Brownie is off to be spayed today....what should we expect?

[WillParkinson]

All our other furry family has been spayed or neutered when we got them. What should we expect? Behavior changes? How long will she need to remain quiet (she likes to wrestle with the older female).

Advice is appreciated.

[alphafemale]

1. You'll probably need to keep her in her carrier quite a bit for a day or too.

Take her out to eat and quiet walks.

Your vet will let you know I'm sure.

Animals are much tougher when it comes to recovering from surgery and things than people are though.

Just watch to make sure she doesn't pick at the stitches.

[foxfeet]

2. Expect no babies. If they show up, you need a serious discussion with your vet.

:P

[marzipanni]

3. Don't let her drink too much water, or eat too much at once

I've given this advice to others on DU, because when I was a teenager my family had a standard poodle who was seven when we got her spayed.
After her surgery we picked her up and she was a bit groggy, and thirsty. The veterinarian didn't tell us to restrict water, so when we got home she drank quite a bit of water, I guess.
After an hour or so her sides/abdomen looked swollen and I told my mom I thought Mimi looked like a pregnant sheep, so we called the vet and they said to bring her right back.
The intake of water caused her stomach to "flip" -it's called gastric torsion- and the gas in her stomach started building up, with no way out in either direction.
Emergency surgery was performed and she was okay, but it would have caused her death if nothing had been done.

So after surgery =---> SIPS of Water, two meals instead of one.

I looked this up to check my facts, apparently it is more common in large, deep-chested dogs.

[carlyhippy]

4. feeling puny for about 3 days

no jumping or running or rough play would be advised, don't wanna break out stitches. Weight gain, they tend to slow down after that. I have to get our kitten spayed here in a few weeks, both our other cats we had them spayed/neteured.

[madinmaryland]

5. "Heckuva job Brownie" is getting spayed??

:yoiks:

[pintobean]

10. .

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. A large vet bill.

[femmocrat]

7. We just had our puppy spayed at the end of July.

We had to keep her quiet-- no running or jumping-- for 10 days! Since this was practically impossible, we got her "tranquilizers" for the first few days. She was really good and never touched her stitches. I cut off the neck from an old turtleneck jersey (not too snug, though) for around her middle to keep her from licking them, but she never did.

Your vet will give you detailed instructions. Follow them exactly to prevent infection and swelling. You will have to take her back in 8-10 days to have the stitches removed.

[UTUSN]

8. Don't know specifics about the procedure. Afterwards, LOVE n/t

[applegrove]

9. A historectomy is a huge operation for a female so give her a quiet space that she can retreat to

in the next few days. She'll know when she is feeling like playing.

[gvstn]

11. Exactly

Much more complicated than a male being neutered. Since they don't do much for pain you just have to let her rest and give her a little pat on the head here and there to keep her comforted.

[WillParkinson]

12. When I woke up tonight she was on the bed...

Curled up by my legs. When I got out of bed she rolled over and looked at me. I bent over and snuggled with her a few minutes and she seemed happy to drift back off to sleep.

[gvstn]

13. Isn't it wonderful

How trusting and forgiving animals can be? I'm glad everything has gone well.

It has been quite a while since I've had a dog spayed but I don't remember any behavior changes. Just feeling for them during their recovery and being amazed that they only hold it against the vet and not me for taking them there.

I think it is basically a matter of bonding during the recovery to ensure they know you love them and not letting them push themselves too much during the first few days.

You'll know she is feeling better when she becomes interested in examining her stitches.

(I don't know how big she is but maybe jumping onto the bed is not a good idea? I'm pretty much a they know how they feel and can decide for themselves what they are capable of person but would probably lift her if I knew she was going to jump up anyway.)

Good luck!

[WillParkinson]

14. She's very headstrong...

We have a child gate separating the dining room from the kitchen and she was about to try to jump that this morning.

[bif]

15. The former head of FEMA?

[hamsterjill]

16. Thanks for getting it done!

It's the responsible thing to do. I hope she is recovering nicely.

Yes, I agree that a female spay is much more entailed than a male neuter - for either a cat or a dog. But it's one bad day for a lifetime of benefits. And let's face it - giving birth isn't pain free either!

So, kudos to you for doing the right thing! My wish is that Brownie will have many health, happy years with you!