gland, would it be remedied after spaying or what if anything could be done???)
never happened w/my males–
any tips?
thanks-K
Hi Kathy,
Talk to the Vet but it sounds like the anal glands. The smell can be unbearable. The vet can empty them easily. We used to have the same problem with our previous Dog. He used to gnaw his back raw in an effort to relieve the irritation. Check with the vet but it sounds like the anal glands need emptying. If that is the problem then try to give her a raw meaty bone a few times a week. It will ensure that the glands get emptied naturally via bowel movements and should stop this happening again. I hope this helps.
Hello! Your posts have helped me come to the realization that I have been selfish for not having my 5year old female pitmix spayed. Her pre-op appointment is this week, and while I’m sure the vet can answer some questions, I still feel like I dont have enough information. There is very little information on handling larger/older dogs after the spay. I am concerned that her size will greatly impact the outcome. Also I condidered having her teeth cleaned as she will be out anyhow. But my concern is the legnth of time that requires being under the anaesthetic, do pet owners often do this at the same time? Also my biggest fear is her having a complete meltdown at the doctors office, she is terrified of strangers and I am afraid she will react aggressively. Everyone tells me they know how to deal with difficult dogs-but they havent met Jazmyn. If you have any other suggestions they will be greatly appreciated! Again-finding your blog was one of the greatest influences for us actually going through with it. THANK YOU!!!!!!
Hi Melanie,
Getting their teeth cleaned at the same time is quite common but obviously take the advice of the vet. A large Dog should be fine as the procedure, while invasive, is fairly straightforward.
Dogs can be a problem at the vets, I know, and if you think she may be aggressive then I would certainly get a muzzle put on her well before you go. Just explain this to the vet and I am sure she will be fine. The time under anaesthetic will be increased a little if she has her teeth cleaned as well but it should be fine as long as the vet thinks it is OK to do it.
Sorry not to be more helpful. I hope it all goes well.
I know this site is only for dog spay and neuter , I like your site a lot and i just read and read all posts … and most important is you reply … i hope you can help me out with this problem I have …
Brownie, my 7 months golden retriever as i posted her situation after spay above , she is totally recover now … she’s still very hyper , she jump on everyone come to the house and sometime she just playing bite on my hand even I push her down and ignored her when she does that but nothing help… I love her so much but now I just cant take it much more …. what can I do ??? I let my friend have her for 1 week i cry so much everytime I look out my garden dont see her …please give me advise …
Hi Brownie
If you go to my biting puppies website and read that first post and then work through the rest of the lessons I am sure you will be able to get her to behave. I list lots of ways to train puppies to not bite and one of them will absolutely the best way to get Brownie to calm down.
Let me know how you get on, I am sure that you will have her under control very soon.
My dog had to have an emergency operation yesterday after developing Pyometra,she was spayed saturday 3.30pm they kept her there overnight an I collected her the following day,at midday,
they only gave me 2 day supply of tablets for pain relief is that enough do you think?
they also gave me antibiotics 5 day supply,
the problem I worry about is here at the house,we have steps going up to garden at back of house,steps going out at front of house to front garden,an when it comes to do her toilet she wont do it in the house,I rather she would under the circumstances,I have been in an accident myself and have a shoulder injury,so it is hard for me to carry her without me being in pain,an risk dropping her,she has her own armchair,I have had to block it to stop her jumping up adding to her pain she is confused now,she looks so sad an she is making noises I never heard low whimpering,I know she is in pain,any suggestions for toilet for her I would appreciate,
brilliant site for advice thanks for putting it on web,
Hi Ruth
The meds are exactly right, that is what we have always been given as well.
She should be OK by today to slowly go up and down the stairs. Just make sure she is on a lead so that you can take it very slowly. As long as the movement is gentle she should be fine. Just ensure that you check the stitches after she has gone up or down the stairs. Some Dogs are fully up on their feet in a few days and others are not, it really is hard to tell how they will react.
If the stitches do look worrying after the steps then get in touch with the vet but I have found that as long as their movements are controlled then they are fine.
I hope this helps
Hi! I just brought my 8 month old Spanador (cocker/lab mix) Lola home from getting spayed. I just wanted to thank you for all the info, its been a great help. I do have one question, I noticed you wrote that your doggies were given antibiotics. Lola was not. I’m concerned that she should be taking them. Also,should I have been given some pain medication for her?
Thanks you again for all the info!
Our babe “Maka” was spayed today She is 14 Mo. old English Pointer. Tonight she is subdued and resting quietly. The first thing she wanted to so was go to do was lay down on her big cushion and has stayed there since 6 pm. We picked her up at 4:30pm. I’m very glad we have no stairs. I have two blankets on her. Tomorrow I will call the Vet to find out why she does not have a prescription for antibiotics. Spay recommended for Maka because she was prone to having exceptionally long heat cycles; which set her up for serious infection on down the road. she had finished one cycle 3 months ago and the Vet said today she just about to have another. We would have loved to have more Maka’s but the risk of infection, over abundance of dogs, find homes and risk of mating w/a stray dog, etc.. was to much to handle. We are praying for a speedy recovery. We love our Maka greatly.
Thanks for the advice! It’s hard to calm your nerves, I am so nervous! Tomorrow is the big day! Jazmyn is going in to be spayed. Her blood work came back great. I just pray for no complications!
Beloved,
Sounds like the right thing was done. I hear you about the risk of too many Dogs. We were silly ourselves with Daisy. We tried so hard to keep her in the house but all it took was a quick escape when the door was opened quickly for one of us to go out and that was that (5 puppies)!
Rielle
We had to have both for all our Dogs. Unless things have changed a lot in the past year or so and they do not need them, which may be the case. I would certainly call the Vet to check although it would be odd if they simply forgot. Unless their was a slow release antibiotic injection? All ours had 5 days worth of tablets and pain relief for a few days as well. Give them a call.
Thanks for your reply,Maisey finished her antibiotics today,an she is really doing well and seems back to herself,her stitches so far haven’t been a problem,though I did see her try scratch her belly ,so I will keep a good watch on her as that was yesterday , she hasn’t done it since,good sign there healing maybe,
she also had conjunctivitis an had eye cream first that didn’t seem to work an then eye drops both from vet,
can I just give a tip to anyone with a dog with same eye problem,
Apple cider vinegar !! I read about it on the net an after paying eye for medication from vet I thought I would try a natural remedy ,I wiped her eyes both with separate tissues soaked with apple cider vinegar an rubbed a small amount on back of neck as adviced,I could see a difference within hours,I treated her eyes a few days an it is almost gone completely ,it really does work.
Thanks for your advice ,kind regards Ruth
Great news Ruth.
Apple cider vinegar seems to have so many uses. It helps Daisy with a UTI problem. I wonder what else it can be used for?
Hi Can you tell me if any of your girl’s had any red mucus type discharge after being spayed,
Maisey still appears to be fine,finished her antibiotics on thursday,however I have noticed a very slight red spotting on her cream throw not a lot,,sort of mucus,she isnt dripping any on floor,just sems when she has sat,I took her into see vet for a check, the vet picked up Maisey to put her on examining table,an she (the vet) had a bit of dark mucus on her fore arm from Maisey,she has gave me more antibiotics to see us through till wednesday when she has appointment to have stiches out,
an said best to be on safe side,an didnt seem to worried,
I was wondering is it normal,
Hi Ruth
That did happen to Daisy as she is a very delicate girl. It was, for her at least, nothing to worry about. Who knows what is going on inside after such major surgery. I am sure it is nothing to worry about but of course the vet should always be consulted if you have any worries. If he said all was well then I am sure it is fine.
Hi Maisey had her stitches out yesterday,
The vet told me she thought the red spotting from Maisey was the end of the infection coming out,
an if it carries on an turns dark,yellow,or starts to be a bit smelly to take her back,
but so far so good,even her eyes have cleared up properly
her stitches never bother’d her ,so I had no need for a big plastic collar,
hope she continues to to do as well as she is now.
Thanks for being there with your website is great for people who don’t know what to expect after this operation,
Hi Ruth
Glad all is now OK. I am glad you found the information helpfull.
All my best.
hi,
what a relief to find such great info on this site! i am a first time dog owner. my puppy’s name is sofie, she’s a sylkie terrier (mix between yorkie and australian terrier). she’s just over 6 months old now and i just brought her home this morning from her spay. i dropped her off yesterday in the morning, they kept her overnight, and i picked her up as soon as i could this morning… keep in mind i didn’t get much sleep last night. she is a very loving puppy and my family is very grateful to have her. reading this whole blog has made me feel so much better and confident about what to do with my puppy post-op. it’s nice to see there are people out there taking the time to care for all of earth’s creatures, especially human’s best friend! 🙂
keep up the great work!
ruff! ruff! 😉
Hi Denisa,
I am glad you found the site useful. Sofie sounds great. Take care the both of you.
Hi there
I was will it take for the wondering how long the internal stiches will take to disolve I have alot of different days.
Thanks
Denalda I am not really sure but they are OK to move about ptoperly after about a week or so as long as you keep an eye out for any problems.
It’s good to read about all these other Dog parents!
Where I live, there’s a law that you can’t adopt a dog from a shelter until it gets fixed. So we picked out a little 5-year-old poodle mix and the shelter sent her straight to the local vet that they use. Meanwhile, I looked up the vet and saw horror stories from people that had adopted animals and picked them up from that vet. I was really worried, and we picked up our pup just yesterday evening. Her incision doesn’t look similar to anything I’ve seen on a spayed dog… It sticks out a lot, kinda looks like a hotdog bun. And she’s been clearing her nose pretty often and it’s runny… Anyhow, the vet gave me amoxicillin tabs for her, but she’s not interested in eating anything this morning. Hope I can find a way to het her to take it. Maybe that would make the incision look better and stop the nose run?
Thank you for a great post – your article and all the comments are very comforting to those of us who are first timers having their dogs spayed!
We adopted our 7 month old lab/border collie mix on Monday from the SPCA, picking her up straight after she had been spayed. She didn’t want to get into the car so I lifted her gently, but apart from that she has been fine. Of course, being a young dog in a new house she just wanted to pad around and investigate everything and everyone but she doesn’t seem to have had any problems at all.
She was so hungry on the first night that we had to keep giving her little meals – she wasn’t sick but if we had feed her all that food at once she might well have been. We weren’t sure whether she was house trained but there have been no accidents inside as yet (fingers crossed).
It’s Wednesday now and keeping her occupied without letting her round around the yard is proving a challenge. I keep taking her out on the lead so she can explore the yard without getting into too much trouble. We didn’t have any antibiotics or pain meds for her but she is going for a checkup tomorrow to meet her new vet so I will ask if that’s normal.
Thanks again for all the information 🙂
when does the dog start eating again?
Patrick,
Usually the next day or the day after that.
Thanks so much for your informative blog! It is interesting to read all the differences in each of your dogs. Our little 7 month old Bichon, Sophie, was spayed two days ago. Even on pain meds. I know she is somewhat in pain — you can see it in her eyes. She has done extremely well considering. She has had normal meals and has had water. Her issue right now is “pooping”. The strain of the movement makes her howl in pain. I read on another site that a spoonful of pumpkin puree or a little olive oil in the food helps. I did the olive oil this AM in her food, and so hopefully this will help a little. I also put a warm hot water bottle in her bed to keep it comfortable. She seems to like this! I look forward to seeing her back to her normal self again!
Hi Joanne
The olive oil sounds like a good idea. She will be back to her old self in no time I am sure. Give her a bikkie from me!!!!
Thanks so much! Sophie is showing more signs of recovery today and wants to play with the cats. Now I just have to keep her calm. Thanks again for your blog!!! Give a pat to each of your doglets for me!
I am very worried because my foster dog has already jumped onto a table and wriggles so much it’s just about impossible to keep her calm.
She seems healthy and fine and her incision is healing well but how do I know she doesn’t have internal issues going on? Should I take her back to the vet?
Janet,
It can be difficult to keep them calm. If she seems fine then she probably is. Just keep an eye on her and if anything seems wrong I am sure you will pick up on it very quickly. Just try to keep her on the lead as much as possible.
I know it is easier said than done though!
What a fantastic, informative blog. My puppy, Jasmine was spayed yesterday and I’m SO glad I had access to this resource. It’s really eased my anxiety as a first time puppy owner. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories!
I am so glad I read this blog! I have an almost 3mos old pom that in the 3 weeks that I’ve had her for, I’ve come to adore her! I hate having to do this to her and was even contemplating never doing it to her unless I put myself through it too, but after reading this blog, I’ve decided I will go through with it as soon as her vet advises me it’s time.
( n for me 2 Seaguel09! ;p )
Thank you for such a great site, the process is of course not an easy one but you help a big deal by giving out sensible advice and useful information. My beloved 10 months old English Cocker Spaniel will be spayed next week, and your site has eased a lot the agony of not knowing what to expect.
Your blog was so much help, thank you! But I still have some concerns for my puppy. is it bad for her to sometimes jump on people?likee does it affect her stitches? And just laying on the ground sometimes cause an infection?
Karen
Try not to let her jump for a good week or more as it can tear the stitches. She should have antibiotics so she she not get an infection but you do want to keep the incision as clean as possible. If it get dirty then I would definitely clean it.
I hope this helps.
@Three Dog Blogger, the photo you show is the image of my Molly,who was spayed on Tuesday.My concern is,when we give her food she acts strangely pushing her bowl around,sniffing the floor and bowl and whimpering.She has never done this before,any suggestions please?. Great site.
Hi my three year old rescue westie is getting spayed tomorrow. Im worried sick she suffers from Atopy(Skin complaint common in westie’s) and so is on immunosuppressent tabelts to help stop her licking a scratching. We cut them out completely for the last four weeks because of the risk of her surgical wound not healing and now her skin is quite itchy, so im sure the elizabethin collor will be a must! Our vet said she will need stronger stitches and prophalactic antibiotics because of her long term immunosuppresent tablets!! Im so nervous poor little mite doesnt know whats ahead of her! Wish us luck, thanks be to god i have two weeks off work to mind her! This site is brill!!
Jenny (Ireland)
Hi Jennifer,
I hope it went well. Hopefully she will recover in no time. Just ensure you leave the collar on as long as possible. Ours really hate it but it really does save the day and keep them away from the stitches.
Let me know how she gets on and I do wish you both lots of luck.
Hi Mollys Mum.
The op can simply make them very uncomfortable for a long time. They simply do not understand why they feel so poorly but give it a little time and she will be back to normal. She may simply still be feeling sore when trying to stand, all Dogs seem to react very differently to the op. Faye was like as good as new in a few days and didn’t need the collar while Daisy was very ill for weeks and would not eat, they all react very differently. All my best.
hi all not long back from the vets, turns out we were very lucky, Bonnie had loads of pus in her womb when the vet opened her up he was really surprised if we had of waited another three or four weeks he said she would have had full blown pyometria( I think thats what he called it)!Thank god we reduced down her immunosuppressent when we did! She is doing ok but really out of it walking about looking real confused, doesnt seem keen to lay down she must be sore, the vet gave us antibiotics and pain killers but she needs to take food with them and she isnt keen just yet. Hasnt pee’d or drank any water yet hopefully she will later or ill be up all night worrying! Fingers crossed. Stitches need to stay in for 20 days because of her meds and the infection that was in the womb….poor thing!
Wow Jennifer, that sounds like a close call. Our Jet did not want to lie down either, even though she could hardly keep her eyes open. Just keep her nice and warm and don’t be surprised if there are a few “accidents”. It is very confusing for them as they don’t have much feeling around the rear because of the op. I hope she recovers quickly and she will probably start eating a little soon.
We gave ours rice and chicken as it was an incentive for them to eat a little. Try not to feed too much after the spay though as she may have a very upset stomach.
My little Malti-poo is being spayed on Thursday. Thank you for all the tips….I have heard that having a dog spayed or neutered can change their temperment. Did this happen to any of your dogs?
Thanks for your reply. Molly appears slightly better now although she is still pushing her bowl around and acting a little weird at times. The major problem we have now, is that she cannot understand why we will not play with her and let her run around as normal. Like us after an op, she gets bored just laying in her bed and wants to get up and play.
