Pre & Post Operative Care: Bitch Spay
Preoperative Advice: Bitch Spay
We will usually arrange to admit your pet for their procedure at the beginning of the day. Length of stay will depend on the procedure being performed, but this will be communicated to you at the time of admission. Most procedures are completed and pets sent home in the same day.
Feeding
We ask you to make sure that your pet is not given any food after midnight, the night before the procedure and that any food that is left in food bowls etc is taken up. It is important that animals are not starved for too long a period however, as this can cause problems for them. It may be necessary to give a small meal in the evening before bedtime and then take this up when you go to bed.
There are some important exceptions to this advice – rabbits, guinea pigs and small rodents should not be starved at all prior to surgery, as this can make them unwell. In addition very young puppies and kittens should not be starved for an extended period- we will give you direct advice if this applies to your pet. We may also give you specific advice related to feeding and medicating if your pet is diabetic.
Cats should be kept indoors overnight to ensure that they do not gain access to food outside of the home.
Water
It is not necessary to withdraw water from your pet prior to surgery and it may be harmful if withdrawn for an extended period. Please allow your pet access to water until around 1-2 hours prior to travelling to the surgery on the day of the procedure.
Medications
If your pet is on any medications please ask us for advice as to whether to give this on the day of surgery or not.
Toileting
Please encourage your pet to go to the toilet prior to your admit appointment
Exercise
In most cases it is ok for dogs to be given a short walk on the morning of their surgery, unless their condition precludes this. It is important however to ensure that they do not get dirty or very wet prior to admission, as this may cause issues with cleaning and sterilising their skin prior to surgery.
Bitch Spay Specific Advice
If your pet comes in to season or appears to be suffering from false pregnancy (bitches will usually have signs of enlarged nipples and mammary glands and may be producing milk) then please contact us as soon as possible, as this may mean that we need to rearrange their surgery, as surgery at this time would be of higher risk to your pet.
Other Advice
If you are given veterinary advice prior to surgery that is specific to your pet or condition, please follow the advice given to you at that time.
Post Operative Care: Bitch Spay
Looking After Your Pet after a Bitch Spay
It can take a while for the drugs used in an anaesthetic to leave the body – your pet may be more sleepy for 12 – 24 hours after their anaesthetic. This is usually nothing to be concerned about, however they should be able to get up and walk around when stimulated, and, if not, please call the surgery as this may indicate that they require veterinary attention.
You should keep your pet indoors for the rest of the day, in a warm, quiet place. This is because an anaesthetic procedure can affect animals ability to regulate their temperature.
Occasionally, a slight cough will be noted after surgery, this is normally due to irritation caused by the endotracheal tube that is used in the anaesthetic and should resolve within 48 hours.
Wound Care
It takes around 10-14 days for surgical wounds to heal. Immediately after an operation, a small amount of blood may sometimes be seen at the surgical site, however, if more than a few drops are noted then please call the surgery.
You should make sure that your pet is kept rested (short lead walks only) and is not allowed to get the wound dirty.
Please do not apply any products to the wound that have not been supplied by us, without contacting us first.
It is important that your pet does not lick or scratch at the surgical wound, as this may cause the wound to become infected or open up. This may require that they wear a plastic cone or medical pet shirt until the wound has healed. If your pet is licking the wound please contact us so we can issue you with a buster collar.
A small amount of redness around the wound can be normal, however any signs of increased redness, swelling or discharge from the wound should be reported to us.
Most pets will have dissolvable stitches in their wound, which are hidden below the skin- these do not need removing and will dissolve over the course of a few weeks. If your pet has stitches on the surface of the skin, these are usually removed after 10 days, when the wound has healed sufficiently. We will discuss this at your pets discharge appointment.
Medication
Please follow carefully the instructions on the label of any medications supplied. If you are having difficulty getting your pet to take medications, please contact us.
We give pets injections of painkillers at the time of the surgery, which will usually last for several hours; if your pet still appears be in pain then please contact us.
We also provide anti-inflammatory painkillers to be given by mouth for several days post surgery. Please follow the instructions on the label carefully. The most commonly provided pain killer is Meloxicam (e.g. MetacamTM or LoxicomTM)- this is given ONCE daily in food, or with food, using the dosing syringe that is provided in the packet. It is important to note that only the specific dosing syringe provided should be used for any particular medication. If any vomiting or diarrhoea occurs while using this medication then please do not give any more, and contact the surgery. Most patients are given an injection of this drug on the day of the surgery and, therefore, unless advised otherwise at the discharge appointment, the medication should not be given at home until the next day.
Feeding
We will offer your pet a small meal after surgery (unless you have advised us not to), but they should also be offered a small meal at home (they can be fed their normal food).
If they do not eat at home the evening of the surgery, in most cases you do not need to be overly concerned, but their appetite should return within 24 hours- if not then please contact us for further advice.
After being spayed, bitches are more prone to weight gain over time, due to the changes in their hormones and altered energy requirements. It is therefore important that you ensure that they are not fed too much and it may be necessary, in the longer term, to reduce their food intake once they have healed from the surgery. It is also worth considering placing them onto a food designed for dogs that have been neutered.
Exercise
It is important that your pet is kept rested for 10 days after surgery to minimise the chance of the stitches being damaged. In particular, your pet, should be kept on a lead and given only 5 – 10 minutes of lead exercise at a time, up to three times daily. All pets should be prevented from jumping or roughly playing in the 2 weeks post-surgery.
In Case of An Emergency
If you have a concern that requires urgent attention please contact us at the surgery. If it is out of normal surgery hours, listen carefully to the instructions which will direct you to the veterinary surgeon on duty.
It is particularly important that you notify us immediately if your pet becomes very quiet, seems in pain, goes pale or if you notice any significant bleeding.