How to Help a Dog Recover from Spay or Neuter Surgery

Spaying or neutering your dog is an excellent idea unless you are planning to breed the dog. Both surgeries are extremely common, and almost always without complication.

The recovery time for spay or neuter is generally about two weeks for a spay surgery and about one week for a neuter surgery.

To help a dog recover from spay or neuter surgery, you can make some simple adjustments to your household and family routine.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Prepare the house.
   
   Be sure your dog will have a quiet place to recover. Because he or she might need to wear an Elizabethan (or “E”) Collar during the first few days of recovery, you should prepare a bedroom or laundry room where the dog will have sufficient space to settle itself comfortably.
   
   In addition, don’t ask the dog to climb up and down stairs for several days after surgery – make sure the recovery room is on the first floor.

2. Prepare the family.
   
   The dog will probably act like it feels better before it actually is recovered, so be sure that all family members are on board with following the veterinarian’s instructions about keeping the dog calm and quiet until it really is fully healed.

3. Be sure to attend the follow-up appointment.
   
   In these days of dissolving sutures, many people skip the follow-up appointment at the veterinarian and this is a mistake. One last check to make sure everything is healed properly is well worth a little time and effort, and most veterinarians provide these follow-up appointments at no charge.

Tips & Warnings

• If your dog is permitted to jump up on one or more pieces of furniture, provide a “step stool” during the recovery period, to avoid strain on sutures.
• If you notice any excessive swelling or oozing at the incision site, call your veterinarian as soon as possible.