Outdoor neuter recovery for high-energy dog: How to keep him safe?

When you pick Reddington up after his procedure he will be a little sleepy from the anesthesia. You will want to keep him inside and very quiet. You will probably be able to feed him a small meal if your vet says it's ok. When he needs to go outside to potty you may even want to keep him on a leash if he tends to get really excitable in the yard. You want to make sure he does not lick at his incision, so an e-collar (cone of shame) is a good idea. Make sure to give the pain medication your vet prescribes to keep him comfortable. The total recovery time is about 10 days. For that time you want to keep him relatively quiet , no off leash walks, wrestling with other dogs or baths.

Give pain medication as prescribed by your veterinarian. It is important to make sure that you restrict his activity to short leash walks only (for the purpose of going to the bathroom) for the first week after surgery. Excessive activity such as running jumping or playing will increase the likelihood of complications. Lastly, but most importantly, he must wear an E collar (cone of shame) to prevent him from looking at or biting at the incision. Licking or biting the incision could lead to the incision coming apart and a need for further surgery. It could also lead to the incision becoming infected which could even make him systemically ill. He will need to wear the color for about 7 to 10 days. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach !

Hi there! Great question! The best thing you can do for him is CONTROLLED exercise. Meaning, you can take him for short walks on a leash. What we don't want is him running around freely, jumping or playing with other animals. If you can control the exercise that would be best and that way he won't be crazy! Take him for multiple short walks throughout the day. I would take him walking where there is not a lot of stimulation from other dogs. If you are finding he is still too "crazy" you can always call your vet and ask for a mild sedative however, vets try to reserve sedatives for severe cases. I hope this helps! Best wishes!

Hi there, and thanks for posting this question. The first night is usually a little rough, but after that they seem to bounce back so quickly! Make sure your veterinarian sends home some medication for pain management and an E-collar. Those are never fun, but it is worse to be half way healed and then have him Chew out all his stitches and have to start at the beginning again! Short leash walks are great to keep his brain active when his body is supposed to be resting. Also, chew toys help too. Best of luck and he will be healed before you know it!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Neutering a male dog is pretty standard and a relatively easy surgery for a dog to recover from. With in 24 hours after the surgery Toby will feel and want to act normal. Your 2 goals are to prevent licking of the incision, so make sure you get an Elizabethan Collar (cone) or donut and to prevent excessive exercise for 2 weeks. That means no running, jumping, stairs and leash walks only for 10-14 days. It is surgeon preference whether there are skin sutures that need to be removed and sometimes we send them home with 5-7 days of pain medications. After 10-14 days things will be back to normal! I hope this helps and I wish you and Toby the best~

Hi, it is difficult for a semi feral cat to accept to be confined in a cage. It is probably easier to have a large room or just stay indoors where he feels he has control over his territory and resources. I would give him more space and the possibility of hide while making sure he does not lick/groom the surgery area.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would recommend going ahead with the surgery. I would kennel Scooby after the procedure to keep him calm and contained during his recovery. And I would also talk to the vet doing the surgery about sedatives post op. Good luck and kisses to Scooby!