After-Surgery Care

Your pet is recovering from anesthesia and surgery and needs your help.
 Please follow these instructions carefully to help ensure quick, safe healing for your pet.


The First Evening:

•    Your pet may have an anesthesia “hang-over.”  They may be grumpy, or very reactive to noise, quick motions, bright lights, etc.  Keep them in a quiet, dark, warm place.  Keep them separated from other pets and children, and general commotion.
•    All patients get pain medications after surgery.  You may have purchased additional pain medicine. We do not recommend over-the-counter medications for your pet.  Please check with a vet if you think your animal is in pain.  A minor degree of discomfort is normal.
•    Some pain and anti-anxiety medications will also relax muscles (making them walk funny), and some cause constipation.
•    Keep your pet warm the whole night after surgery.  They need to stay at 70 degrees or above, and should have padding or bedding as an option, because they may have difficulty retaining heat for 24 hours after surgery.
•    If you feel a soft swelling near the chest area, it may be the extra fluids we administer subcutaneously/under the skin.  These typically absorb over the course of 4-6 hours.
•    Your pet should be offered water after it comes home.  It may not be thirsty, because we give our patients fluids, as described above. 
•    Offer a water and a bit of soft food an hour after you arrive home--just enough food for a couple of swallows.  Some animals will be ravenous, and some will refuse it.
•    If your animal is ravenous, do not overfeed, as he or she might vomit.

The Next Day:

•    Your animal should come back to its normal eating and drinking habits in 24 hours.
•    Look at the incision.  There may be some redness and a little bruising, but it shouldn’t be swollen, or have any discharge or bleeding. 
•    Most pets will lick a few times to clean the area, but chewing is NOT allowed!  If you see this, get a “lampshade collar” to prevent the animal from opening the incision. 

Important points to remember:

Look at the incision every day.  Every day it should look the same, or better.  Also--

•    Female dogs who were in heat at surgery may still allow mating after surgery.  DO NOT let this happen!  It can cause a very serious infection.
•    Adult male dogs that are too active after surgery can have fluid that fills their scrotal sac.  This looks like the dog has not been neutered.  This is usually serum, and the body will re-absorb the fluid.  Dogs are usually not bothered by it.  If you see this, the most important thing to do is to make sure he stays QUIET.  This will help the area to heal much faster.
•    All stitches are absorbable and do not need to be removed.  They can take up to a couple of months to completely dissolve. 
•    Limit activity:  1 week for males, 2 weeks for females.  Short leash walks are ok.
•    Do not allow swimming or bathing for 2 weeks, to limit potential infection.

Should your pet experience any complications due to surgery or anesthesia, we urge you to contact us first.  Our phone number is 447-6444.

If you are unable to reach us at this number and you consider your pet's situation to be an emergency, please call Dr. Angie Kemper D.V.M. at 1-541-460-1598.

Otherwise, please call your local veterinarian, or the Animal Emergency Center, 385-9110.

The Animal Emergency Center is located in Bend, at 1245 S. Hwy 97, Suite C3, and is open Evenings, Weekends, and Holidays.