Hello, my almost 6 month old german shepherd (55 pounds) was spayed today. The vet did not give us any antibiotics or pain medication. She’s been groggy this evening and has thrown up a few times but that seems normal. The vet told us to not give her food or water tonight…only crushed ice chips…so she wouldn’t get sick. I’m just concerned that we were not given any meds. I’ve seen a couple other posts where they were not given meds either. I’m just surprised that there is so much difference in protocol among different vets. Any thoughts…?
Thanks so much for your input.
Hi Blenda
A few people have said similar things and I do find it rather odd. We have always had to give all our Dogs both pain meds and antibiotics. This is as well as the injections that they have after the op.
I would definitely call the vet. It may be different if it was more like keyhole surgery, but I would check. Could you then let me know so others can stay informed? Many thanks.
What a great site!! We just had our 6mo minpin spayed Thursday, she is doing ok but has had some diarhea. The vet told us to discontinue the pain meds and give her 2ml of Pepto Bismol & pepcid. I’ve seen several posts from others who said they received Antibiotics – – we didnt’ not sure why. Should I call the vet and ask for them?
Thanks sooo much for a very informative site!
Our 3 year old (ish) rescue bitch Mundi is to be spayed tomorrow. She’d spent over a year at the shelter and has ‘unknown’ past.I’m trying very hard to hide my anxiety from her! I’m a little concerned that here they will bandage (for 10 days) as opposed to ‘collar’ her afterwards. How can I then monitor the state of stitches? We’ve had her a month and already she means everything to me. So glad I’ve found this site.
Mundima, I would be surprised if she let’s the bandage stay on for more than a day or two. I would just buy a collar from the vets. We live in Spain and they stock them everywhere so I am sure you will have no problem. I hope it all goes well for you both.
Thank you for this information. I just had our 9mnth old lab spayed last wednesday. She refuses to eat though and is always thirsty. She has had abnormal urination all week as well. I have never had to take her out at night and she always sleeps with us. The first night, she woke up and went into the living room and peed everywhere. Totally saturated a huge space. I found her laying next to it when we noticed she wasnt in bed. So i took her outside and she peed and peed and peed and peed like she had no control over her bladder. I called the vet the next day and explained and they said she was probably in defiance of me taking her in to have the surgery. i was like “what? you gotta be kidding me”. So a week has gone by and she has peed once more in her cage, peed at the back door and peed in our bed. She hasnt done anything in 3 days so far but we do take her out every 4 hours to reliever herself. Something else we noticed is, she will not eat. She used to eat 3-4 dog bowls food everyday (she is 60lbs) and since the surgery, i have thrown away 2 bowls of food that she hasnt touched. But she drinks like no tomorrow. She sleeps alot, lays on the couch and stares out the window for hours. She doesnt want to play when she used to jump around so much we wouldhave to giver her a doggy downer to keep her calmed so that we could have peace. She wont eat her “treats”. All she wants to do is be affectionate with my fiance and just lays on her like she is depressed.
As a concerned “dad”, does anyone think maybe the vet hit her bladder or something? or caused other damage? she seems to not have any control over her bladder as she will go and go and go and go outside. And when she peed in her cage, it was like a river!
any suggestions? The surgery was $85.00 at our local vet and they are always a good place to go to and the doctors are wonderful. Have had 2 dogs spayed there before and no issues. The secretary even has a lab and she said her lab never did any of this.
Sorry for the long post but i couldnt find anything on the internet about my problem. 🙂
I just got my little 7 month old jack Russell back from the vet.
She got spayed on Monday… Now, she seems to be afraid of everything. The vet did not give me antibiotics but did give me Metacam , a pain killer, but when I gave it to her she got very sick…She did not get a collar…What is totally scaring me is that every so often she has these spasms …. Is this normal? How long will it take for her to go back to her self?
i have just had my 14 month old jack russel spayed after a lot of problems, she had cystic overies, enlarged overies and hadn’t ovulated when she was in season and was going through a phantom pregnancy. she was spayed on wednesday 17th and hasn’t been right since, she wont eat or drink, she wont settle she whimpers all the time and looks really miserable, she now has the runs and her tummy around the stitches is really swollen now, and to top it all off the poor girly had a reaction to the anti-biotic jab and now has a large lump on the back of her neck. has anyone else had any of these problems if so how did you overcome them?
dad to a lab
Your lab needs a blood sugar level and kidney function blood work. This behavior is not normal. Also question the anesthesia used. Sometimes the animal will react unfavorably and subconsciously remember the pain of surgery. This could be the case, especially if they seem to have a personally change. I know years ago an anesthesia was developed and used on humans. Humans subconsciously remember the pain and surgery were filled with unusual anxiety and sounds in OR would trigger it. I read later that it is being used in veterinary clinics. I can not remember the name of it. Someone will know.
more info on vet anesthesia at website: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/clientEd/anesthesia.aspx
I just adopted an 8 week old puppy. They had her Spayed last friday the 19th of Feb. and I adopted her on the 21st. She is so playful and I watch her carefully with my big lab mix as they play. I’m not quite sure about what kinda surgery it was but she has a healing scab on her belly about a 2 inch line. It has swelled the past day or so and the lumps on either side are soft, I assume is fluid. She is eating drinking peeing and pooping good. So I guess everything is doing well…..any advice on what to do with the swelling?
Hi Katie,
Just keep an eye on her. Try not to let her be too playful until she has healed well. The lumps are perfectly normal and nothing at all to worry about. They wil go down in a few days.
I had my 7 month old pit mix spayed about a week ago. The Vet I took her to used sdtaples unstead of stitches. She has lost about 4 of them it seems she is getting them caught on things and they are coming out. I noticed that it has opened a little where they came out. No bleeding or fluid leaking from area but I was getting sort of worried. I am a nurse so I went ahead and used steri strips to close the area but she kept licking them off. I then took a tagaderm (clear plastic bandage used to cover IV sites)and put on the top so she can not chew off the steri strips or the other staples.. This so far is working.. She is extremely hyper it is almost impossible to keep her from jumping or playing. She seems to be her normal self. We had occassional vomiting and shaking. She gets the rest of her staples taken out next friday.. Thanks for the great Blog!
Dad to a lab
what happened to the lab. did she get OK?
Good article; it’s very insightful for first time dog owners. My 6 month old, black lab pup goes in for the operation on March 16th. A feel a little more at ease after reading about what I could expect. But $250? That is expensive; we’re only paying $120 USD at a clinic that’s been around since my mom was a kid.
We have a 10 month old female boxer who is in her first heat, it began 3 days ago. We had thought we wanted her to have 1 litter but she seems to be uncomfortable now. How soon after this heat can she be spayed? Do we have to wait until she is finished? She is a clean freak and can’t stand to be messy so it has not been bad in that regard. I am just feeling terrible that she is having to go through this at all. Can anyone tell me if she can be spayed soon or do we have to wait?
Kim,
I think now you will have to wait until she has had her season and then it can be done fairly quickly. But just ask the vet they will know what is best for her.
I just had my mini dachshund spayed today. She if very groggy and unable to get comfortable. I keep watching her and she goes from one area to another area and is very restless. Is this normal? The Vet did not give any pain medicine and how would I know if she is in a lot of pain.
J
That is totally normal. Some Dogs will sleep, and others will fight it and try to move about to get away from the sensation. I am surprised again that you had no pain meds given. It seems to be quite common judging from the comments here. If she whines or really tries to get at the stitches, or jumps in shock then you will know she is in pain. I would call the vets to ask about pain relief. Could you let us know what they say?
Maggie is a 7 month old coton de tulear and she was spayed 3 days ago. She went for bloodwork on Tuesday and the operation was done on Wednesday. The vet gave her a penicillin needle during the operation, but he did not give her any antibiotics or pain killers to take home.
I am somewhat worried about Maggie as her recovery process seems to be much slower than many of the dogs I’ve read about. She is in a lot of pain… the first night after her surgery she cried a lot and did not sleep at all. The crying has stopped, but she is still in a lot of discomfort. She has been in her bed since we brought her home and outside the occasional spasm (where she frantically runs/hobbles around in a spastic circle and then stops suddenly)she hasn’t moved an inch. Her behaviour is very worrisome… she looks so scared… she panics when I try to touch her… and any motion causes her lots of pain. I wish there was something I could do for her and it concerns me to read that other dogs were hiking / back to there old selves in this time frame!
She is not eating or drinking much either. She won’t eat from her bowls, even when I place them under her chin, so I have resorted to hand feeding her. She turns away from all her usual favourites and the most I have been able to get her to eat is some bread soaked in milk. I have brought her outside and she has gone to the bathroom, so at least that part is OK. I am sure her appetite will return if she could just get over the pain.
One thing I did notice tonight is that Maggie has some dried blood near her pee hole area (not where the stitches are, but where the entry of her vagina is). She has never had her period so it was shocking for me to see blood there, nor did I notice the blood when we brought her home, so my concern is that she is bleeding internally. Is this possible or could it be just reminants from her surgery?
I know spaying a dog has a lot of benefits, but 3 days after the surgery, I am really worried about her and somewhat regretting putting her through this terrible pain.
Coton Mommy
Coton
A few of our girls had blood in their pee and we were initially worried but it is actually quite common. The eating is the same. Daisy went for an age before getting back to normal and has an extremely hard time of it. Her stitches split, she would not eat for days and was in pain even with her meds. They will get back to eating in their own time. They will never starve themselves. Just carry on with nice treats for a while.
What I am concerned about is that like a few other people you were not given antibiotics or pain meds. I would call the vet to check on this. And if you or anyone else could report back on what the vet says about not supplying pain meds or antibiotics it would be a great help for everyone. For all 3 of our girls we were given a prescription for both, expensive but it seemed very necessary, especially for Daisy who was in a very bad condition for quite some time afterwards.
I called my vet this morning to ask why Maggie was not sent home with antibiotics or a pain killer prescription. The receptionist advised me that Maggie received a penicillin injection and a hydromophone HCI injection (pain killer) at the time of her surgery and that is normally sufficient to carry a dogs through the first two days, at which point most dogs don’t require anything further. I advised the receptionist that Maggie is still in a lot of pain and that I would like to pick something up for her today. I was first advised that I would have to make an appointment with the vet in order to get a prescription, but after I protested, they advised that they will have something ready for her later this morning. Thank you for advising me that this was an option… as a first time dog owner, I am very uncertain about what to expect and this website has helped me immensely. I am confident that with some pain relief medication, her recovery will go much better.
As for why the vet didn’t initially give me a prescription, it might be that the vet didn’t want to overprescribe (for both health / cost reasons), seeing as many dogs don’t need anything more than the initial injection. On the other hand, this may be a way for him to make a few extra dollars profit on the extra vet visit. I really hope it isn’t the later because it makes me sick to think that Maggie has had to suffer so much so that someone could make some profit. That would be grossly inhumane.
In any event, I am very grateful for this site & your (extremely timely) reply. It is comforting to know that there are people out there who have shared similar experiences and that genuinely care. Thank you so much!
Coton Mom
Coton Mommy
Thanks for the reply. It does seem very odd that the vet would not advise you to fill a prescription if the Dog is still in pain after a few days (which is very likely).
You would think that at the least all vets would advise that the initial injection may not be enough and that you may need further meds. At least that would put owner’s minds at ease a little knowing what to expect.
I hope Maggie is now feeling a little better as I am sure by now you have the pain meds. Glad that you have found the site helpful.
All the best.
Hello… Just thought I’d write a quick follow up on Maggie’s progress. Today marks a week that Maggie had her surgery and today is the first day that I can say that she’s back to her old self (finally! :)) This morning she ran around for the first time and her energy has been on the rise all day long… she is almost back to her old self. Her recovery took a bit longer than the norm (I gather from what I have read), but thankfully, she is just fine. Thanks again for all the good advice and helping our family get through this trying time.
Keep up the great work!
Coton Mom
Coton
That is great, I know it can be a very worrying time. Glad Maggie is up and running now. And a week is a good amount of time for her to recover. We don’t want then running around too much too soon.
MY Cocker spaniel was spayed on Friday when ipicked her up she looked pretty miserable and haveing my other cocker spayed the month before i was concerned at her state i was reassured it was the affects of op. She got progressively worse dureing the night so i took her back to vets in morning where she was rushed to a vet hospitol as she had internal bleeding . She hassince undergone more surgery to fix the loose ties on stump of ovary and is still in hospital. If your dogs feels cold and if their gums and eyes are pale/white then ring vets immediately this is a sign of bleeding.
is there anything i can gave my bitch she has been spade today and is howling in pain
Trudy just keep her nice and still if you can. And get some pain meds if she is not better by now, it will help a lot.
Hi,
Thanks for the great site. It will be most helpful post-op. Our Papillon, Nina, will be seven months old on 10th May, which is the day we wish to have her speyed. Would we be wise to defer the operation until after our short holiday beginning 23rd May, or would she be well enough by then to travel a short distance?
my chow lab mix diva is just 4 months and was spayed yesterday… she was moaning and whimpering for a few hours after i picked her up but she was pretty out of it so i’m sure she was feeling strange on top of being uncomfortable.she slept most of last evening then all through the nite.. . she was sent home with a few days worth of pain meds and today woke up feeling perfectly fine and terribly frisky… i’m so happy she is good but so worried it cant keep her down good enough..if i crate her she jumps against the door to get out.. she just seems so hyper.. wonder if its the pain medds although they told me they would make her sedate … so one day post op she is back to her old self and more active than ever… no antibiotics were offered ..i figure its a spay clinic they have to know what they are doing so i wont worry about that…
That is great news Sandy. All Dogs react differently and you were one of the lucky ones. Sorry to everyone who I have not been able to reply to, I have been very busy.
holy cow diva got totally out of control.. i think the rimadyl did a reverse side effect on her because she was so hyper, excitable, even pretty aggressive.. i didnt give it today the 4th day since surgery because she was so out of control running and jumping on furniture and on us..my arms are totally red bruised from her nails.. ..shes doing things she never did before and i know you are supposed to keep them quiet but she is 100 times more rowdy than normal..it was such a relief last nite around ten when she finally settled.i’ve had the cone ona and off keeping a close eye.. i notice around the stitch today is a hard lump .. i’ll have to reread all these posts to see what it says about that… well ihave to say she is in no pain and doesnt notice a thing.. she is experiencing her new wild lifestyle and loving it and i’m hoping i get my little 4 month old angel back in a day or two.. i’m too old to keep up with a wild child….
Wow Sandy
Sounds like you have your hands full! She certainly didn’t seem to be affected by the op at all. I hope she calms down a little for you though;)
It’s nice to hear of a Dog coping so well with the spaying and hopefully it will be inspiring to other readers. The lumps are quite normal around the incision, it happened to our girls too.
thanks so much for starting this blog because it helps us find the answers to our worries… diva is back to normal without the meds and its such a relief..this is the third female i have had spayed and wouldnt hesitate to recomend it to anyone.. my vet seems to think the younger the better, small dog, small surgery..young dogs seems to recover so quickly.. diva would have been perfect the following day if she hadnt been bouncing off the walls with a reverse reaction to the drugs… i think vets should keep the dogs overnite so by the time you get them back they are pretty close to their normal selves… thats just my theory anyway… so i’m anxiously waiting the next few days to go by so i will feel pretty safe with the incision and not be afraid of it springing a leak…
I just has our 3 year old beagle spayed 3 days ago. The first day and night she was fine, slept most of the time. She will not stop winning and she has a lot of her stuff animal toys in her crate with her. She hasn’t eaten very much and will only go outside to potty (fast) and wants back in to lay in crate. Is this normal for a female?
Karla they can feel very miserable for many days and be out of sorts. I would keep an eye on her and as long as there is no problem with the incision then she she perk up soon. Any real concerns though and call the vet, it is always best to be safe.
we took our 6-month old border collie – “Serge” – in for her operation two days ago. I concerned that she has had very bad diarreah during the last 48 hours. She’s not eating much, not drinking much water, but has messed herself 4-5 times since the operation. i’m worried that she will get an infection. she has a cone/lampshade on and seems to hate it. we are isolating her ina room downstairs, because she’s always very hyperactive around us, jumping etc. also, her 6-month old brother is quite scared of how she looks with her cone.
but i am worried about the diarrreah. a few posters have mentioned sickness as in vomiting, but not upset stomach /diarreah. is it normal?
