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Permalink Reply by Beth on July 1, 2010 at 10:24pm

Hi Gary! Please realize that your girl just had a complete hysterectomy: ovaries and uterus were removed. My guess is if you had a couple major organs out yesterday, you wouldn't want to run around either. :-) The good news is dogs heal faster than people, BUT it is extremely important that you keep her quiet for the next two weeks or until her stitches come out, whichever comes first. To answer your specific questions:

1) She should not be doing stairs for at least a week. She should not be jumping in your car for at least 2. She is not disoriented, but it would hurt her tremendously to do those things. If she looks confused, it's because she does not know an alternate way to get around those obstacles. You should keep her away from stairs, and if she needs to go up or down more than two or so you should (very gently) carry her.

2) Again, she's in pain. Within about three days she'll feel better and by five days you'll have trouble keeping her quiet, but you MUST keep her quiet. A male neuter is a simple surgery, at least in a puppy. A spay is major surgery and your girl needs to be coddled and pampered accordingly.

3) Chances are she's upset from being in pain and from the after-effects of the surgery. Try to keep her away from things that alarm her so bad habits don't form, and chances are she will be her old self soon. She may also feel vulnerable because she knows she can't run or jump.

4) That should wear off in a day or two. She feels sick and grouchy and in pain. The kindest thing you can do is give her a safe area (gated or penned) and some comfy blankets, maybe a favorite soft toy, a constant bowl of cool water, and the occasional soft-spoken word and gentle pat. Don't expect much from her. She may want to do nothing much but lay there for a day or two. If the incision is swollen, bright red (a little dried blood is normal), or the area is hot to the touch, call the vet. If she is vomiting, call the vet. Otherwise just let her be in a quiet spot where no one can bother her. Again, think of how you would feel a day after having, say, a kidney out.

5) Pain and meds probably killed her appetite. Offer her fresh food at her normal times. If her appetite does not return after a few days then consider consulting the vet, but she is not burning many calories and she's still sore and groggy and maybe a little scared.

As for wound care, your vet should have given you written follow-up instructions, and most likely an oral antibiotic and some pain pills. Follow directions to the letter and if anything is unclear consult the vet's office.

She'll be her old self in no time and you'll be having trouble keeping her quiet.

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Permalink Reply by Gary & Jo + Peb on July 2, 2010 at 3:27pm

Thank you very much for your reply! Thank You!

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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on July 2, 2010 at 1:02am

I agree with Beth!

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Permalink Reply by Mary on July 2, 2010 at 6:06am

everything Beth said is correct. We had to keep Nibbler on a leash 3 days after her surgery to keep her from jumping or running. The first two days were really rough though, when my fiance brought her home from the vet I cried because she looked so out of it.

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