AFTER CARE INSTRUCTIONS

Keep your pet in a warm, dry, quiet place, away from other pets and small children for at least 48 hours. Your pet may or may not want to eat and drink the first night following surgery. Offer food and water, and let your pet decide. Lack of appetite, vomiting, and feeling sluggish is normal after surgery and anesthesia. However, if any of these symptoms persist for more than 24 hours, please call for instructions. Discourage your pet from running, jumping, and rough play for five days. Check your pet’s incision daily. A little lump or redness is normal. However, if there is bleeding, discharge, or gaping, please call for instructions. Your pet’s sutures are internal and the skin surface is closed with sterile tissue glue, so there is no need to return for suture removal. Absolutely no swimming, baths, or playing in water or mud is allowed for seven days. Some dogs will have a cough following surgery. Their throat is irritated from having a tube placed to help them breathe during anesthesia. This is normal and will pass on its own. Over the counter cough suppressants can be given if the cough becomes bothersome. Please call for dosage instructions before giving any medications. Remember! Never give a cat any over the counter medication, as they can cause serious health problems, and even death! Because the incision in male cats is left open to drain, the sand in his litter box should be replaced with torn strips of newspaper for four days following surgery to prevent the possibility of infection. Hormones in mature male dogs and cats will remain in their system for two to three weeks following neutering, so behavior changes will be gradual. Female dogs spayed while in heat or pregnant may continue to have vaginal discharge for up to two weeks following surgery. This means that if your pet was in heat, she may continue to attract males for two to three weeks following surgery. Do not allow breeding, as this could tear internal sutures and cause serious internal bleeding and even death. Owners are responsible for any charges for additional surgery to repair any damages caused by breeding following surgery. Although most pets are not bothered by their incision, a few want to lick or chew at their incision. Do not allow your pet to lick or chew at their incision. Applying hot sauce or bitter tasting products around the incision often helps. If your pet insists on licking or chewing, an Elizabethan (lampshade) collar is needed. Bitter tasting products and Elizabethan collars are available here at reasonable prices, or are available at most pet supply warehouses. Owners are responsible for any charges for additional surgery to repair any damages caused by licking or chewing open their incision following surgery. Mature male dogs have the highest incidence of minor post-operative complications following neutering, such as: Licking & chewing - About 20% of neutered males will insist on licking and/or chewing at the incision as noted above. Swelling & bruising - Almost half of mature males will swell and bruise to some extent, a few pretty badly. This is to be expected, and though it may look awful, it is not life threatening. It will resolve over the next few days. Intra-scrotal bleeding - About 10% of neutered males will ooze some blood and serum from the capillaries inside the scrotum. In some individuals, the scrotum may look even larger than before the testicles were removed. While quite remarkable looking, it is not life threatening, and will resolve in three to ten days. Pressure from the fluid causes the capillaries to clot, and the body will re-absorb the fluid. Do not worry that they are hemorrhaging from the major arteries that supplied the testicles. Those arteries are securely tied off, twice, with suture.. Warm compresses – If your dog swells, bruises, or seems painful, applying warm compress to the area will help reduce pain and swelling, and speed healing. You can wet down a washcloth or dishtowel with very warm (almost hot) water. Wring it out, and hold it against the area for five to ten minutes. This should be done two to four times a day, as needed. If you have problems and you need to contact a veterinarian, call our doctor on call at 616-897-8865. We cannot be responsible for fees incurred at another veterinarian. If there are complications related to not following the discharge instructions, there may be a fee for treatment.