Martin, it may well just be a bad react to the stress and the meds. I would keep an eye on her but if it goes on too long get to the vets. The cone is quite scary to some Dogs but if there is a risk of her getting to the stitches it is worth keeping it on as long as you can. I hope she is feeling better by now. Sorry for the delay in getting to your comment.
my dog was spayed about a week ago, and ever since then, she has not wanted to eat. I practically have to shove baby food in her mouth just to get her to eat something. But she will not eat otherwise. I am very concerned. I took her to the vet and she didn’t have a temperature nor was the incision infected. What could this possibly be? I’m afraid she will starve herself?
Katherine, Daisy was similar. We gave her rice with boiled chicken for some time. She had a real hard time. The harsh truth though is that Dog’s will not starve themselves. They will eat eventually but just give her some soft food that is tasty for a while and I am sure she will be fine. It may last another week or so but if she really will not eat anything I would get back to the vets, but give her something lovely and she will be back to normal soon.
i have a seven year old rotti i had to have a emergency surgery on her last tues she had three pounds of infection she is home now and back to the vet the surgery went well she has stiches she wont eat any food and has lost six pounds from this not eating i am so scared and sad i know she is safe at the vet i just want my rotti back to normal i will update on here to let you know how she makes out tell you there your life
Kimberly
Sorry to hear about that. I hope she is a lot better by now and that you are not so worried.
Our 6 month old Chesapeake was spayed today and we’re a bit concerned with her lethargy. She won’t drink water nor eat and she just looks so pathetic. At what point should we be concerned and is it normal for her to do so much shaking?
Salty it is all perfectly normal. It may well last a few days, especially the lack of eating, which may well go on for a week. Hopefully she will have stopped shaking by now though.
I picked up a male chow mix from the pound. The recovery went without any problems. However my other dog had major issues. Not because of the procedure but he had a clotting disorder. That night his testicles were huge and the poor guy couldn’t sit so I rushed him to the animal emergency room. He ended up staying with the vet for 3 weeks due to bleeding issues. Just be careful which breeds are prone to this issue. “Hoover” ended up getting through this with Vitamin K shots. but He also gained a lot of weight after the procedure so you have to kind of keep your eye on certain breeds who are prone to this as well.
HI THERE
MY JUST OVER ONE YEAR OLD WESTIE WAS SPAYED WEDNESDAY, TODAY IS FRIDAY AND SHE WONT WALK, CAN GET HER TO STAND FOR A BIT AND SHE HAS BEEN OUT FOR TWO WEEWEE’S BUT NO NUMBER TWO! SHE RUNS IN A CIRCLE AND THEN LIES DOWN, IS THIS NORMAL, SHE WAS A HEALTHY HAPPY RUNNING ARUND MAD WESTIE PRIOR TO THIS, IS THIS JUST POST OP BEHAVIOUR? ALSO SHE DID NOT GET ANY PAINKILLERS, THEY SAID SHE HAD HAD A JAG WHICH SHOULD SUFFICE FOR THE FIRST 24 GOURS AFTER SURGERY. PLEASE ADIVSE IF I SHOULD BE RUNNING BACK TO VETS? THANKS
Hi Lolly
The actions are all normal. It is just he stitches making her feel very sore and she wants to know what is happening. You will see from the other comments many were not given painkillers as well. If she seems to still be in a lot of pain then I would get some tablets from the vet. But if she is not hurting too bad then she should be fine.
She will be back to normal in a few days and running around like a loon I am sure 😉
It is interesting to read so many different stories about spaying. My London was spayed 5 days ago and the only complaint I have is trying to keep an 18 month old GSD quiet! She was kept overnight at the vet’s which was a good thing for me
as I didn’t have to worry about post op shock (shaking) etc. Things may be different here in Canada, but we aren’t given any pain meds or antibiotics to take home, they give them in the clinic and after that there didn’t appear to be any need. I think it’s critical to make sure your dog doesn’t eat or drink for 12 hours before the surgery, except perhaps some ice-chips if they are making a big fuss. London got up in the middle of the night before the surgery and managed to get all her steel bowls out of the kitchen sink looking for a drink and a snack I suspect. Her incision seems fine, but I wonder what’s going on inside as she has erupted into great fits of leaping and jumping over her 4 year old buddy, and even scaled the gate at the bottom of the stairs to follow me up stairs. She sleeps bit more than usual, but her appetite was not affected. I feed my dogs canned New Zealand tripe on top of their high grade kibble and it’s a guaranteed appetite improver, if smelly. It’s also great for nutrients, and improves their coats. An average spay in Canada is $300, so count your US blessings! A good time to get teethed cleaned and microchipped as well. Good luck to all of you. Your dogs would thank you if they could — no more mess, no more unplanned puppies, and no more males pestering them.
Quick question…my 5yr old German Shepherd was spayed today. She actually had a uterine infection so it was not even an option to have the surgery today. The vet gave me a whole week’s worth of antibiotics and pain medication. He told me to start giving her the medication tonight. I was able to throw the pain medication down her throat and she swallowed..no problems. Since she has not interest in eating, is it okay to wait until the morning to try to give her the anitbiotics? All she wants to do is sleep and has no interest in even a tiny piece of steak. Thanks.
Terry sorry for the delay. I guess my advice is of no use now as I may be a little late but I would try to give her the antibiotics as the vet ordered but they would have given her an injection as well I assume so waiting a few hours should not be a problem.
Hey there. I ended up taking her back in the next morning since she didn’t have a desire to drink or eat. The Vet gave her antibiotics in her IV cath (that was still in her leg just in case). He didn’t charge me for that. He said that she looked good and wasn’t concerned with dehydration.
Today is a whole different story! She is drinking, wanting to play, eating, taking her medicine and feeling great. I cut her pain medication in half and that seems to be just fine. Like you said, every dog is different and they are pretty fast at healing. She gets her stitches out in 8 more days.
By the way, I wrap her pills in deli roast beef or turkey and she has absolutely no problem taking her meds this way. 🙂
hi! i read your blog while waiting to bring our 1 yr-old boston terrier, jewel, home after being spayed. your entry, plus the comments left by your numerous readers were very informative and useful. jewel was brought in last mon at about 11am for a brief check-up (vet took a blood test to ensure that her kidneys and liver were functioning well) and then she was spayed at about 3pm in the afternoon. we also took the opportunity to remove her hernia at the same time. being a nervous wreck, i called the vet a couple of times to make sure she’s ok.
later, armed with a sweater + cotton top (many thx for the tip), we picked jewel up at 7pm. she was in the clinic for several hrs because the vet wanted to make sure that she could wake up, and sit up after the operation. poor jewel was so so dazed when we saw her, she couldn’t even chew a tiny bit of biscuit (she’s a voracious eater)! i nearly cried in joy when i saw her. she was shivering a little when we carried her to the car. thankfully, she didn’t suffer from any shivering spells for long and could eat her normal food almost as soon as we got home. the vet gave her 2 doses of painkillers to take in the next 2 days. the stitched-up part was a strong shade of pink. we are from singapore, and the spaying + blood test + hernia removal costs about SGD 250 which is USD170.
naturally, jewel’s actions and movement were slower than usual. she did not run at all during the 1st night phew. however, she did walk happily to the kitchen when her dinner was served. we were advised to feed her the usual stuff as new food may cause indigestion etc. jewel didn’t drink much water during the 1st day, maybe due to the pain caused by a tube which was inserted into her throat during the op.
jewel, the plucky and hardy girl, was up and running the next day. i was sorry for putting her through so much pain the day before and kept apologising to her.
my prayers go out to each and every parent who intends to spay their furkid as i understand how nerve-wrecking it can be. i also wish your furkid a speedy recovery!
Terry, lucky her. Ours get a bit of cheese of they are lucky!
Thanks for letting us know, and I am glad she is back to being bouncy fit. Now all you have to do is try to keep that under control, all the best.
Boston,
Thanks for letting people know just how well it can go. That is great your girl was so good with the op, it will help others see that often it can be recovered from very quickly. I wish all ours had such a good and fast recovery, but even if it is not as good as yours was, normally a few weeks and they are back to their usual troublesome self!
hi just had my 1 year old cross belgian sheperd spayed, she developed lumps around her stictches with a sligth weeping, been back to vets and they gave her antibiotics and anti-inflammetorys, however i have noticed she is losing discharge from her vagina its like a browny colour and odourless i just wondered if anyone had experienced simelar, iam getting worried, she seems fine in herself and is going to toilet and eating as normal, do u think i should take her back to vets ?? or do i just wait and see if the antibiotics help as as far as i know there for the swelling around the stitches ?? any info would be great thanks
Saralynes
That is all totally normal, nothing to be worried about at all. The discharge will stop in a day or so and the swelling happened to all 3 of our girls, they look like really hard lumps either side of the stitches but go down gradually. No need to worry.
All the best.
thank you so much, i think i just panic coz she like my baby, we have had alot ov upsetment in our house but since we got her she has brought us so much happiness and laughter just hate the thought ov her being ill, thank you for your advice xxx
My LabMix
was spayed i didn’t know if she will make it the vet said they had cut part of her intestine and had to sew it back on and she had lots of blood drainage. I have been upset but its in God’s hands I pick her up and bought her home. I could not leave her another day at the vet if Molly dies at least she is at home with me. So far she has drake water but she won’t eat at all this happened all in one day 6/16/2010 she is also on antibiotic for 10 days she is still bleeding in small amounts.and she is still vomiting water and mucous. I pray she makes it.
Dina I hope that everything is now alright and that she is OK. My best wishes to you both. The not eating is normal and so is the vomiting so let’s hope that she heals quickly.
Hello, I have an 8 month old Boston terrier, she had the surgery done yesterday, it has been one full day and problems persist. I wanted some advice on what to do or if this is normal before I took her to the vet hospital today. She has not drank or eaten anything not eaten even her favorite treat. She’s been panting severely since last night like she’s having problems breathing and today it continues. She has no will to do anything but just sit, I’ve called her several times and she does not move unless you pick her up. Also she pied the bed last night; she couldn’t get out of bed so she pied where she lay. Any advice?
Sarah, the peeing in normal as they feel so funny but I am not sure about the panting to be honest. That has not really happened to ours. Although the not eating or drinking is normal for the first day or two. I would see the vet if she is still panting today. Sorry to not be of more help.
Hello, my dog peyton was neutered on monday. they had to cut him in three places to find one of his testicles. One of his cuts is longer and he has ripped out all of the outer layer and some of the inner layer has torn. My vet gave us some pickling lime and told us to put that on and as long as he ate and drank then he was fine. the wound looks horrible and he doesnt want to walk much but he does eat and drink some. is there anything else I should do or should I go to another vet? please any ideas would be great
Tony,
As long as he seems fine I would not worry. Daisy ripped her stitches too and it looked horrible, she took a little longer to heal but was fine. Just keep an eye on it and any problems get back to the vets. I hope he recovers soon.
Hey all, just lost a stray Choc. Lab that we decided to keep 2 days after having her spayed.She was round 1 yr. old.Picked her up Friday evening after having her spayed,rabies,and 2 other shots,plus a heartworm test.Seemed fine Friday night,Saturday, Sunday morning(fine as in usual post spay behavior;Taking some water,very little food,peeing/pooping)Sunday morning, a little labored breathing.Went outside to mow the yard and came back in and she was dead.The incision looked great,no out-of-the-ordinary behavior.I feel awful, just wanted to know does this happen sometimes or could something hhave went wrong?Any input appreciated.
Mark I am so sorry. I wish I could offer an explanation but I have no clue why this happened. Maybe someone who reads this will. Did the vet not offer an explanation as to why this might have happened?
Not really, my wife talked to the vet today and the vet had said she did hafta use 2 ties instead of one(whatever that means) because she had a lot of blood flow to/in her uterus.Im guessing internal bleeding idk.They offered to do an autopsy, but I have already buried her and wasnt going to get into that.And now its the whole ‘if I hadn’t got her fixed she would be alive’ runnin thru my head.I am still curious as to what happened,Thanks for the help.
Last year, I adopted a female staffy, Fiona, from the RSPCA. When I visited the kennel she just came into seasons so the RSPCA could not set a date for spaying. The RSPCA trusted me to take Fiona home with me, asking me to take an appointment to the vet in January. I brought Fiona to the vet early February 2010. The operation went well and I picked up Fiona in the late afternoon. When I arrived at home, she was still drowsy from the operation. I cooked some food for her as the vet recommended but Fiona did not eat much. On the second day, I started to notice a bit of blood in her stools. A little worried, I called the vet who recommended me to stop giving Fiona the pain killer and go on with the rice and chicken diet for a few more days. A week and a half after the operation, I brought back Fiona to the vet for a check-up. I was very happy to hear that Fiona was fine and could get back to her ordinary life.
Thanks for the helpful information-our girl dachshund is going in to get spayed in a few weeks-she is 2 1/2 years old. I’m hoping all goes well. Our surgery is $145 because it’s based on weight of the dog-she is only 12.5 lbs. It’s same day in at 8a.m. & then we call at 4 to see how she is doing & what time to pick her up. I’m sure there will be some medicine or collar expense as well-but I’m hoping this will help her have a healthier life & our boys not be so stressed being separated from her when she’s in heat. Thanks again for all the helpful info.
Renee, Glad you found it helpful. I hope it all goes well although I am sure that it will. It should certainly make life a little easier at home, especially for the boys.
hi we just had our 5 1/2 mnth old shitzu spayed 3 days ago,when she is taken outside for a pee she tends to not want to walk and just sits down..it also appears that she gets a pinch when walking and wants to lick her private area..she is on medication for 3 days for any pain and discomfort,i just wondered if this is normal when female dogs get spayed..also do female dogs after being spayed get agressive as we have a male shitzu which is fixed and is 9mnths and they usually get along very well..the female now tends to be aggressive towards him,will this pass..thxs lori
Hi Lori, it is all very normal. It gets very uncomfortable for them as the stitches heal. I have never noticed any signs of aggression after a spay, they will be more content and your girl is probably just feeling grumpy as she is not feeling well at the moment. Give it a week or two and she will be totally back to normal, she just knows she has to be careful when playing at the moment, which is actually a good thing.
hi again guys, a week after my BT was spayed, i noticed there was vaginal discharge which appeared creamy-brown. the vet assured us it was fine. the discharge stopped some days later. about a wk later, we realised that there were red lumps around the incision. she even scratched it till it bled so we rushed her to the vet hoping for the best. the vet once again gave us the clean bill of health and said that the lumps should disappear after a while as the suture was healing. true enough, the lumps and redness disappeared a few days later and she has a flat flat tummy now! hope this helps!
Hi, My 11 year old Labrador bitch Folly had major surgery for closed pyometria 7 days ago. Thankfully we got it early but they still removed 1.9 kilos of infected uterus! Her blood test results were fine and the operation went well with no complications. She came home the next with pain killers and antibiotics. Unfortunately they were unable to attach an intravenous drip after the surgery. Folly refused to drink any water until the fourth day after surgery and is still refusing to eat after 7 days! She is passing urine normally. I took her back to the vet the day before yesterday and they gave her fluids under the skin along with pain relief, antibiotic, Vitamin B12 and anti-nausea injections. Her incision is nice and healthy but I am worried sick that she is not eating. I’ve tried everything to tempt her. She’s drooling too which I assume is due to nausea. She’s walking about with her sister Isla, wagging her tail but is obviously far from her old self and quite subdued. This morning there was a globdule of blood in her urine. I am calling the vet today to see what they think. Folly was a wonderful show dog and brood bitch who had easy, successful deliveries of all her litters. I just wish I had speyed her after her last litter 5 years ago. It has been a harsh lesson and we are not out of the woods yet.
I am so glad I stumbled across this site! My dog was spayed yesterday and she couldn’t even keep water down til late last night and has NO interest in food. I wasn’t sure if this was okay or not, so it was good to find so much helpful info here! Thanks!
