My dog had pyometra surgery. How to clean, comfort, and aid recovery?

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Precautionary measures include getting a physical exam and blood sample taken prior to surgery to make sure there are no underlying health issues that would compromise her ability to make through surgery or handle the anesthetic given during surgery. During surgery, her blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation should be monitored. IV fluids are typically given during surgery to help maintain blood pressure and provide hydration. After surgery, her incision may be iced every 2-3 hours and she may be given antibiotics and anti inflammatory medications. Her incision should be check within 24 hours after the surgery to ensure there is no bleeding occurring or fluid building underneath the incision. A recheck exam should be conducted within 10-14 days after surgery. I hope this helps!

The operation to remove an infected uterus is major surgery. I would not contemplate bathing a dog until after the stitches come out at 14 days post op. If the dog is very dirty due to the pup you could gently wash the back end but no full emersion.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Daria. If she is not acting normal, this is worrisome. She should not be getting more painful this many days out from surgery. It is worth having her rechecked by a veterinarian. In the meantime, keep the incision clean and dry. Do not allow her to lick it. Do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The safest thing to use to clean it would be using a dry towel to dry the area carefully of course to avoid irritating the incision. I assume you mean that he had a PU surgery recently. You may then use a wet towel to get the urine smell off. I recommend that you check with your veterinarian to have the incision reevaluated as urine can irritate the incision and also he should not be urinating like that. Good luck and have a great day!

Yes, the discharge can be normal 10 days after surgery. As long as she is acting normally just monitor the discharge for now. If it persists for another week then you should take her back to the vet for a follow-up. Passing small amounts of stool can also be normal. This can be due from the anesthesia and/or medications she is taking which slow down the GI tract and disrupt the normal bacterial population in the intestines. This should resolve on it's own but you can give her a probiotic to help if you'd like. ( https://www.petsworld.in/areionvet-diarest-10-gm.html )

The surgical site looks fabulous, no evidence of any sort of reaction, inflammation, or infection in that area. Based on those pictures, if Miracle is still having issues I do not believe the surgical incision is responsible for it. Once bout of diarrhea is not really something to read into unless it is followed up by a few more. I would keep a close eye on her behaviors and demeanor. If she continues to be out of sorts or has a spike in any inappropriate symptom, get her into the vet that performed the surgery for a follow-up visit. Things you can do at home to assess health would include taking Miracle's rectal temperature (anything over 102.5 is considered a fever), pulling up on some of the skin to see if it quickly returns to the body to check for hydration, and checking the pinkness / moistness of the gum lining. This is a indicator of perfusion and hydration. Hope this all makes sense.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Poor Armoni. A pyometra makes a dog very sick, and it's a serious operation. I am concerned that she had the surgery Tuesday, and still isn't wanting to walk. She should be walking by now. I'd take her back into the vet first thing in the morning for a health check. Best of luck.