Dog spay recovery: What to expect for incision, aftercare & healing?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lily. I know it is hard to do, but a dog should really be kept quiet for 10-14 days post-spay. This allows her body to heal. She went through major abdominal surgery. Her incision appears to be healing well from your pictures. I hope this information helps!

Most dogs are in heat for an average of 2-3 weeks. Keep her away from any intact males during this time. The surgery itself will likely take 20-30 minutes (o complete. She isn't too small or too old. Your veterinarian may recommend pre-anesthetic blood work and a pre-anesthetic exam to confirm good health. Recovery will take about 2 weeks. Try to limit excessive running, jumping or rough play. These activities could place undue stress on the incision and prolong recovery. A crate can be used if necessary. She will probably have an e-collar (cone) on when she is discharged to prevent licking or chewing of the incision. You should get complete discharge instructions from your veterinarian when you pick up Precious.

Limit or restrict activity to avoid stress on the incision. Avoid excessive running, jumping or rough play. Use an e-collar (cone) to prevent licking or chewing of the sutures. Examine the site daily for redness, swelling, bruising, bleeding or discharge. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite, fever or abdominal pain. Look at her gums daily to ensure they are pink. Sutures are kept in for 10-14 days. Do not bathe her until the sutures are removed.

Wow, that's great! Awesome job talking to your mom about it :-) After surgery, it's extremely important to keep her quiet and rested, and to keep an Ecollar on her to prevent her from licking at her sutures. She has to stay quiet in order for her incision to heal correctly, and she has to stay quiet with the Ecollar on until her sutures are removed 10-14 days after surgery. Licking at her sutures can cause them to break down and open the incision, and it can introduce infection into the area. You will have to check the incision twice a day for signs of infection which include redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, or excessive discharge. If you see any of those signs, Bella will have to go back into the vet for an exam and antibiotics. Again, great job talking to your mom!

Your vet should go over instructions for her aftercare based on the surgery. In general we recommend restricting activity untli the sutures are removed, which is normally 7 to 10 days. Unless she has had an upset stomach we can usually give them their normal food, just in small amounts initially to be sure the anesthetic didn't make them nauseous and they aren't going to vomit. As far as how long the surgery will take, that will depend on your vet's office and where the bump being removed is located. You should contact your vet for information on when she will be ready for pick-up from surgery, and at discharge/when she goes home,they should provide you with their specific instructions for aftercare. If they do not, then please ask them for details. Best of luck to you and Precious!

Keeping puppies "quiet" after surgery is certainly not an easy undertaking! The good news is that I think her incision is healing beautifully. There is very mild inflammation right around the incision, but the incision appears to be closed and does not appear to have any discharge. Continue doing your best to keep her as quiet as possible for the next week, but I know it's not possible to turn a 5 month old GSP puppy into a couch potato! If she's really out of control, you can ask your vet about prescribing mild sedative medications (like trazodone) to help her to stay a bit more mellow while healing. Keeping an e-collar (cone) on her is the best thing you can do to promote healing, as this prevents her from licking at the incision at all. Hope that everything continues to go well!

The site itself looks good. No swelling, redness or bruising and it appears closed. The slight discharge does not appear to be frank blood. It looks like it may be fluid from a seroma. Seromas can occur after surgery. Continue to monitor the site, If the discharge increases or has a bad odor then see your veterinarian. Monitor Delilah for lethargy, fever, loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea. These are symptoms that should also be addressed by your vet. Keep an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent licking or chewing of the site. You can use a diluted betadine or Hibiclens solution around the site to keep the area clean.