Hi Kari,
Glad that it was helpful to you. It can be a worrying time, especially when we do not know how they are meant to react. But pretty soon she will be back to normal.
Hi! Our 6 month old Irish Wolfhound, Skye, is due to be spayed next Tuesday and I wondered if there is a diference in the recovery with a ‘giant’ breed due to a larger wound or does being bigger make them more hardy?
Jen, so sorry for not replying sooner. I did not see the comment. Hopefully all went well and if Skye is anything like our big girl Faye then she will be up and running in a day!!
Op went really well but we’re taking her back in today as weve had a HUGE problem with her feeling TOO WELL!! Shes a huge girl and she has on a couple of occasions barged out of the door before we could grab her and gone tearing round the garden! Were really worried because she will not keep still and is wanting to be up and playing 24/7 and were concerned about any internal damage that could be done. She wants to be playing with our big lurcher Fergus and obviously he cant understand and keeps trying to ‘rough play’ with her. Its anightmare keeping her still as shes really lively, eating like a horse and hteres no way you would think shes had an op! Hopefully, theyll check her out this morning and I pray shes not done any damage!!
Jen we had the same thing with Faye. She was up and wanting to be bonkers within a day. She didn’t need the elizabethan collar and paid no attention to the incision at all. Yet the other two were unwell for ages. Just goes to show that all Dogs are very different.
Can someone please tell me what time should I stop feeding my pet food the night before her spay. She has an appointment tomorrow morning at 7:00 am. also can she have water if so at what time should she not have any water.
Thank you.
Chrissy from what I remember it was just to not let them eat or drink for 12 hours before. Sorry if this is too late for you, but the Vet should have given you the specific information.
My german shepherd female got some swelling along the stiches. I was nerrvous unitl I stumbled into your blog! Thanks, she is no pain, lets me touch it and no discomfort.I hope the swelling goes down, thanks. Now if it becomes to swollen I will seek a vet, thanks!!!
I just wanted to thank you for the great info. I have 2 pit bulls that had no issues with spay/neuter. I recently adopted a 2 year old female chihuahua and after the spay she was out of it. She didn’t eat food for 2 days, didn’t drink water until the second day and is very out of it. My two pits were up and running like normal by day 3, I was very worried and decided to read up on it. After reading the page i calmed down and just watched my new dog, after about a week she was fine and eating again. 2 weeks totally normal.
I think the problem was that she is a 5lb dog vs my 80lb pit bulls. But they pits and little chihuahua get a long great.. I’ve even been teaching the little dog to ride the big dogs! 🙂
Again, thanks for the info, saved me a ton of worrying.
Glad it was a help Colby, it is a very worrying time I know. Glad everything is alright now. Riding Pitbulls? Sounds like fun!
Hi,
Thanks so much for your tips, right now am waiting whilst my little hatchi is being spayed. I will be picking her up soon. Was so worried, and am glad i tapped into this blog. At least i wont panick knowing what may or may not happen. So light meals and just constanly observe her and check on her.Ive got to turn our chairs upside down on the blacony.. so she doesnt jump up.. and keep a warm place for her in the house..thank you so much for the tips.
Glad it was of help Marina. I am sure all will be fine. Just keep plenty of blankets on her as smaller Dogs do seem to get the shakes and shivers a lot more.
Collected Jess from the vets this afternoon & found your blog very reassuring – especially about the shivering. Thank you.
Would like to add a couple of notes for people in the same boat:
check with your vet about water – Jess was allowed to drink
buy some chicken – she has to have chicken and rice for 2 days
Got my 8 month old mini dacshund spayed 2 days ago. It’s alot harder then I expected. She has mess but whines from pain and doesn’t like to move alot. I don’t think the pain mess work that good
Thank you for this information and tips. I was so worried about getting my 1 year old 4.5 lbs female very small Pomeranian spayed. I just got back home with her and read your Blog which is very helpful. You are very kind to take the time out and try to explain the after effects. I really appreciate it. My Bella Bells is wearing her E collar and just laying in her bed with her blanket. I pray for a nice recovery. Thank you God bless you
my chihahia …..do not know if spelled right…. had 4 pups ….and after weeks of nursing them my dog was spayed. now, the day after she wil not eat and drinks just little…..I am concerned because she does not urinate. It is the second day since spayed/ please advise thanks
my dog was spayed yesterday and now refuses to eat or drink
does not urinate what do you advise? thank you
I took my dog Canon in for surgery this morning. I dropped her off at 7am and i pick her up at 4pm. I’m a full time college student and i cant focus on class cuz all i can think about is my girl. It’s thursday so i don’t have any classes for the weekend but my biggest concern is leaving her while i go to class back again on monday. I know it takes about 2 weeks to heal. I keep her in her crate while i’m gone but if i leave her cone on while im gone should she be ok? the last think i want is for her incision to get infected or something.
Thanks for your reasuring info. Indi has slight swelling but back for a check up tomorrow so fingers crossed. She is very lively and hard to keep quiet.
Ashely she should be fine with the cone on, it should stop her getting to the incision.
Edna it is totally normal, you will find that in a few days she will be back to normal. They can just be put off from having a pee because everything feels funny after the operation.
My little “Belle” a 6 month old Cavalier came home as spunky as the day she went in. Her potty habits are a bit off, but I expected that. She loves her crate and spends a little more time in it, but her appetite is good and she is drinking water. I got her Dec 24th 2010 as a birthday present, so here in PA she has NOT see grass yet. She has only has 4 accidents and it was my fault because I could not read her signs yet. Yep, gotta expect that with a pup. I agree with the last post, urination seems to be unexpected but with abdominal surgery who wouldn’t have a few issues. I now know she is safe, and also may avoid some of the health issues she might face if the procedure had NOT been done.
An update on “Belle”, she has forgotten her potty habits. She is going more often and more unpredictably. I am by no means a dog expert, but I suspect some of this may be hormonal. Tonight she gave me a sign when I came home from work, my wife Jackie had her out just an hour before. But I did see her near the kitchen sliding doors, but I failed to react. Jackie called me and told me she pooped and peed in the house, something she never did. Our yard is solid ice so I can’t blame her, she tries to find the magic scent but she just goes in circles. Be patient with the pup’s when they come home, some have pain some just experience minor changes in their routine. They need all the love we can spare in this busy world.
I have just had my 4 year old chocolate lab spayed. She was in early heat when the vet performed the procedure. She now has incontinence problems she NEVER had before. She had nausea the day after the surgery and was given injections for two days to take care of that; but the incontinenece continues. Any ideas? PLEASE. I don’t want to think the worst!
Tom it may just be a temporary situation. Although the problem has continued on and off for our Daisy Dog. I think this is down to her having pups too early, which is usually the problem. I would see how it goes for a while before you worry too much.
Your post made me feel much better about my dog’s behavior after her operation. She is shaking randomly and curled up on the couch so I quickly searched for information. I have a space heater near us now, and will get her a blanket. Thanks so much for the info!
Thanks for this site. It’s strait to the point of view of the Pet owner. My dog Zoey just had her operation today and sure enouph the shivers when she got home. The hardest thing right now is the whine she lets out, its painfull for her. shes is walking around some and seems to be trying to get comfortable. She had some water. We are both close at her side and hoping for the best for her. This is a hard thing to do alot more than I thought. I will keep you all posted.
My wife and I bought our twin boys a puppy from the pound two days ago. Before we get her she has to be spayed. I appreciate the information as when I had animals when I was younger most of this was taken care of by my father and mother, so I would easily say I am under prepared. I feel much more comfortable after reading this article. Thanks!
Hi, I’ve just had my 2 1/2 year old rough collie girl, Brecon, spayed yesterday (Thursday) she ate a small dinner that evening and a bit of water and kept everything down. A day on and she is eating really well and perking up, however she has not had a wee since 8am of the day of the opp, so 38 hours ago! Brecon was a strange puppy in that she didn’t like weeing anywhere other than in her own garden, so frequently didnt go for 24 hours+ if ever we went away, so she does have a bladder of steel. She is very put out by the insision which has a plaster on it and doesn’t walk more than a few paces in the house before fretting at it (has to wear her cone the whole time) except when I take it off when in garden trying to get her to go for a wee. Brecon is very sensitive in that if she ever gets a twig stuck in her fur when walking, it’s the end of the world, so the whole fretting over the wound and even dealing with the shaved bit of fur on her leg is just terrible for her. Will she ever feel ‘right’ again and relaxed enough to wee? Any advise to help my little girl would be much appreciated. Claire
I’m pleased to report after 45 hours Brecon went for a wee (and two poohs!!!) at 4am this morning – the releif on our faces was almost as much as on Brecons! So she is taking steps in the right direction. She is now getting a bit peeved off with the cone and growling and getting aggressive when I take it off or worse, put it back on, so I will be leaving it on.
Sorry I was late seeing your comment Claire but I am glad everything is now OK.
Claire, I’m glad your collie is doing better, we had our 7 mo. old rough collie spayed almost 2 weeks ago and the following day you never would have known anything happened. A little advice regarding the cone, as our girl HATED and I mean, really hated that cone, and also became a little nippy and aggressive over it, hooking her mouth under it and literally thrashing on the ground when it was on. After considering the soft “comfy cones” we decided to stick with the traditional kind as they are transparent, allowing the dog it’s peripheral vision. We had to leave it on 24/7 for the first 2 days because she was fretting over the incision area and worse, she would reach to scratch it with her hind foot while standing, so we bought her little booties that she had to wear on her back feet. She was a real site for awhile and very upset but we couldn’t risk her injuring herself. I seriously felt like the days of this would never end! Fortunately, my BF and I were both on vacation while she healed, so around the 3rd day, we left the cone and booties off when we were home and never let her out of our sight. At night though, they had to go back on when she went in her crate. I bought her very long bully sticks that she could eat with the cone on and held them for her many times, sat on the floor a lot and gave her lots of extra encouragement. The first day was the worst but once we started taking it off regularly, it seemed to help her understand that it wasn’t permanent but it did however, make her start to use the cone like a plow when she was wearing it, bashing it into everything. We took her on lots of extra walks to help spend her energy, since she couldn’t play with other dogs or go to the park to run and that also helped a lot. Also, we live upstairs and were afraid that going up & down would be difficult for her so we made a litter box for her on our deck. We bought a large under-bed storage box from Ikea and sod from a home improvement store and made her a “yard” so she only had to walk a few feet to pee. This is also what we used to potty train her when she was very young and it worked great and was much less expensive than the potty patch that you can buy in a store. After the sod is soiled a few times, you just throw it out and replace it if you like, after giving the plastic container a good rinse. This could also work for those who are in snowy climates, although I don’t know if they would have sod available this time of year as we do here in California. I hope this helped some of you.
My BeBe (female toy poodle) was spayed today. Thannks for all the information, some of my fears are lessen. She is very quiet, seemed a little confused when I let her out to pee and sip water (didn’t do either) I am concerned about pain. SPCA didnt give any. Should I call the Vet for medicine tomorrow and maybe antibiotics
We just had our Dog spayed… She is laying in her crate right now, tucked away with many blankets on her. I feel bad for her, but I know that it’s the best way. Thanks for all the tips on this article. It really helps us calm down and know that everything is going to be O.K! Thanks again –
amy
Rena I would just see how she gets on, it may not be needed, all Dogs seem to react very differently.
Hi! I am concern cause mi little chihuahua jack russel just been sterilised and she drink well, but she pee way more then before, she is 10 months! Is it because of the funny senssation, its been only one day she is at home?
Take you, like your article a lot!!!! :)))
Lydia, because of the numbness they don’t really know what is going on down there so it is perfectly natural. She will be fine in a few days.
hi, i am freaking right now but before i take my 4lb chihuahua to 24hr animal emergency hospital I thought I’d get some feedback from someone here…She was spayed 2 days ago, was totally out of it the first day and shook terribly. Now her personality is almost back, tail wagging, and maybe even alittle too active BUT she is still shaking alot, has been hiding under the bed (never did that before spay) and below her incision (belly) it looks very swollen. She also cries in pain sometimes. Could something be wrong internally??????
Thanks for this post. Honestly, I didn’t know anything about it. Now I am well enlightened about the possible procedure and the things we should do in order for our dog to at least feel comfortable after that. There maybe numbness but after a day or two, do you think they will feel some pain?.
Àngela, they may be in some pain for a while as the incision heals, it really depends on the Dog. One of ours was as frisky as anything after 2 days while another was very ill for well over a week.
Sylvia it all sounds normal but if you do have concerns then you should get her checked over. But it is normal for them to shake for a day or two and for it to get very swollen, it is major surgery after all.
Our shih tzu poodle Bella is 5 months old and 7.5 lbs. She was spayed on Saturday and it is now Sunday night. She also had surgery to correct a hernia, so her incision is a bit longer than a normal spay. Our dear lovely Bella has not peed or pooped AT ALL! She has drank very little and eaten an even smaller amount. Needless to say we are incredibly worried and sad. Is this normal?? Thanks so much. Any and all advice is sincerely appreciated.
Thank you for the information. My dog was spayed on Monday and today (WED) was the first day she was acting like her old self, she has had a few potty accidents in the house but I’m not real concerned with that yet, trying to keep her calm is a real problem as she is an Australian Cattle dog, my vet put in extra stitches just because of her breed and the next 10 days should be very trying to say the least 🙂
I just had my 4lb – 7 month old yorkie spayed 2 days ago. She is so tiny that her cone keeps dragging on the floor and bumping into things – but I feel it is better for Cleo to wear it than chance her chewing the stitched area – but I can tell she just hates it. She is calm right now – does her business – eats very good – sleeps much more than before but this is expected for a few more days. I think her biggest problem is the cone. I think she feels embarrassed wearing it. Vet said she should wear it for at least 10 days – it is tied on because she is so small that we can’t take it on and off – better safe than sorry and to me she is just as lovely with the cone as without.
Alex, good for you. You know, I am sure that when our Girls had to wear the cone they would make a point of bumping in to things, as if to say:
“Dad, do you realize how daft I look, the others are laughing at me”!
But they all had their turn in the end 😉
Thanks for the tips on Dog spaying. I Spayed my 2 year old yorkie on monday and when i brought her home she was wining..she whined all night. I felt terrible for her and she kept shivering. The next day she seemed to be much better, eating and drinking water, but kept shivering. I noticed however she doesn’t go wee as often, i noticed she did it only in the morning on Wednesday and didn’t wee till 3pm today thursday(after i had to encourage her to do so by making her run a bit). Not sure if that’s a problem? She really doesn’t lick the incision, however i do notice she wants to lick her private area frequently. Is this normal?
My 3yr old beagle just got splayed 3 days ago. My vet never mentioned a cone.. but I read on here that a lot of people are using them. She doesn’t gnaw or bite at her stitches but she does lick them. I haven’t thought licking them would be a problem I thought there saliva has healing properties to it. She is a little swollen and otherwise I believe she is doing pretty well considering. My struggle is keeping her from jumping on furniture and our bed at night. Could jumping on the bed or sofa cause her stitches to come out? if so it would it be obvious for me to tell when I check on her?
thanks for any feedback –
Melissa I would try as hard as you can to stop her jumping, it could cause problems as she needs to heal. It could be internal problems so better safe than sorry and just try to keep her calm. Although easier said than done!!!
I have an Aussie. She was spayed 5 days ago, and is just starting to lay and sit besides when we put her in her cage for naps. Otherwise, she just walks in the house. Has anyone heard of this happening to their female dog?
My dog was spayed a week ago and she now carries her little stuffed kitty around like it is her pup. She is a min pin and she will growl at me and my husband and if we get to close she will snap at us. She has been acting really strange after the surgery. Is this normal and will she return to normal?
