Spayed pet still acting out? How long for behavior changes?

I am very sorry to hear that you are experiencing these issues with Hazel and Daisy. I believe a couple of possibilities could be occurring. Though only behaviors that will be affected by spaying are those that are under the influence of female hormones, it could be possible that they are both still undergoing hormonal changes and so they need time to adjust. The hormone changes can take up to a few months to stabilator. When everything is stablized, a dog's temperament, training, and personality, are related to genetics and upbringing, not hormones, so should not be affected. Neutering does not “calm” an excitable dog, and unless a dog is overfed or underexercised, there is no reason for it gain weight or become inactive. The undesired traits which are related to hormones such as sexual behaviours, aggression, and urine marking will change over the course of a few days to a few months. It is also possible that Hazel is possibly not healing well and still experiencing some pain or discomfort. I would try gently palpating her abdomen to see if you get any flinching nor pain reactions. A check-up with the vet to confirm she is not in pain would also be a good idea. Pain can be expressed through changes in mood, which are often outwardly viewed as aggressive behaviour. I hope that is helpful information and I wish you the best of luck with Hazel and Daisy.

I'm assuming that you may be concerned that the spay caused some hormonal change that is causing her to act like this. There have actually been various reports of behavior issues after surgical procedures and the potential causes are numerous. Bella could simply be painful, or anxious due to the trauma of the procedure. Alternatively, Bella could have had a pre-existing brain condition prior to the procedure that got worse with the anesthesia, or the anesthesia could have caused a momentary lack of oxygen to the brain that caused some damage. I would be most suspicious that this is a behavior issue rather than a more serious problem within the brain. For now, I recommend giving her a little time and see if her temperament improves. It's important to not treat her any differently, or try to handle her excessively. Treat her the same as you did before the procedure and handle her on her own terms. If the behavior persists after a month, then I recommend consulting your vet for further evaluation. At this time, it does not appear to be serious, so I would not be too concerned unless she seems to be getting worse or having other health issues. I hope that helps and all is well with Bella.

A bitch spay is a big operation and it takes a dog a good while to settle from it due to the pain and anaesthesia. This could certainly have put her out of sorts. I would give her another week or so to settle and if she is no better then, it may be personality clash and would be best to speak to s behaviourist.

The hormones would still be present in the blood stream for some time after surgery so it would be usual for the behaviors to continue for up to 3-5days after surgery. If it has continued longer than this you should contact your vet for a post-surgery recheck to ensure verything is healing well and there is no discomfort causing her behavior

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Unfortunately, spaying (or neutering) does not have significant impacts on any aggressive or temperamental behaviors. It tends to reduce sexual behaviors (and eliminate the risk of pregnancy and infections of the uterus), but there is no guarantee that spaying her will change her behavior. I would consult with a Veterinary Behaviorist who can make recommendations for Kali's specific behavioral issues, as not all are treated equally. I hope this is helpful!

The only behaviors that will be affected by castration are those that are under the influence of male hormones. So for example, a dog’s temperament, training, and personality, are related to genetics and upbringing, not hormones. Neutering does not “calm” an excitable dog, and unless a castrated male dog is overfed or underexercised, there is no reason for it gain weight or become inactive. The undesired traits which are related to male hormones such as sexual behaviours, aggression, and urine marking will change over the course of a few days to a few months. I hope that is helpful information and I wish you the best of luck with Nipper's surgery.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If she just came back home I would just give her some time to readjust. Sometimes with time they go back to their typical behavior. If no improvement, I would check with your veterinarian if she is on any medications as this could be due to her reacting to a medication. If she is not on any medications and she does not improve, I would also check in with your veterinarian to make sure that she is not acting like this due to discomfort. Good luck and have a great day!