Labradoodle neuter: Should he get gastropexy? Cone of shame options?

Hi there. Since Shelby is a Great Dane, yes - I would recommend having a gastropexy done at the time of her spay. This is generally a very safe procedure with no significant downsides, and is very effective at preventing gastric torsion later in life. Pros: nearly 100% effective at preventing gastric torsion Cons: a bit of added expense, a slightly longer spay incision and slightly increased anesthesia time I recommend that all giant-breed females have this procedure done at the time of their spay, since the benefits far outweigh the risks and bloat/gastric torsion is a significant problem in these breeds. I hope that helps! :)

NO, a cone is the best way to prevent licking of the incision. Most pets will adjust to the cone within 48 hours. You may also call your vet today and ask about a sedative for Chewy. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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, 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~

Good morning! It is concerning that Bongo is able to reach his stitches to lick them. I recommend purchasing an Elizabethan collar (soft or hard cone shaped collar) or inflatable donut shaped collar immediately to prevent him from being able to lick his incision site. It is recommended to bring him back to your veterinarian to have his incision checked to make sure he has not removed any of his sutures and that his incision has not become inflamed/infected from him licking. Another potential complication includes Bongo developing a scrotal hematoma if he is too active during recovery. It sounds as though your veterinarian can revisit the need for pain medication/additional pain medication +/- a mild sedative during recovery +/- antibiotics during recovery pending the appearance of his incision. The only acceptable table food for dogs (that won't inadvertently cause pancreatitis) is plain unseasoned boiled rice and chicken which can be given during recovery from surgery (or firings recovery from episodes of vomiting/diarrhea). I would recommend placing an e-collar on Bongo, offering plain boiled rice and chicken and calling your veterinarian to schedule a consult to be sure that the incision looks clean/dry and does not need repair. Definitely be cautious and exert necessary precautions to avoid anyone getting bit! Best of luck!

The problem with the surgical suit is that it may not let the incision breathe as well as it should in order to quickly heal. You could try an inflatable collar - it looks like an airplane pillow and sold at the pet stores. Make sure you get a big enough size - if it is too small it won't work. This works well with most incisions on the body but doesn't work for anything on a leg/foot. I hope this helps!

First of all--coming from an emergency veterinarian-- kudos for doing a pexy!! Walter, as well as ER vets everywhere, appreciate it. You really, really need to keep him from being active. It does not appear that there's a major issue here, as its only been 2 days, but the more he is active the longer its going to take the incision to heal and the more its going to ooze. Of higher concern is that being active puts him at risk for the body wall dehiscing which is a major complication that could become life threatening. Keep him on a leash when he goes out, and take him out only to go to urinate or defecate. No running, playing, jumping, etc, and keep him in a kennel or enclosed in a small room when he is not directly supervised. Call your vet and request a sedative such as trazadone or acepromazine if you need to, but take measures to further decrease his activity for at least the next week. Also, be sure to use an E-collar (cone of shame) to keep him from licking it. I hope thats helpful! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!