I had my 61.5pd black lab spayed 10 days ago. She was healing fine, but then got out and stretched open the incision 3 days after surgery. We took her back in to the vets as there was alot of weeping and bleeding. There were no stitches on the outside as everything is done on the inside. She was put on antibiotics in case of infection and I had to clean the wound twice a day with peroxide. She is crate trained because we work and she’s only 8 months old. The vet put a cone on her and we took her home, when we went to the store we came home to find she had gotten the cone off and pretty much eaten it. Her wound was not in good shape, we took her back to the vets who cleaned her up again. We then purchased another cone, longer in length and went to the pet store to purchase a muzzle. For 3 days she seemed to do fine. She only wore the muzzle and cone when we were not home and she had to be in her crate as she was seriously hurting herself. When we were home, she did not really bother with the incision. I came home from work to let her out to go pee only to find she had gotten the cone off and the muzzle. She pretty much destroyed the cone and chewed off all the leather strapping to the muzzle, the only thing left was the metal gate and once again had been at the incision. I cleaned her up and went to the pet store and purchased a cream they had recommended. HP Healing Cream, it is used for burns, wounds ect… for animals. The vet okd it. Day 3 of using it, no more green stuff, no more oozing, wound is closeing and healing. If you have serious problems with the wound after surgery like I did, look up their website….www.homeopetpro.com this stuff really works. Now my only problem is keeping her from touching it when I’m at work and she has to go in the crate. Anyone have any ideas?? I do not have a doggie babysitter and have to go to work. Suggestions?? She’s houdini, she’s gotten 2 cones a 25′ and a 30′ off and a basket style muzzle off.
I was curious as to whether you knew the time period to wait before you gave them a bath or had them taken to the groomers for one. I am getting a rescue puppy who will have just been spayed but wanted to get her to a groomer so she could get cleaned up well.
One more day of antibiotics, we seem to be doing ok. I bought her some huge rawhide bones for her when we have to crate her. She is so busy with them that she dosen’t seem to bother with the incision. No cones or muzzles, we gave up on that..lol..the hp cream is doing wonders as well. Cleaning it twice a day with the peroxide, making sure she eats her yogurt everyday. She’s really doing so much better. Glad I found your website, I felt alot better after reading about everyone elses experiences. I was so frustrated, but it’s so much better now that I’ve stopped freaking out…lol..you just get so worried for them, Bella is like one of our children, but we are very thankful you only have to do this once 🙂 Thanks again, and good luck to everyone else
Hi i’m having my 10 month old yorkie spayed next week, reading your site has put my mind at rest and given me some ideas of what to expect once she has had her op. Thank you i will let you know how she gets on
my female australian cattle dog is 7 years old. just got spayed on tuesday, may 17. and she has only went pee twice, an a tiny poo, something the size of a nugget. she also shivers/shakes, and only wants to lay down. she will not move to eat or drink. not sure if this is normal? and after the spay, she has been so attached to me, she whines and stresses out when im not in the same room.
Hi, I had my female Shih-Tzu spayed yesterday my question is about,
Does this stop her from going into Heat and the mess prior to the procedure( the bleeding). And will my male leave her alone now.
Thank you for all the info. My 7 month old Boxer just got spayed. She was fine until one week after surgery. She has an egg size swelling around the incision. Not as worried now that I have read your info. But we will go see our Vet on Monday. Pets always get sick on weekends! For some of the questions posted, yes, no food or water 12 hours prior to surgery. Wait at least 14 days after surgery before bathing. I guess you could always use a damp face cloth to wash areas distant from the incision. We didn’t need a collar and she did fine.
Jim, absolutely, they will not come in to heat and other Dogs will not be pestering them.
I take my newly adopted Pomeranian daughter, Stella, tomorrow morning for her surgery. I rescued her from a puppy mill so she’s had a few liters and now at 4 years old will finally be spayed. I am a nervous wreck! Thank you for writing this article and all the tips. I will keep you posted on “our” recovery.
This was a suberbly written post. It’s always a joy to hear great advice from the world-wide dog community. I enjoy getting various sides of each issue through blogging.
I was just wanting to know if anyone has had any drops of blood on their babies blankets after her spay? My girl went in for a spay and some abdominal exploratory surgery today, she came home with a HUGE incision, almost a foot long. She is resting in her cage but there are a few(2) drops of blood on her sheet that she is laying on. is this normal?
My 5 1/2 month old maltipoo just got spayed.How do i put the betadine on the stitches without hurting her.She freaks out really bad and i dont want her to rip her stiches?
Alva, Just do it quickly and stay calm and it will be over in a second. Give off happy and calm vibes, it really does make all the difference.
My 6 month old female pup got spayed 3 days ago, and the incision was so small and almost completely closed. But after the third day I noticed her belly was red, and when I looked, her incision was gaping open, and bloody all around. I feel terrible. She has not been licking or bothering the area at all. And she is acting totally fine. But now I am afraid of infection since it is wide open. The spay place where she was done, did not give me antibiotics, only pain medicine for 5 days. I am worried that this is now an emergency. I have not washed it, they told me to just keep her dry and to limit her activity for 5 days. But I am shocked at how it looks.
THANK YOU!! my 8 month od yellow lab was spayed yesterday and had the shivers for about 3 hours afterwards. I would have freaked right out if I had not read about that possibility on this blog. I really like my vet but he never mentioned this as a side effect. Many blankets and space heater got rid of her shakes.
Thanks for this info it has really put my mind at ease. I had my year old chihuahua spayed today through no choice of my own. She kept havin phantom pregnancys and gettin infections. Since i picked her up earlier on today she has been completly out of it. I was worried about this until i read your blog. Also she wont eat or dink n keeps shivering. The information has settled me now. Thank you
We just had our two dogs – Maya a Labrador Retriever & Africa a German Shepherd – spayed. They are both 2 1/2 years old. Maya came out jumpring and is now doing very well. Africa had some complication during surgery and had to stay overnite. It is taking ker longer to come around. She started peeing inside the house and isn’t eating much. Though her peeing inside has stopped, and she goes outside, she goes from place to place – 4 or 5 places peeing. Is this normal. Thanks
Marta, it is. The sensations will be all wrong for her after the surgery. She will be back to normal in a few days time.
Hi, i just had my 11 month old pit spayed and this information help alot thank you
Hello i just got my 4 month old purebread shitzhu spayed yesterday and she has the e coller she sees to be fine but she shivers a little sometimes going to try heater but i was wondering about the healing because the vet put the stiches tight and it looks like she has one piece of skin over the other one like 2mm is this normal there seems to be some swelling ,please respond.
Ryan that sounds absolutely fine, she should stop shivering in a days time too.
Hi, we had our 18 month old greyhound spayed on Friday. She has been as good as gold, no sickness and doesn’t need a collar. She is now eating and drinking normally. She has no problem peeing but when she went to poo this morning she cried out in pain … Is this normal?
Thank you all for all this info! My Little girl Bella (1 year 8 months) had her op yesterday morning. I picked her up 9 hours later (after a lot of worrying and missing her)
I had a long chat with the vet as Bella had a false pregnancy and an infection, she wanted me to be aware of any problems that may arise because of the milk. (mastitis) Usually they don’t do the op but as she was coming into season so frequently, they thought it best to continue. Last night when we got home she was very unhappy, she didn’t eat or drink anything and was sick.
She spent most of the night under my bed shivering and wouldn’t come out.
She seems much happier this morning and is back in her usual place snuggled up with me under the duvet. She has eaten but has had no water yet.
She seems to be uninterested in her stitches at the moment.
Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery
I had my 6 month old rescue puppy spayed yesterday. She is a lab/terrier/pit mix. King County is offering free spay/neuter/shots and $5 microchip for any pits or pit mixes so of course i jumped at this offer. She was shivering andn so tired last night, but blankets really helped. She was starving, but i only gave her a quarter of what she normally eats. The main difference with her today is that she is farting A LOT! Whew – i hope that is just the drugs leaving her system.
She also was sent home without any antibiotics or pain relievers. They told me they gave her shots for both of these that will last between 24-48 hours and for most dogs, they do not need more than this.
I am dreading my 2 year old boxer coming home from my in-laws tomorrow as the 2 dogs love to wrestle all day long. Any ideas on how to keep them separated?
Julie, it won’t be that easy but we have found the other Dogs will pick up on the one that is not well and leave her alone. Hope it goes well.
Tracy N Dave, totally normal. They just can’t get comfortable after the operation for a while. In a few days she will be right as rain.
I had my little girl sunny spayed 2 days back. she was a well potty trained dog, but not until after the surgery. she started to pee everywhere inside the house, not the place she used to pee since yesterday. is this normal?
Kevin,
Totally. She will be back to normal once she has proper sensation again. The pain and the meds will just have her out of sorts for a little while.
We are on day five post op with my 4 year old lab retriever. We noticed her stitch area yesterday kinda seeping it kinda looks like when you pop a pimple and Its a creamy pinkish color. Should I be worried? I have been patting it dry. And also she has some discharge coming from her female area. Other than that she seems to be doing good.
Christina,
That is totally natural, it happened with ours too. It will be all cleared up in a few days time I am sure.
Our Shitzu was neutered two days ago. She seems fine except that she jumps sometimes like she’s being goosed. Could this be pain. Took her temp and it’s normal. She’s eating, drinking, peeing, pooping. Just can’t figure out the odd behavior.
debbie it will just be the sensation returning after the meds and the stitches getting tight. She will be fine in a day or two I am sure.
I’m scared to sleep with my chihuahua now…since she got spayed. Were should input her she sleeps underneath the covers.
I’m scared to sleep with my dog. She is a chihuahua. She sleeps underneath the covers were should input her. I don’t want to ruin the stitches.
Mia, just put her on the floor until she is better, that would be best.
Hi there!
First of all, thank you so much for such a wonderfully informative thread of comments and questions; I feel MUCH less alone in my nervous state! We are taking our Annie Rose in tomorrow morning and I’m a bundle of nerves! Annie is our 26lb GoldenRetriever mix and I feel so bad just because she doesn’t know what’s coming, ya know? Anyway, i do feel much better having read so many experiences and ponderings!
One question: Annie sleeps with us in our (tall) bed every night. She has her own bed on the floor at the foot of our and jumps up an down throughout the evening. How should we go about this? Should we sleep on the lower sofas in the living room perhaps? Thoughts and ideas would be greatly welcomed!!
Wags and Woofs,
Amy, Shane and Annie Rose
Amy, she will probably not want to get on the bed for a few days. You will probably find that she is happy on the floor until she feels a little better. If not, then maybe try sleeping low with her for a night or two. I hope it all went OK.
My boyfriends 3 yr old pit was spayed yesterday and this morning while in my care my pit got stuck with her is this something we should worry about?
I would also like to say a huge thank you for your informative post. My 6mth old border collie was spayed yesterday and being a first time dog owner I had no idea of what to expect.It cost me £202inc here in the UK. Friends and vets can advise but all dogs are different. I picked her up at 5pm after her being at the vets all day. She managed to walk across the road home and then just sat and couldn’t move. She eventually got into the house after bribing with treats. Eating seems normal and she has drunk a little. She has wee’d but not poo’d which seems to be a problem for her as you watch. I was sent home with painkillers but couldn’t start the course until today. She has 4 days worth. Last night was horrendous, I ended up staying with her all night as she just couldn’t settle. She hates the collar but will chew her stitches. She takes about 2 steps then just seems to drop her bottom as if its too heavy for her. Has anyone else noticed this? She then just sits and her head drops as she is so tired, she will try to lay down but then jumps up as if in pain. She did jump on the sofa today despite trying to stop her, propped herself up the back and rested her head on the windowsill to watch outside. She then fell asleep for about half an hour. But as I am typing this she has managed to get comfy in her bed and is sleeping. Maybe ignoring and not fussing helped? I, like lots of others here came on to see what post op symptoms there may be so i am so pleased to have found you. I have rung the vets and they did say that if she appeared to be in pain still tomorrow then I could get some stronger painkillers.
jenny, it will depend on how she seems now but it isn’t ideal. Hopefully she will be OK but any concerns I would be onto the vet.
This blog has been a real help for me. Luna and Maggie my five month old toy poodle sisters are going to be spayed on Mon. They go in Mon. morning and stay overnight. Thank you for all the info and tips. I am sure I would have been in a panic if I had not read what to expect post op. I feel bad knowing they will have discomfort but the vet does give pain meds and i know its best for them. i will let you know how they do. Thanks again for the great posts.
I have a 7 mo. old teacup yorkie (she was the runt of the litter) that is just 3lbs. I have been told by one vet that I should wait until she is at least 4lbs to get her spayed. I don’t think that our little sweetheart will even reach 4lbs. Is is safe to spay a dog that is under 4lbs? What do you recommend? Very concerned & worried-but what to do what is right to giver her a long life!
We picked up our newly adopted Golden Retriever today (she’s 1 yr old) after she was spayed. Needless to say, it’s quite an adjustment for her coming home to a new place and being so groggy. She’s pee’d twice and even had a bowel movement outside but won’t drink or eat.
How do we get her antibiotic pill and pain pill (to be given every 12 hours) to her without her spitting it out (even after being put in a piece of turkey hot dog? My poor hubby resorted to crushing the pills and adding them to water and in a syringe. The dog hated the taste and eventually vomited it all up. She needs these pills and any help would be appreciated.
Robyn, I have it best to put the pill in their mouth and then massage their throat until they swallow it. It takes a while but it is very effective.
Kim, I am sorry but I really don’t know anything about weight when it comes to spaying. Maybe ask another vet for a second opinion?
Wow…I really wished I had found this before last Friday. My Sophie (3 year old, long coat chihuahua) had her surgery last Friday…stitches are gone, however they did shave her quite a bit. Is there something I can put on her skin around the incision (not on it…she’s been scratching her sides) to help ease her “itches”??
Thanks for any input you may/can offer :o)
im very glad to find this site and its great to hear from otherswho love and care for there pet as i do…i have a 8 month female american pit who i love as my own child..shes on her fourth day after being spayed..hopefully somebody can tell me if shes doing good…stitches are still in but shes a very active dog that i cant keep calm..she just gets so excited bout everything..its a light pink color and drips a fewdrops of blood thru out the day…i think she slighty stretched it out just a littlebit around the stitch but notenough to leave it open…is this normal or should i worry???my vet said as long as it aint bleeding heavily or looks infected or hot to touch then not to worry..but not sure if my vet is on it like they should be…they never even offered me any antibiotic for her, unless it got infected…is that something i should make them give me???I SO WISH I KNEW ABOUT THE LASER SERGURY….I SO WOULD HAVE EVEN DROVE ALL DAY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN…
Our little 8 month old working cocker spaniel got spayed today – she is now snuggled in a furry blanket and has had a little fish to eat. The vet has given her injection pain killers and she seems calm.
I will update over the next few days …
Your website really helped yesterday xx
Little Evie had her op two days ago and either she one amazing puppy or my vet is fantastic at his work.
She has a very neat little scar and is full of beans – I am trying hard to let her have rest , but she loves her life and wants to play.
She is back at the vets tomorrow for a check up on her scar etc …
I was sooooo worried and she is a little star xxx
This is a great blog thanks so much for all the work you put into it. I took my bichon mix to a low cost vet and he did not prescribe pain meds or an antibiotic. Are most vets giving antibiotics? My little FiBee whines when she tries to poop ( she is one day after her spay), and she has peed in the house a few times and still tired and won’t eat.
But this seems normal from what I’ve read in this blog from other pet owners.
I just spayed my 6months old shepheard mix today, & well i cant see the stiches, but theres some green marks n her belly, i feel really bad cause i spayed her, but i think is better in some way, anywho, when would i have to take her to the vet to remove the stiches, & take off that e-collar, i hate it when people make fun of her
& by when would she be able to jump & run again? It breaks my heart to see her just layin down all the time, with those biggo sad puppy eyes
Carolina, in a week or two she will be back to normal. Don’t feel bad, you did a good thing.
Jan, it is normal. Just see how she gets on, it may be she won’t need any extra meds as long as she is healing nicley.
Evie, glad you have found the site helpful. Give your little Girl my best 😉
It sounds like everything is fine, as long as it is just a few drops and she is healing there is nothing to worry about.
Sophie, it is best to just leave it alone, she will heal up in no time. A little bit of antiseptic cream won’t hurt though. But she may then try to lick it, so I would persevere if you possibly can.
