Guide To Recovery After Spaying/Neutering Your Dog

Spaying or neutering your dog is one of the best steps you can take for their overall health. Having your dog undergo this procedure not only helps prevent troublesome behavior like marking in the house, but also reduces the risk of certain cancers. After your dog has had the surgery, though, it's important to make sure they have a chance to recover well so they can get back to living an active life as soon as possible. The recovery process from being spayed or neutered does require a fair amount of care on behalf of the owner.

Make Sure Your Dog Can't Lick The Incision

Although it may seem easier said than done, it is very important to make sure your dog can't lick the incision. Keeping the incision area clean is essential for better healing and preventing the risk of infection. It is also important to reduce the risk of your dog accidentally pulling out the stitches. Both of these situations can result in an unexpected, costly visit to the vet. An Elizabethan collar or 'cone' can prevent access to the incision. Although wearing one of these collars might take a little bit of time for your dog to adjust to, they will help prevent harm to the area in the long run.

Keep Your Dog Inside

Even though your dog will still need to go outside for bathroom breaks while recovering from being spayed or neutered, these outside trips need to be supervised. A dog recovering from surgery can still irritate the incision or get the area dirty out in the yard. If at all possible, your dog should go outside leashed during the recovery process. Otherwise, your dog should be in the house, especially if nobody is at home to provide supervision. Any dog can get into too much trouble outside when left to their own devices, including escaping from the yard or getting injured, which makes staying indoors all the more important.