How to Care for Your Pet After Spaying

An ovariohysterectomy--commonly known as spaying--is a serious procedure that requires specific care when completed. While anesthetized, the veterinarian will make an incision on your female pet's belly and remove her reproductive organs. Then he will close the incision before she awakes. When you arrive to pick her up, you will likely receive instructions from the veterinarian about how to care for your pet after spaying, like I did for my pets. You should always follow these instructions carefully.

After Spay Care Tips: Supervise her as much as possible.

Your pet probably won't do much when she arrives home, but she should be supervised as much as possible for the next few days. Don't leave her alone for hours at a time, if you can help it. A number of things could go wrong while you are away: she might lick her incision until it bleeds, it might become infected, and she might even become depressed. Someone should nearly always be there to watch for any of these signs.

After Spay Care Tips: Avoid strenuous exercise for at least a week.

When I picked up my pets after their spay surgery, I was told to not let them move around too much. If you want to take your dog for walks, keep them short. Don't let her run or climb the stairs, or even jump onto the furniture. If your pet is small, those stairs could be too high and cause bleeding in the incision area.

After Spay Care Tips: No baths for the next ten days.

You should bathe your pet before she is spayed, because you will not be able to do so for the next ten days. You will need to keep the incision area clean and dry. Fortunately, as long as she isn't rolling in mud (which is definitely a no-no), you shouldn't have to give her a bath during this time.

After Spay Care Tips: Keep the incision clean and watch for infection.

As I already mentioned, you will need to keep the incision area clean and dry. Some pets tend to lick the area until it becomes infected. Fortunately, neither of my pets was interested in touching it--probably because it was painful as the area healed. To keep pain to a minimum, of course you will want to follow your veterinarian's recommendation when you give her pain medication. Keep an eye out for bleeding and discharge, which are signs of infection.

After Spay Care Tips: Watch for signs of depression.

Some pets may become depressed after undergoing major surgery like an ovariohysterectomy. If she refuses to eat or drink anything, and if she seems disinterested, contact your veterinarian immediately. After my cat was spayed, she didn't eat much and she refused to drink water for a few days, but it didn't take long before she was back to normal.

References:

Caring for Your Dog After Spaying

**Note: This author does not claim to be a veterinary professional. Always follow your veterinarian's recommendations when you have your pet spayed**