# What to Expect Before/After Spaying?



## aznVampire (Jul 20, 2010)

Pocky's about 26 weeks now, so I'm guessing it's time to get her spayed. I'm just wondering what I should expect before/after?


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

Is Pocky a small dog or big dog? For a small dog 26 weeks is fine to get spayed, if she's a big dog I recommend waiting longer.

Usually after getting spayed the dog is lethargic and tired or in pain (whines) for 24-48 hours. Other than that, usually after 48 hrs they seem to have bounced back to normal. 

In terms of temperament and playfulness, I haven't noticed any difference in all 3 of our fixed dogs. Some people have reported that their dogs are a little more prone to gaining weight so if you find her getting chubby, cut back on food a little bit but we have not had any problems like that since our dogs are very very active.

Good for you for choosing to spay your pup!


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## aznVampire (Jul 20, 2010)

She's a small dog since she's a pug/rat terrier mix.
Will I also have to make sure she doesn't mess with stitches or anything like that?


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## LoMD13 (Aug 4, 2010)

I'm not an expert, but I had my Lola spayed a few months ago. What to expect before is to withold food/water the night before (Our vet told us nothing after midnight, so we just gave her a small snack around 11:30, and picked up her water bowl at midnight). Afterwards you should expect to limit physical activity for a few weeks. My vet said most dogs feel better within a day or two, and keeping them quiet would be the hardest part. 

Lola on the other hand was a big droop afterwards and just absolutely refused to walk for about 5 days to the point where I was getting a little worried. She stayed with my mom while I was at work, and I spent every afternoon/night of that week catching up on TV shows/running on the treadmill while she slept in her little bed next to me. I'm told that's not normal though.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

Oh yes lol. Mine never did so I always always forget to bring it up.

Make sure to buy her an e-collar at the vet's because you don't want her to scratch/tear/lick her stitches. Also for the first week don't allow her to run or jump at all or go up and down the stairs. Carry her if she must go up and down. Basically you shouldn't exercise her very much for the first 2 weeks after spaying her. After that, you can build back up to your regular exercise routine.


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## LoMD13 (Aug 4, 2010)

aznVampire said:


> She's a small dog since she's a pug/rat terrier mix.
> Will I also have to make sure she doesn't mess with stitches or anything like that?


Yes, you'll probably have to buy her an elizabethan collar if she insists on licking/biting at the stitches. Lola had to wear one for 4 days, she was constantly trying to bite at the stitches.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

You should get a Cone (elizabethan collar) or buy a similar device (One looks like a C-collar that neck injury people wear) for her to wear after the surgery to keep her from licking. The first day or 2 they are usually very lethargic, don't eat or drink much, may shiver/shake/whine. If possible get pain meds from the vet to use for a few days. You need to keep them quiet, and not allow them to run/jump on furniture or wrestle with other dogs. I'd carry them up stairs or block off stairs so they don't put too much stress on the stitches. Walking them outside to potty is fine. If your dog is high energy, you'd probably be ok walking her quietly for 15 min or so, several times a day. They shouldn't do anything too vigorous for at least 10 days-2 weeks.
They'll usually really start trying to lick the incision around 5 days because the hair growing in feels prickly. You can put cortisone cream on the shaved area, but keeping it away from the incision to soothe the skin and stop it from itching so much. No baths for a couple of weeks at least.


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## boots (Nov 5, 2010)

I actually found this forum last week after doing frantic internet searchs about my puppy acting all miserable and shaking after getting spayed on Thursday: http://www.dogforums.com/general-dog-forum/86359-any-advice-my-puppy.html There's some good advice given and Binkalette posted "sad" pictures of her little puppy in the thread that made me feel better 

I was seriously SO worried. Who'd have known she'd be feeling so good by Saturday morning she was going to try to tell off a dog 10x her size across the street? Man + Large Dog watched her amused while they walked by. (I live in a heavily dog-infested neighborhood, and my dumb little anklebiter dogs are ALWAYS trying to tell off the big dogs that walk by our house :rollseyes: They think they win everytime too! The mail man hates them!)


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## Adustgerm (Jul 29, 2009)

I wanted to know the answer to this question too, except for large dogs. All of the dogs I have gotten throughout life have came to me already fixed. I have a saint bernard and a pyrenees that will be getting fixed late december/early january. I want to know what to expect. Both dogs are around 9 months old.


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## melaka (Mar 31, 2010)

For my dog, I think getting used to the e-collar was almost as traumatic as the operation itself. Yes, I am exaggerating, but I didn't put the collar on her until she proved that she wouldn't leave the stitches alone and, boy, was she acting pathetic in that collar - not wanting to walk, sit, lay down, eat, etc. She did get used to it eventually, only walking into things now and then, but she mastered the "poor me" look during the time she wore it. I think I only left it on her for two days - I guess she learned her lesson of leaving the stitches alone. It was very hard to keep her calm after that.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

I think if I was going to have one "fixed" now, I'd buy one of the collars that prevent chewing/licking that aren't the Cones. Every dog I've seen hates the cone and takes a while to get used to it. They have soft neck "braces that accomplish the same thing but are more comfortable for the dog and allow peripheral vision.


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## grab (Sep 26, 2009)

If I have to use a cone type collar, I use the soft ones, rather than the hard plastic ones. The ones I've used is like the one listed under 'paper collar' on this link, although it's not actually made of paper
http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2008/august/top-five-e-collar-alternatives-worth-investigating It keeps them from their sutures, but they don't seem to have such tunnel vision and the dogs I've had wear it (Aesop wore it for about a day after his neuter and my late Chow wore it for about a month after several eye surgeries) seem to accept it well.

Newt, our toy Poodle, was the last dog we've had spayed. She didn't bother her sutures, but I kept her in a tshirt just in case


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