Post Op Instructions

What to Expect When You Get Home

Your pet has had a major surgery. The surgery required general anesthesia, which means the patient was completely asleep and unable to feel or move. All pets receive a small tattoo near their incision site as a permanent identification that they have been altered.

Surgical Procedure

Female dogs and cats have a midline incision in their abdomen. Male dogs have an incision above the scrotum and male cats have two incisions: one in each side of the scrotum. Check the incision sites at least twice daily. What you see the day of surgery is what we consider to be normal. There should be no drainage. Redness and swelling should be minimal. Male cats may appear as if they still have testicles. This is normal and the swelling should subside gradually over the recovery period. All animals receive pain medication before and after surgery.

DO NOT ALLOW YOUR PET TO CHEW OR LICK THE INCISON.

If this occurs please use an E-collar to prevent this.

Females in Heat

If your female dog or cat was in heat at the time of surgery, you must keep her away from intact males for at least two weeks. While she is unable to become pregnant, she may still attract males for a short period of time. If a male attempts to breed with a recently spayed female it can be serious and possibly life threatening to the female.

Sutures

Unless told otherwise, your pet does not have external sutures. All sutures are absorbable on the inside of the body, and surgical glue has been applied to the skin at the incision. Do not clean or apply topical ointment to the incision site. If you are told that your pet has skin sutures or skin staples, you need to schedule an appointment for removal in 10 – 14 days.

Activity

Some animals are active after surgery. It is very important that you limit your pet’s activity for the next 10 – 14 days. No running, jumping, playing, swimming or other strenuous activity during the recovery period. Pets must be kept indoors where they can stay clean, dry and warm. Do not bathe your pet during the recovery period. Dogs must be walked on a leash, cats kept inside. Keep your pet quiet. Any strenuous activity will disrupt the healing process. The healing process takes at least 10 days.