Hi,
I just found your blog today while I was waiting to go pick up my dog from the spay/neuter clinic. My dog came out groggy and is still in a haze… She is unresponsive to food, which is really odd, because she is normally a little piggy, but she shows no interest in food or water…. she has not peed or pooed since we’ve had her home. I’m getting worried and a bit concerned because the vet did not give me antibiotics, but did provide pain pills, and also my baby was IN HEAT while the procedure was preformed—– I’ve heard this is dangerous— my husband tells me not to worry, but it’s in my DNA to do so… should I stay home with her tomorrow instead of going to work??? Any suggestions???
Well here we are 8 days post puppy spay! My 6 mo. old LhasoBichon mix is doing much better. She was crying and whining when trying to poop unsuccessfully, so the vet checked her and gave her cat fur ball medication (Laxanip) maybe the catnip in it helped ?, whatever, it worked well.
I keep the cone hat on her at night to sleep and watch her during the day, when she starts licking at her stitches I put the “hat” back on and she calms down and rests. I may keep the cone hat for a calming device in the future since she thinks its so cool!
Good luck to everyone and thanks again to the 3 dog blog for letting us learn and vent our frustrations.
I am sure she will be fine. As long as she doesn’t bother the incision she should be back eating in no time.
Thanks for the moral support through this blog!
My FiBee is doing well no more stitches and we can all sleep well knowing we made a responsible decision for our precious pet. These sweet puppy dogs do better than most of the humans I have taken care of in my career. I am so happy to be retired with my puppy and husband.
Keep up the good work Three Dog Blogger this site really eased my anxiety a lot.
Jan
I have a long haired chihuahua puppy and she is getting spayed tomorrow. She is 5 months old and weighs less than 4 pounds. Im nervous about the operation and the post operation. Can you please give me advice and whether i should do it or not. Thank you!! Monica
Hi my 8 month old puppy got spayed Sunday and she came home very tired and all she did was sleep now the next day she still was sore didn’t want to walk and I had to even bring the water and food to her. She was eating very small portions as well now today Tuesday I discovered she was biting her vagina I guess she was doing it for a while because her vagina was red. I also noticed she was trying to hold her urine and she would wait until she couldn’t to urinate. I rushed to the vet and they confirmed that her vagina was sore and yes she probably was holding her urine for that reason they gave me antibiotics as well as pain medicine which they never did from the beginning. Now my questions are she still seem a lil bother with the urine does the antibiotics take some time to work? She hates the e collar and would fight to take it off is there anything else I can use? She keeps trying to scratch the scared area with her paws is there anything I should do? She seems really bothered by everything and is eating very little. Please help I’m so concern and I hear many people saying their puppies were fine the next day but this is my second day but my puppy is really bothered. I really regret doing this procedure because she was such a happy puppy and so stress. Please help
Monica, as long as the Vet says it is safe then I would do it. But I guess it has already happened/or not by now. Sorry for the delay.
Pat, different Dogs react differently. One of ours took an age to get over it. Everything sounds fine to be honest, she is just not too happy at the moment. But give it a week and she will be fighting fit again.
Hi thank you so much for all the information all the comments and questions have been of so much help. To me personally these day have been nerve recking. My baby is doing so much better even jumping and running which I have to stop her all the time. I did called the vet because she was scratching the side of her body which made a red mark and the vet recommend to buy one of those baby body suit which really helped. This was the first time she let me see her scar today and I noticed on top of her insicion is a hard kinda of dark red line could that be the dry blood ( she is not bleeding now) should I clean it? As I told you in my previous message she still afraid of the water meaning drinking the vet advice me to put her bowl higher it probably is the e collar so Im trying that today. Its been four days now she is acting normal the only thing that has not change is her still not wanting to drink water which I have to push her to do it. Im so thankful for your blog and everyones comment it really helps when you are looking for information!!!THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
Thank you so much for all your excellent information both in your article, but also by other people posted on this site. I had my Shiba Inu speyed two weeks ago and was a nervous wreck the day of her operation. I spent the time waiting for her reading this page and was completely reassured. I’m really glad to say that Navajo is now fully recovered. She was really only groggy for a day or so, got back to doing her business the next day and luckily didn’t seem to have any other problems. We did give up with the plastic collar after the second night and put her in a little t-shirt which did the job perfectly. We were really lucky as she didn’t seem to bother with her wound at all. She didn’t scratch or lick it so we were quite relaxed just having her in the t-shirts. The vet did a wonderful job with internal stitches so I was told and the scar has healed perfectly. We also had three days of painkillers and a course of antibiotics as standard which helped to keep everything calm. So from a worried, distressed owner, your blog offered reassurance and advice at a time when I needed some guidance. A HUGH THANK YOU!
I didn’t see a reply to Terry’s question about her problem with her dog and his stuffed kitty ? I have a 3yr old Yorkie We recently took in from a rescue that we just got spayed on Wednesday that has done the same thing and would like to know if it’s normal? She was in heat and we had to wait a month to take her into get spayed , she has had a harder time then my other dogs have had , she got a intestinal reaction to the pain medication they put her on that I caught early thank goodness and is trying to get over that . But has an attachment to a new stuffed toy I bought her the day of surgery and is treating it in the same way as Terry’s dog ( like a new puppy) and is quite protective and aggressive to the other animals. ( it has only been 3 days since surgery though I don’t want to take it away and upset her right now? ) is this normal?
Pati, I really would not worry about it. They get totally out of sorts after surgery. And I would imagine that the sensitivty from the operation will be releasing all kinds of hormones.
I bet in a week or two everything will be back to normal.
Im taking my 6 month black lab to be spayed tomorrow morning, im so scarred about this, my leyla is massive the size of a full grown male labrador, she is so playfull and bouncy, she is very mouthy bites and nips everything, but in a playfull way. I am sure she will break her stitches im dreading it, but on the other hand shes 6 months old and i know that she could come on heat at any time. Unfortunately we have spoilt her since day one, we let her do what ever she wants, jumps on the beds for a nap, jumps on the sofa, i have a crate for her, which i will probably use tomorrow when she comes home. I am wondering how to get her into the car to bring her home, she hates the car and jumps all over the place panacking. I will write a follow up in a day or two, this is the best site ive seen regarding spaying, well done.
Well Leyla is now in the vets, and im worried sick, I live in cyprus and the vet dont speak english, great start, this vet was recommended by a freind that has two dogs and im just keeping my fingers crossed, i dropped her off at 8.30 this morning of course crying and telling him PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH MY DOG , dont know what to expect, cleaning the floors and keeping busy. I will pick her up at 5 o clock. i will tell you guys what happened tomorrow.
Im not happy at all i choose a really old fashion vet that was 50 euros cheaper than the other vets in the areai picked up my girl and she was happy to see me tail wagging etc. the vet told me that i dont need pain killers, anti biotics and the most important elizabethan coller. I was shocked but my dog looked quite well so proceeded to go to the car, got her home and she was fine, she had a chicken breast with a little rice and lots of water, she had a wee and went to sleep cuddled up to my feet on the floor, i went to bed and she slept well thru the night, so i thought maybe she dont needs the meds that the vet wouldnt give me. woke up this morning and leyla as usual went for a wee had another small portion of rice and chicken breast. Later this morning i was sitting down helping my daughter with her homework and leyla kept licking her wound i was tring to stop her and this went on for about a hour, then she started crying whilst laying down, i could tell she was in pain, so i lost control, phoned the surgeon up and went mad at him closing the phone because he assured me that she will be ok, i went to another vet surgery crying and stressed out the vet immediately gave me a eliabethan coller strong pain killers and antibiotics, Came home and now ive got Leyla under control and on monday will take her to the new vet to check her wound that is now leaking a bit with pinkish blood. I hope that now my Leyla will have a good recovery. Next time i get a dog it will definately be a boy. lol
Tonight Leyla is having a rest from the coller, she wont sleep with it on and bumps into everything, ive put her in her crate for 2 hours so she can rest, her wound so far is looking o.k. ill take her in the garden soon for another wee and try to give her some dry food and water, make a fuss of her for a hour or two and then put the coller back on for the night. I hope to get some sleep tonight because last night i didnt sleep much worrying about her. xx
Glad you went and got a second opinion, and that she is better now. Thanks for keeping us informed on how it went. It is certainly a very stressfull time, there is no doubt about that.
And yeah, I hear you about getting a male Dog, there is certainly a lot less stress involved!
Brilliant artical! My Rosie was spayed yesterday, 18 month old staff/whippet
She’s not as good as we hoped, shaky very sleepy but so far so good. I hope her being ‘fixed’ will solve her behaviour problems & going toliet in my partners house (he has a male dog that hasn’t been neutered)
I just had my puppie spayed.. She just turned 6 months old. She’s a hound and weights almost 55lbs. She’s very pampered … so I worry. My question is can I give her a low dose asprin for her pain? She stayed overnight after her surgery, I picked her up at 11:00 this morning. She missed us so she wants to jump up when we get home for love but wines in pain.
Robin I would check with your Vet before giving any medication, they will know what is best I am sure.
had my lhasa spayed 3 days ago now her teets have swelled and there`s milky like fluid the vet has said this is a phantom pregnancy how can this happen she was 3 months after her last season before we had the op not sure if the vet is right .have always had dogs and never heard of this before
Hi – I am looking for an opinion from someone who has gone through a few spays/neuters before. I have an 8 month old german shepard/lab mix. She got fixed on May 18th and about a month later got very sick and still has been for 2 weeks now. She has been on antibiotics 2x now and still is showing no improvement. Her vet has recommended a exploratory surgery to see if anything was left behind from surgery due to her having blood in her intestines, a red blood cell count very low and also the antibiotics not helping her at all. I feel with her being so frail this might harm her more and what if they don’t find anything? She then is very ill on top of having to recovery from another surgery? Have you yourself or heard of anyone that has had to have an exploratory surgery done? I am so nervous for this because this seems to be their last choice and if it shows nothing was left behind Im at square one again. What do you think? Thanks
Thank you so much for this article. I have my first little dog and got her spayed today. She was having chills and I was a little concerned about it. I was a vet tech for six years and we were never told that dogs can have trouble with their body temperature after surgery. When they would shiver while waking up from anesthesia, we were told this was just an affect of the meds and they weren’t really cold. When mine started shivering, I knew this wasn’t the same thing and that she really was cold and got blankets for her. I know anesthesia can make you shiver when you are not really cold, I’ve experienced it myself; but I now feel really bad that we never told people to watch for the difference. Thanks again for the info.
Hello just found this site and glad I did. My Pom (3yrs) was spayed 2 weeks ago on a Monday and came home on Tues. with no meds. Fri I had her back at the Vets because all she would do is lay on the couch? Very little drinking or eating. And only if I brought it to her. They checked her out and could not find anything wrong with her but said to bring her back Sat. if not better which I did. They kept her Sat and Sun and gave her pain med, and something to increase her appetite and something to calm her stomach plus IV for fluids I picked her up Mon morning and she seemed a little better but slipped right back to the same as the week before. As I write this she is laying on the couch covered up? Only has been out twice today to pee and its already 2:00. pm I will be calling the vet again tomorrow, today is Sun but I don’t know what they can do? They have already charged me $850.00 for this problem. They said they could do a cat scan but “they” didn’t want to put me thru anymore cost. That would be another $280.00? Does anyone have any idea why my sweet little girl would be like this for so long? She had knee surgery ($1800.00) at the same place last year and did fine? Thanks
I have been searching the web for info on a spay with a dog was in heat. I had scheduled my pup’s spay months ago, but five days before the operation started getting in heat. The operation went well and the incision looks great. Her vulva is very swollen and it seems to be bothering her a good deal. It started later in the day and my vet is closed. I was just wondering if the swelling and irritation is to be expected.
took my dog to new vet they adjusted her neck because they found she was in pain there. She came home the same day and eat her food…. and got her toy and wanted to play???? I am just so glad she is better…
My 6 mth old puppy was spayed Tuesday. She was acting normal by 6pm that day. Wednesday, we stayed around the house and she was fairly quiet for her, but by the afternoon, she had slipped of and gone swimming in the pool (she loves to swim). Everything appears to be fine, but she has done this several times now. If she’s acting normal and the incisions seem the same, should I be concerned?
I wouldn’t think so Sissy’s Mom, if she is fine in herself then I would not be worried.
Thanks so much. I was feeling like a really bad and irresponsible mom. She’s still swimming and acting normal and would be much less happy if she couldn’t take her swims when she wants.
I am worried about having my puppy Bitsy (a 4 month old chihuahua) around her brother Jack (a 9 year old Australian Shepherd) after Bitsy’s surgery today. They play with mock growling and wrestling quite a bit, pretty much always instigated by her.
My husband was supposed to take Jack fishing this weekend, but it ended up raining them out. Is there any technique that you know of which may help keep a calm environment for her? I know I can keep them in separate rooms when she’s not in her kennel but I don’t want to deprive her of the comfort she gets from being around him. When they are separated she gets more aggitated and vocal, usually only to calm down when he is back at her side.
I appreciate any suggestions you can give me.
Bitsy, I think all will be OK. She will probably send out plenty of signals that she is not in the mood for playing.
My 6 month old yorkie was spayed 2 days ago (female) came home same day was shivering which has now stopped but when she lays down she twitches and jumps up and turns around then lay’s down again, is this normal? Other than that she is back playing with her brother and sister and rough housing with them. She is eatting and drink well.
my doxie was spayed two weeks ago and now when you pick her up she pees on the floor.is this normal or temperary.i noticed on one of the comments you said something about vinegar.how much and in the food or water.
Heidi was sent for spaying on 26 October. I brought her home that evening< she refusded to eat, no matter what i gave her, the next day she was up and about. Well shes been eating pro nutro for breakfast and chicken and rice for lunch/supper. She had fluid build up after a week but took her back to the vet and he had it drained, She is back to normal but Im just worried because it is a big operation and i want her to heal properly
joanne, I would certainly contact the vets. We now use Leaks No More for Daisy and it has worked very well. She can now go months without an accident, hope that helps. http://thethreedogblog.com/treating-a-dogs-urinary-incontinence-naturally-with-leaks-no-more.html
Just wanted to say thank you so much for a wonderful bit of friendly advice – invaluable… I am laying with my “baby” right now!!! Poor little love, she looks so sad from her Op… Bless her.
Hi I just wanted to say thanks for this site and all the info. My dog was spayed yesterday morning and refused food or water all day and night. She was very sad and I could tell she was miserable. The thing that worried me most all evening was the constant shaking and shivering. I think in her case it may have been related to nausea from the anesthesia as she finally got sick 3 times and seemed to be better temporarily. but then I made mistake of giving her some water which she finally drank only to start shaking again …and got sick within an hour or so once again. So to everyone whose pup is refusing food/water know it will pass and is likely due to nausea. She woke up this morning day 2 back to her o,d self. Now I’m trying to keep her off the stair and from jumping up on me lol. She’s eating heartily and thankfully not licking so I haven’t been forced to use the cone which she couldn’t even function in! Now I know why the vet told me to wait til day 2 to give her pain mess. She doesn’t even need them now and would only have made her sicker last night. Good luck to all!
I have a seven month old begel/bassett miss and she wants to jump on us and try to bite. If we have her fixed will that stop her from jumping and trying to bite. I hope so we’ve tried everything to get that stopped.
my toy puddle just got sugery for haveing pyometra about a month i never took her back so im not sure iif her surgery site still have stiches but ive come apon a new problem shes gotten poop all on her back side witch is makeing ot hard for her too poop is it ok if i give her a bath
Tammy, I doubt it. I would think that just comes down to some serious commands and a lot of patience 😉
We had Missy (8 months) spayed yesterday afternoon. Got her home at 5pm and brought her straight home. She was very groggy but her tail wagged when we collected her. She is drinking and has eaten a little along with her meds but last night she wouldn’t sleep at all. She refuses to lie down, we have tried pillows, the bed, carpet and tiled floors to try and minimise the itch but nothing works. We were all awake all night! She must be exhausted and I’m sure she’d be a little less manic if she would sleep. Any advice?
Just had my 12 year old female Pekingnese spayed, it recovered very quickly within days, and didn’t need an ecollar, it wasn’t bothered with the wounds.
