Does Your Cat Have a Urinary Blockage?

When you have a female dog and you decide to take her to the spay clinic to have the spay procedure completed, you may not know what you can expect following the procedure. Because spaying is a major surgery, your dog will likely spend at least an overnight with the veterinarian to ensure they do not suffer from any complications or issues immediately following their surgery. However, once they return home with you, you will need to ensure that you are providing them with the care they require to recover well and remain as healthy as possible in the process. Get to know some of the steps that you can take to care for your recently spayed dog so that she remains safe and healthy throughout the recovery process.

Keep Commotion and Small Children Away From Her

Your dog will be sore as she recovers from surgery and as such, she may react to situations that were not particularly bothersome to her previously in more extreme ways. She may react aggressively or out of fear, for example.

Because of this, you will want to keep her in a quiet area so that your dog feels more safe and secure. Keep any loud noises, commotion, or the like as far away from her as possible, at least in the first few days of her recovery.

Small children should also be mostly kept away from your dog. While they may not mean to be rough with her, they may be too wild, trip and fall, or accidentally hurt or startle your recovering dog which may in turn cause her to lash out. It is better for your dog and your child's safety to keep the two separate as much as possible.

Keep An Eye On Their Incision Site

Developing an infection is a risk of any surgical procedure, and with animals there can sometimes be an even higher chance. Dogs try to clean their own wounds by licking them, which actually introduces more bacteria into the incision site.

Because of this, you will want to try to prevent your dog from licking. The plastic cones worn around the neck and head are often used to block a dog from licking an incision or wound. However, some dogs are clever and can still figure out ways to get to their incision or can get the cones off. So, you need to keep a close, watchful eye on them as much as possible after their surgery.

Additionally, you will want to look directly at the incision once or twice a day to look for any signs of infection. Signs of infection at the spay incision site might include redness, swelling, and pus or oozing clear, yellow, or green fluid. The area around the incision may also be warm or hot to the touch if there is an infection present. If you notice these signs, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible for follow-up care. 

Now that you know a few of the steps that you should take when your dog has been recently spayed, you can be sure you are providing them with the best care possible. To learn more, visit a website like Akaal Pet Hospital.