I just got my 6 month old beagle/fox terrier mix spayed last week and i’m not ashamed to say I have been a crazy mommy/nervous wreck. I’ve had dogs all my life and currently have a 4.5 year old beagle mix, but they were all rescued when they were a little older and had already been spayed. I rescued her when she was only 9 weeks old, so it was up to me to deal with this very important step in her young life. I was a nervous wreck the whole day of her surgery. I dropped her off at 8:30am and picked her up that afternoon around 3:30. She was bright and perky, no where remotely close to her usual crazy self, but definately a good sign. I opted for the laser surgery because it would be less traumatic, especially on a dog so small, she’s only 24lbs. By day 2 she was eating regularly and becoming more active, but I was still working hard to keep her crated and calm. After that, it all went to hell. Being such a high energy dog, crating her and stopping her from playing with the other dogs in the house was intolerable for her anymore. She was feeling great and couldn’t understand why she wasn’t allowed to wrestle with my moms 70lb boxer/pit mix as usual. One thing I didn’t like about the surgery was that the vet used staples instead of sutures. Not only did the activity seem to irritated them, but she was having a mild reaction to the foreign metal in her skin. Despite being on antibiotics, she started swelling a little, there was minor light pink discharge in a couple places, and one section puckered and didn’t look like it was healing. After jokingly suggesting sedating her so that her body can settle and heal, we realized that it actually made sense. She’s been taking benadryl for 2 days now and it seems to have helped dramatically. The swelling is down and the incision is scabbing and closing nicely most of the way down, still a little weird where the pucker is, but even that area is much better, The vet recommended melatonin as another option since the benadryl is settleing her down, but only to aa normal dog activity level and I want her to really just sleep and heal. My question is. is there anything I can do to speed up the healing process? She wants to be back to normal, but her skin isn’t ready and it’s really dry and scabby in some areas. I heard vitamin e oil works well, but is there anything else I can do to make the skin heal nicely?
Also, I’m not 100%, but I have a theory on the varying pain meds/antibiotics distribution. As far as the antibiotics, I feel that every dog should get them just in case (you never know how rambunctious the dog may be and injure the wound and get it infected), but many dogs don’t need them and heal just fine quickly. The pain meds make a lot more sense to me. I wasn’t given any, and for good reason. Especially with a high energy dog, if they are on the meds, they won’t feel the pain if they play to roughly. Feeling the injury allows them to relax and slow down, hopefully, for a few days. While some dogs clearly are in a lot of pain and need the meds after a few days because they are in so much pain that they can’t settle down enough to allow themselves to heal, i really think that the vets that automatically give out meds do so for our benefit more than the dogs. We want to make sure they are comfortable and see them get back to their normal self, but they aren’t always ready to do that. Just a theory.
Hi great blog. I got my 5yr old yorkie spayed on 6th March. No problems with the spay but vet said she had a bad reaction to the anaesthetic and kept her 3hrs longer than originally planned. SHe was very groggy when i got her home and very cold. She also drank profusely. Seemed ok over next few days but noticed she didnt likedto be touched on her left side. When we checked her the skin was red and there were some scabs. Took her to get her stitches out and showed the scabs to vet. He said it looked like an allergic reaction and gave me a shampoo and some tablets and said bring her bac in a week. Within 2 days she dad weeping sores with her skin practically hanging off and the smell was vile. 2visits to the same vet later and still no diagnoses -Last visit was told necrosis had set in but still no answer as to what it was – allergy, possible blood clot, asked if i had an aga or a stove. Didnt clean the wound or do anything to make her more comfortable -was sent home to bring her back in 3 days. Immediately took her to another vet for 2nd opinion and was told she had 3rd degree burns down her full side. New vet shaved the hair, cleaned and dressed the wound and put her on antibiotics and pain relief. Had to bring her in next day and then every other day to get the wound cleaned and dressed. Cost around £500 in one week and treatment will take months. New vet contacted old vet as i said i wanted to lodge a complaint as there was no way this happened when she was home with us. He is now treating dog for free as a gesture of good will! My poor wee lady has suffered so much and she has been so good. I feel i should do something more about this but am not sure what.
Finding your site has been a God-send! 😀 I just got my 3 yr old MaltiPoo (Angel) spayed today. She is a rescue and has had some behavior and health challenges. But she is easily the friendliest & sweetest dog I’ve ever owned. I absolutely adore her, and was a little apprehensive about the surgery (though I know it’s the right thing to do) I thought I was alone in my concerns and worry. I felt a little silly for being a bit emotional about it. I wasn’t sure if the behaviors I was observing were normal or if something was wrong. Reading through this article and hearing about the experiences of your readers has put my mind at ease so much! As for Angel’s reaction, she seems to be experiencing what most dogs go through. She was fairly active when I first got her home; wobbling around, following me, wagging her tail, etc… I was a bit worried that my 7 month old CockaPoo (Reggie) would be too active around her and could cause her harm. So i took him out for a mice long walk to wear him out. When I got home Angel was shaking so badly it didn’t even seem like shivering, it looked like spasms. She seemed miserable, and was no longer moving around. She hadn’t eaten and wouldn’t take any water. When the shivering was one of the first things mentioned in your article, I covered her up and turned off the fan. The shivering stopped pretty quickly after that. And then, she got up and ate a little food. 🙂 Still no interest in water, but I do believe that she is fine. And Reggie has been the BEST puppy! He hasn’t bothered her a bit. He’s just instinctively staying away from her. They are both doing well, and I will certainly sleep better tonight. Thanks again!
My little 6 month old doggy was spayed 2 days ago and whilst she is drinking a little and eating she doesn’t want to walk anywhere. if she gets up (which almost never!) she only runs as if trying to run away from herself! She then spins in a circle, sits/lays down and then tries to lick her stitches before not moving again. She did go for a couple of pees yesterday but nothing today. She now hasn’t gone for 15 hours. She went for a poo last night. I called the vet who said smaller dogs are sometimes more bothered by the stitches and tight feeling inside and she should get better in a few days. Anyone else had this problem?
Hello!
Thanks everyone for being here for we “first timers” reguarding having our furbabies spayed.
My mini aussie..Nevaeh is going to be spayed tomorrow.
I am such a nervious mama!
She has tested mutant/normal with the HDR1 gene which is a bit scary. I pray that there is no interaction with the anesthesia.
Thank you all again for being here for us!
Ill keep you posted as to how she is doing. ????
I just had my 6 month old golden doodle, Sophie, spayed six days ago. It’s been hard keeping her down, but she’s been confined. She’s messed with her stitches some, but I’ve always stopped her. Yesterday, I noticed a pimple type bump next to the incision. It has now doubled in size and very red. Is this something I should be concerned about and take her to the vet before her scheduled visit?
Jan, it is quite common, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about. But bear in mind I am not a vet 😉
Star, hope it all went well.
My daughter got her Yorkie spayed at 4mos,Vet told her it was fine. She seems to be doing just fine now 5 days later, but she refuses to pee on her pads now. She was not given any anitibotics after surgery, could she have a uti? We have called the vet office and they just say this will happen, any suggestions
We have a 10 week old Border Collie puppy. My first thought was to have her spayed at around 6 months. However I have heard from some people that ‘bigger’ breeds can develop incontinence issues if spayed too early, so allowing them to go through one ‘cycle’ before spaying helps. I’m not sure if there is any truth in this and besides, I don’t really know what is meant by ‘bigger’ breeds. A Border Collie is not a small dog but not sure if it qualifies as a ‘bigger’ breed. Anyone else heard this? Thanks.
Hi there I have just had my 2 year old spayed and I must say she is feeling very sorry for herself. She was very hit and miss with her seasons and I thought it was best for her to get her spayed . Like I say she is very sorry for herself she hasn’t eaten or drunk anything, she is just sleeping which is all well and good but we have taken her outside a few times and she hasn’t had a wee, which I am more concerned about at the moment is this normal? also she is whimpering every now and then and I really don’t know what to do. Please can you help.
Pam, I know it is upsetting but it all sounds quite normal. You should see a marked improvement by now I would imagine. Let us know if she is feeling better.
Our Rosie, a Schnauzer cross (mini) was spayed 3 days ago and what worries us no end is the fact she has neither had a wee or number 2 since the operation, she was like a spring lamb on the morning of the operation and now she cannot walk let alone run, so hurt is she and i wonder why we have done this to her.We returned to the vet today and are doing so again in the morning. in the morning, oh i just wish she’d have a wee.
Hi I have just had my little Cassie, a West Highland Terrier spayed yesterday and she was feeling very poorly when I bought her home. I am so glad I read the article you wrote about spaying and after care, although I have already got a bitch called Rosie she is now 13 and I had forgotten what she was like after her op. Although Cassie has had some moist dog food she has not drank anything yet and I was worried also she although she has been in the garden she has not had a wee yet but after reading your article I don’t feel so worried about her. I shall follow your blog from now on. Sue
my rough collie called willow just got spade 2 days ago I’m concerned because she hasn’t gone to the loo, part from just after the opp, she has eaten her meals like normal and drinking the same amount, but i cant figure how she can not need the loo.
She’s sort of frog hoping every where she doesn’t like walking and if she has to she will run to be on the floor agen I hate seeing her in so much Pain, I’m giving her the pain relief from the vets, not shore I’m seeing any difference tho.
I don’t like using the big plastic collar on her as she hates it so much, I found a big old t shirt and made holes in the back for her back legs and tied a knot in the back to make it secure, it dues a good job and she cant get at her cut, if I have to leave here for any prolonged time I put on the collar for extra precaution, she is still sleeping a lot and crying iv never seen her so unhappy 🙁
I’m taking her to the vests tomorrow i’m hoping she’s fine.
Hi ????
I had my 7 year old Yorkie spayed yesterday. She had Metritis and Today I noticed she is bleeding from her vagina. It is really dark. Is this normal? I’m so worried ???? our vet is out of town for 10 days.
Evelyn, it does sound totally normal. But, as always, if you have real concerns then seek out a professional. I can only speak from experience and our girls had the same issues you speak of. I hope she is doing better today?
My 9 month old, female, Australian Terrier is scheduled to be spayed this Thursday. We have a 5 year old male, Australian Terrier that adores her & continually cleans her. I think it’s going to be very difficult to separate them & keep him from cleaning her stitches. Any suggestions or experience with 2 dogs?
We had our 6 month old poodle-Cavalier female spayed two days ago. She has not yet pooped, and she has once gone pee only twice, very long pees.She hasn’t eaten much, nor has she has much water, and she’s already fairly small, at around 8 pounds. I am giving her the pain meds prescribed by the vet, and he also looked at her yesterday to make sure that nothing else is going on. Any advice on the lack of peeing and pooping? I’m worried about her.
My 3 year old female Shepard was spayed 9 day ago . she is 60 lbs and draged me through the wardbthis morning and ran me into the side of the door all to play chase with the neighbour dog . along the fence line is what they do. My question is . is having a pully dog like so harmful to her inside sutures? My vet recommended confinement for 14 days she is very active chasing squrills jumping and chasing neighbir dog not to mention our other dog
My 4 month Australian Shepherd was spayed 4 days ago. The spay site is swollen and about the size of a tennis ball. The incision is clean and not red, not hot to the touch. The swelling is hard when you push on it. But it doesn’t bother the puppy. She is on antibiotics. I have never had a dog react to a spay like this. Will the swelling go down? She is eating, drinking, going potty normally. Trying to keep her calm is impossible. I’m just very worried about the swelling.
Stacey, although swelling is normal, a tennis ball size reaction sounds rather large. I would contact your vet just to be sure.
Hello,
Thank u for the helpful blog,
I just got my 8 months old toy poodle puppy spayed 2 days ago, and today I noticed dramatic changes around the sutures,it started getting more red and swollen ! She had a small round redness and it got bigger with time . So I took her to her vet and he said it’s ok don’t worry and have me swelling ointment but I am worried Cos it got worse after I saw him and I feel she is uncomfortable cos now she tries to itch it with her feet but she’s wearing a collar.
Should I be concerned ?
She’s taking an antibiotic pill for 3 days.
My 6mth old pom was just spayed and
I was googling on aftercare and found your site and I would like to say that you have one of the best articles I have read so far on spaying and writing in general. Your opinions are not narrow-minded and very informative. Good work!!
My pomchi (6 months old 6lbs) was just fixed on Thursday she gets little spurts of energy, but all she does is sleep, I wasn’t concern until tonight, has anyone every had this happen to their babies ?
Twila, it sounds absolutely normal. It takes an awful lot out of them so they need their rest. Hopefully she is perking up already now.
Thank you ‘three dogs’ and all the contributors to this blog. Next Tuesday my female italian greyhound will be sprayed she is 12months and been on heat. My main concern is keeping her form (shape) after the operation. This bread is prized for their shape and I am concerned about her tummy sagging (my cat’s tummy sagged after the surgery maybe she was sprayed too early?) . Am I barking up the wrong tree? I am concerned – the vets I speak to think I am over reacting. I would appreciate an alternative perspective.
I just had my 11 month old chiuaua mix (mocha) spayed 4 days ago , the vet did not give me any meds or a cone or nothing which I expected seeing as she only charges $100 for the spay . mind you she is not a fly by night vet , it was Toronto vetenary clinic in Toronto Ohio , she’s a very good vet so I trusted her opinion , I took mocha in at 8 am monday morning after fasting since 12am Sunday night picked her up the same day around 12 pm . she was very sore and whimpering the first day, which at the time I thought was the worst part . little did I know being as this was my first exspirence spaying , that it had only began day two wasn’t to bad she slept a lot and was still a little sore day 3 was when it started . anyone that has a chiuaua will understand when I say there is no way to calm this dog down . I’m doing EVERYTHING I can including taking time off work to watch her , and she just is crazy as long as I’m sitting there holding her she is OK but if I stand up to get food or go to the bathroom or someone comes to the door or there’s a noise outside or anything really she starts wagging her tail and when I say tail I mean entire body . So now we are on day 4 and her incision looks supriseingly well just a slight bit red BUT I no longer see stitches when I woke up this morning they were gone !! I know they are supposed to dissapear but on the forth day?? Sorry its so long but I’m a very worried fur mommy and really need some advice ! Her incision still seems closed and has no seepage as of yet . is it normal for her stitches to be gone so early and do you or anyone have any advice on calming her down ?
im so glad i found this site ,it has helped to put my mind at ease a little,my baby is 6 years old she is a german shepherd mix i also got her brother who i had neutered at 6 months old, so i never really thought that id have to get her spayed being her brother was fixed , i was so wrong ,i know not all dogs will go through the same as mine did but please realise that theres a big chance that they could , i say this because i read one particular post about not getting your animals fixed etc , first of all ive had a real bad last two months its cost me a few thousand in vet bills one being a cat that had kittens which wouldnt have happened had she been fixed but to cut long story short i ended up feeding 8 kittens every 4 hours around the clock mom had emergency c section and spayed at same time only to die from blood clot next morning i was devastated7 weeks later my dog is bleeding heavy starts throwing up food having little appetite to no appetite then throwing up her water, took her to vets got blood tests antibiotics barium meal for xrays following day i take her back another 3 injections she has a sealed pyometra now im terrified of the surgery after losing my cat 7 weeks ago but i also know that with a sealed pyometra it could kill her anytime and of course rupture unspayed dogs can get pyometras her uterus was huge full of pus and full of nodules she would also have continued to bleed extremely heavy took her back the next day for surgery she stayed over night 1 day seemed like a week of torment for me so worried about not getting her back , anyways i had her back 4 days ago she seems to be doing ok ,im still extremely worried about her, up until today she seemed to be doing good, today shes panting a bit more than usual theres tiny bit of pinky red around her sutures, she has wire sutuers 11 of them, i took her with us in the car to go shopping because i dont want to leave her alone because she was getting anxious when we were getting ready to go, my husband stayed in car with her while i went shopping, i dont drive so he had to take me, she seemed to calm down a lot this evening i gave her a tramadol pain pill and her antibiotic ,i went checked on her and i noticed that she got a little dribble of looks like very watered down blood coming from one of the sutures its not a lot but enough to frighten me, but im hoping that this is just normal, im gonna call vet in the morning if it still doing it. But please all you dog lovers please really think about problems later on with your babies if you dont get them fixed, had i known then what i know now id have got her fixed young, all my other dogs throughout my life had been fixed, she is my first one that i didnt do and im so regretting it after all the trauma shes gone through and what my husband and i have and still going through,i wish everybody good luck and happy health with thier pets and merry christmas to all
Hello, I just wanted to thank you for your blog and offer a tint bit of success we have been having with an alternative option to the E collar. My 10 month Basset/boxer mix Lyla, was spayed 2 days ago. She was finishing up her 1st heat when this happened, and we naturally assumed she would be quite sore. She is normally a quite active pup, and at 50lbs ( 70lbs smaller than my other 2 dogs) she holds her own. However, she could NOT tolerate the e collar. She simply couldnt pick her head up enough to walk ( short basset legs!) And so she tried to scoot backwards.. eventually bumping into our wood stove and making me worried she would injure herself. Since she is a kissy girl and licks everything… I knew we needed to cover her incision site ( in her case, they did internal sutures, and externally glued her so there would be no need for return visit unless it came open or infected) I actually went out and bought a few 3t size baby onesies that snapped between the legs and after a minor adjustment to cut a tail hole big enough for her to potty through… it worked. Its good and soft, and doesnt put pressure on her midline incision. She does lick her ” lady parts” on occasion, but hasnt tried messing with the suture site since we covered it. I can also keep track of any oozing or drainage by checking the cotton periodically. This was a good solution to the failure to adapt to the e collar. I figured id pass it on in case anyone else ran into this issue! I thoroughly enjoyed this blog, and I can picture your dogs so well from the way u described them. I have 3 fur babies myself.. this is my 1st spay though, as my other two were rescues and came sterilized already. Good luck!
Day 3 after my 4lb toy poodles spay. Day two she woke up with a limp. Sometimes she would put her left rear leg down walk a couple of steps then just sit.
I was so concerned I brought her back to the vet. Two doctors looked at her and neither could come up with a reason for this issue. She slept on my lap for most of the day and night. Today she is still favoring the same leg but seems to be walking a little better and a little further but is still sleeping on my lap. I have been hand feeding her and she has water and does her business as needed. She was sent home with enough rymidil for four days. I’m hoping this is what’s making her so sleepy. She has a lump under her stitches but after reading this blog I guess that’s normal, but does anyone have a clue as to why she’s limping?
I took my dog in yesterday to be spayed. She was 7 months. Picked her up about 5pm and she was fine just out of it from the meds. Left for work this morning, she wagged her tail a little bet and laid back down. I came home this evening and she’s dead. What happened? So heartbroken and just don’t understand. There was no swelling around her belly. No blood. I just don’t understand.
Nicole, I am so sorry to hear that, I can’t imagie how you feel. I wish I knew why that happened but I don’t. I’ll be thinking about you.
Hi: My dog came in heat for the very first time on March 12, Her heat lasted around 21 to 23 days. How long should I wait to get her spayed. Thanks.
Irma, I would speak to your vet; they will advise you what is best.
I just got my females dog spayed now that I got her home my male dog who isn’t fixed is MORE THAN EVER ATTRACTED TO HER!!!! This was the whole reason for getting her fixed was to stop him from humping her. But now I don’t know what to do
What a great site. I was anticipating having my 8 month old Chihuahua baby spayed and dreading what I may be facing. I think I read all 300+ posts on this site. Well she was spayed on Monday and since I am handicapped I had the vet keep her for two nights just to be on the safe side. I brought her home yesterday afternoon. I cannot believe this little gal. She is not bothering the stitches at all and did not have to wear a cone… and even though I know she is somewhat uncomfortable she is so pleasant. I did give her a dose of her pain med this afternoon and it was adorable watching her as it took effect. It relaxed her and she took a very long nap (and so did I) Now the only problem is trying to keep her from wanting to jump and play. Unbelievable to me only 3 days post surgery. For what ever it is worth I bought her some smokehouse chews, my previous dogs loved them, and now so does she and it keeps her satisfied to stay on the floor. Again thanks for this great site it is so informative and helped me a great deal. I hope my post helps to calm other “worry mammas” like me.
Hey! I had my 2.5 year old pitbull spayed yesterday. I picked her up from the vet today. She was in heat when we took her and she is still vaginally bleeding. Is this normal? Planning on calling the vet if it hasnt stopped in a few hours. Other than that she is a little groggy but happy to be home. 🙂 it cost us $190 based on her weight (72lbs) &the fact that she was in heat and they gave her a rabies shot too so not too bad!
Kristi, it sounds perfectly normal if she was in heat, but as always I am not a vet so if you have concerns they are the ones to check-in with.
Hi.. my fur baby Peaches just got spayed yesterday. I noticed she is panting a lot. Which after reading some articles I suppose it’s normal. While I had her at the vet, he removed 7 baby teeth. She is 6 months old now and she is pure bred Maltese. I wasn’t aware that baby teeth needed to be pulled but I guess they were giving me good service. She only eats very little today. Canned chicken. Plus a little water. Thank you for this site. It was helpful reading about everyone’s experiences.
My precious 10 month old 8.5 lb. Shih-tzu, Daisy, is being spayed next Friday. Currently, I have arranged to be off work on Monday and Tuesday, so I will be able to be with her full time for 4 days following her surgery. She is an extremely active, playful puppy and I don’t quite know what to expect during her recovery period. My question is, should I just plan on taking the rest of the week off work so that I can ensure she is behaving herself and not accidentally inflicting injury on herself – tearing out stitches, getting her head stuck in the cone, getting the cone caught on something, etc? I know I am probably being overly protective, but Daisy means the world to me and I don’t want anything bad to happen. Just getting her spayed is stressful enough!!!
Hi Jan, I know it’s a stressful time but Daisy should be fine on her own after you being there with her for 4 days. The cone should protect her from damaging the stitches, just keep on eye on her the first few days to see how she reacts to them. With our girls they really varied between taking no notice and obsessing, the main thing is to keep the cone on so they get used to the new spacial awareness they need a few days to get used to. Hope it all goes well.
Hi
I just spayed my 6 years old pomorenian last night due to infection, and unfortunatly she has a hernia operation 16 days ago too!
She could hardly walk so after second Sono, doctor find out she has infection in her uterus and it called Pumer , and it’s dangerous, so my poor dog went trough second surgery and from last night she hasn’t eaten anything. She can’t bark I know she is in deep pain, and I blame the doctor , didn’t recognize the infection earlier . Anyways I’m melting for her when she suffers and make little voice Ophir of pain, but doctor says she is like this for 3 days. Just asking, is it normal she is not eating anything , am so concerned if she become so weak , specialy after two surgery.
Ps: thank u for such useful great blog.
Hi Nass, gosh that all sounds awful, the poor thing. Going off her food for a day or two is normal, I think we gave our girls rice and chicken for a while, but even then one of them didn’t really eat for a couple of days.
I have a 2 year old shit zu / maltese and I went and got her spaded, this is the 3rd day she has been home, she is eating fine the surgical site looks good but her nipples at the very bottom seem to be alittle firm maybe a little bit swollen does anyone know or had experienced this!!!
I’m fostering a dog and she was spayed yesterday. I am reading how she should rest and probably will be tired and not hungry etc. Um, aside from the scar on her belly, she seems completely normal! She wants to play and run and everything. I’m trying to keep her calm, but she is just so hyper! I am already worried she may have hurt herself just from the little tugging she did on her leash this morning when I took her out to pee. It is ridiculous how happy and energetic she is given it was only yesterday. Should I be worried?
Thanks!
Lisa, that sounds great. Our dog Faye was the same, it was like it had never happened! Just don’t let her run about off the lead and keep an eye on the incision, but lucky you, it’s better than having a miserable dog for a week that won’t eat or move much!
My female German shepherd Billie was spayed yesterday. It was a really rough day! Today is much better and she is eating and drinking. She pees every few hours. When we picked her up yesterday she pooped and hasn’t pooped since! She has been farting a lot. It’s been almost 24 since her last poop. Is this normal? I’m thinking maybe the farting is her bodies way of working things out? Also noticed yesterday she was peeing way more then usual. Like every two hours. Today it’s better.. taking her outside is really scary for me! We live in an area with lots of dogs and people. So I’m worried about her getting to excited. Keeping her calm and quiet doesn’t seem easy. Inside the house she’s sleeping Lot but sometimes she wanders around and seems lost. Last night she didn’t sleep well. It’s like she couldn’t get comfortable. Anyway just sharing my story.
Hello,
Our 2 year old Boxer Sugar got spayed last Tuesday she done ok Very slow coming off the meds they gave her took 24 hours for her 🙁 but Saturday I noticed a hard red lump on base of stiches off to the side don’t bother her and I can touch and push on it vet cant get us in till 4 pm today is my dog ok till then you think and do you have any ideas what it could be ??? Thank you ,
Boxer Mommy
Boxer Mommy, that sounds entirely normal, I am sure she will be fine. Please let us know how it goes.
My 15 week old Pit- Bernard mix (20lbs puppy) was spayed 5 days ago. She came home from surgery wanting to play and eat- She was full energy next morning. I bought a play pen for her to be near her pack- (me and my other 2 dogs) she was stir crazy to the point of me asking the vet for sedatives. Ive been giving her small doses of a prescribed tranquilizers and its been a God-Send. Much calmer- not a Zombie either- Small walks (half block at a time) Her poop is soft- but, I imagine all of the stress and drugs? anyway, she is doing terrific- I just wonder is it important to remain as vigilante once the stitches are removed? Will she be safe to go back to normal playing after 10 days?
Dominic, that sounds amazing! By the sounds of it she will be fine once the stitches are removed. I wouldn’t let her go crazy but as long as the incision is healing nicely then just try to keep her from doing anything that is too bonkers 😉
My chihuahua got spayed yesterday, she’s not really drinking she’s had bits here and there only had 2 wees in 24 hours, is this normal?, she’s also not acting her normal self she’s breathing fast and looks sad, was snot one else’s dog this way?
My 6 month old Shiba, Miwa, was spayed two weeks ago. And…like you said, she was up in one day, enjoying life but
REALLY HATING her e-collar. The Vet gave her inside stitches being a Shiba. Miwa healed quickly, acting like a perky
puppy all the while. Yesterday, we took her to the vet for a post op exam and to get her e-collar removed. The Vet said she recovered from the surgery well and that the stitches fell off without any complication. But, since we brought her home,
Miwa has been acting strangely: sleeping all day and sleeping in strange places of the house (on the bathroom floor and on the granite in front of our fireplace). My husband says Miwa prefers sleeping on something cool because her insides
are still inflamed from the surgery and it makes her feel better. Do you think that’s true? It makes sense. But I am more worried about why she is sleeping all day. Is she okay? Should I do something to make her more comfortable or just leave her alone to heal? I have searched the web and your wonderful blog is the only one that I can relate to.
Any advice?
How soon after surgery can u bathe your female dog?
Jenny, you need to keep the wound dry until the stitches come out so I would recommend a gentle wash and pat dry, rather then getting her soaked.
I just got our 5 month old lab/pointer mix fixed and its just been barely 7 hours after and she seems to be doing fine. Im worried about trying to keep her calm and not hyper and jumping. They said to keep her inside for at least 24 hours. She’s done a lot of sleeping pretty much since we picked her up. Can’t seem to get her to eat or drink but vet said that was normal. She has stiches but they will eventually disolve. 15yr old will be home keeping an eye on her while Im working. Hope to have her back to normal soon.
Hello dog has been in today an Is very still. The vets gave me a tin of food and didn’t say to limit food she doesn’t drink much anyway so I add water to her food, im now worried ive fed her to much and adding t her pain 🙁 is ther anything I can do?? Also she hasn’t passed water is this normal? Really worried she’s my world! 🙁
Samantha, it all sounds totally normal. Give it a few days, I am sure she will be fine. Stay strong!
Bella our black lab is 1 year old got spayed 7 days ago seems to be healing good . Pink by the stitches . Little seeping by a stitch is this ok??
Plus vet said Bella was pregnant she is always with me never alone outside. So how is this explainable??
That sounds about right, Mary. As to the pregnancy, well, it doesn’t take long!
Hi just to say on small yorkie I used a small baby grow with poppers ,to stop her from getting at the stitches proves really effective & stops any biting or locking also to cut a hole for her tail to put through helps great idea
I was told by a vet you should never get a dog’s teeth cleaned at the same time they are undergoing surgery, because of all the bacteria from the tartar on a dog’s teeth and in it’s mouth! There’s too much risk for cross contamination. Just a heads-up for everyone!
Hi,
My 1 year old miniature poodle was spayed today. She is pretty groggy this evening. I have kept her on the leash. I set the leash down, turned my back on her for one quick second – and she jumped into the window seat! Now I’m scared half to death that she may have strained her stitches. There is no swelling, the site looks clean. It’s going to be a long 10 days. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!!!
Hi
I just had my dog Dasiy Mae and my two kittens Jesse and James spayed and neutered and I got them back this morning and I was really worried about them but the kittens seem to be fine but Dasiy was really wording me til I read your article so thank you so very much for writing it
Hi
I just had my little girl sophia spayed 2 days ago she had a enlarged uterus they said so basically had to have it done right away. She hasnt really eaten much or drank just alittle. She still tries jumping off the bed but i catch her before she does. She sleeps alot and today i noticed alittle dried blood it may be that she scratched at it alittle.i dont really know what its supposed to look like it doesnt look like its opened up and i give her the meds like im supposed to. Is all of this normal. She hates the e colar around her neck so i bought her a soft blow up one but she hates that too.
Our recently rescued dog Panda was spayed this morning so I came across this article searching for “what to expect” It’s been probably three years since I’ve gone through the spaying process. When our dearly spoiled and loved (never mated) “raised from a puppy” 75 pound pitbull Nahla was spayed, she actually went through a “mothering” spell. Nahla who usually rips my daughter’s stuffed animals to shreds began cuddling, cleaning, and nurturing a stuffed tiger – probably around day 2. Then she started protecting it. She wouldn’t let us come near her. At one point, my daughter sat on the sofa next to her and her “pup” and she growled at her. I jumped up and tried to get her off the sofa… she growled at me. So I had to be mean… 🙁 and kick her off the sofa. I immediately kenneled her and kept her there (bathroom breaks only) until she ripped the tiger up. Lol! It passed in a few days. I wanted to share because I remember searching for answers during that time and only found one website (cant remember the name) that let me know I wasn’t the only dog owner that this happen to. If I remember correctly… the vet said she was probably about to go into heat and when she was spayed… her body thought and acted as if she had puppies.
We just adopted a puppy and had her spayed. The day after surgery she is doing great. But the problem we seem to be having is that when she (Rey) is walking she starts to pee or if she is just standing she pees. She doesn’t seem to be aware that she is doing this. Is this normal? This is our first puppy and first spaying of a pet. Any advice would be helpful. I know when we go back to vet and have stitches removed I will talk with vet about this.
Hi,
My mother-in-law took their two dogs into gets paid 2 days ago. one is a rather large Chihuahua mix and the other one is a full blue nose pitbull. both dogs were unable 2 have the operation on the same day so they’re Chihuahua mix, Roxy, was able to come home yesterday. Bella, the Pitbull, had her operation yesterday morning with some complications do to her uterus being enlarged about 3x the normal size. They keep them overnight and the clinic closed Today at noon so we had to pick her up then. she seemed a little sick and went under the bed. That might have been a red flag but this was a spot they frequent on a daily basis so it didn’t bring up any alarm. By 3 o clock we had checked on her an found that she has passed. She was only 18 months old! We are very torn about this and it has almost entirely changed the way I think about fixing animals. I don’t know what could have done it, and if it was so serious then why was she released from the place so easily?? Has anyone experienced anything similar to this???
It’s just no fair ?
I’m a total parnoia person I was tired as of 10 min ago till my 8 month old pup just puked she was spayed at about 11 am and it’s now 9 pm we have an excellent clinic is it normal for her to wine all day and puke she also has been drulling excessivelly