What Can You Expect Before and After Spaying Your Dog

Are you scheduled at the vet to spay your dog? Awesome, you're doing a great job of caring for your pet's health.

Spaying or getting your pet fixed is one of the important health procedures your dogs may need to go through. When you spay your dog, they won't get pregnant anymore. Not only that, but they're also safe from terminal illnesses like mammary cancer.

"Fixing" your dog also helps in overpopulation that often causes the increase of stray pets. It's the best method of lessening unplanned litters every year.

While spaying or neutering your pet has huge benefits, pet owners still find the process scary. Get to know what you should expect when you spay your dog. Read the article to know more.

Spay Vs. Neuter: The Difference Between the Two

Most people often confuse spaying and neutering. This isn't that surprising considering that they're both terms for surgical sterilization on pets. To clear out the confusion, it's best to understand what veterinarians do when they spay or neuter dogs.

What is spaying?

Spaying is the surgical sterilization of female dogs. It involves removing your female dog's reproductive organs and preventing pregnancy. Veterinarians can perform this procedure in different ways.

Go! Solutions Pet Food

First is through ovariohysterectomy, where your dog's uterus and ovaries get removed. This means an abdominal cut on the underside of the dog's belly, near their belly button.

The second way vets can do it is by ovariectomy, wherein only your dog's ovaries and a part of the uterus get removed. This method is only done in specialized surgery. Not only that, but this method doesn't cut the risks of mammary and ovarian cancer from your pet.

After getting your dog spayed, she will no longer have her heat cycle and produce puppies.

When scheduling to spay your dog, she should get it done before her first heat cycle. This will lessen the risks of her getting mammary cancer. This can be around her fifth month or when she's ten months old for a female puppy.

What is neutering?

Meanwhile, neutering is the surgical sterilization or castration for male dogs. The procedures involve removing your pet's testicles and associated parts. This means that after neutering, your male pet can no longer reproduce.

Go! Solutions Pet Food

While there are alternative procedures like vasectomy, they're rarely performed.

Like spaying, there's also a lot of factors to consider when you neuter your pet. One of them is the age of your dog. Though vets can perform these procedures on young puppies, the recommended age is always between 4 to 6 months old.

It's also important that you ask your vet about the best time you can get your pet neutered or spayed. That way, your dog can undergo a physical exam to ensure that they don't have any health issues.

What to Expect When You Spay a Dog

One of the things to keep in mind when you plan to spay your dog is that it's as risky as it's beneficial. Because it's major surgery, it's important that you get to prepare everything your dog will need. To ensure that you get the best dog spay recovery results, knowing what to expect before and after the surgery is essential.

Before the Surgery

Before you spay your pet, it's crucial to have everything prepared to help them have a quick recovery.

Many pet owners schedule their pet's surgery near the weekend or a long holiday. This is important because your dog can be out of it for hours to a day after surgery. The time will also enable you to check on them post-surgery.

In the days before your dog's surgery, it's best that you do crate training. Your pet's not allowed to do activities of any kind after surgery. Crate training will help you look after your pet by getting them used to the crate when you're not around.

You'll also need to make dog safe areas using pet gates. This will restrict your pets from furniture or stairs after their surgery. On the night before the surgery, keep in mind to hold any food and water to avoid aspiration and vomiting.

After the Surgery

After your vet has finished the procedure, it's important that you observe your dog's recovery process. Doing this will help you notify the vet when there's something amiss.

The average recovery time of spaying is from 10 to 14 days. But sometimes, your veterinarian can ask for a longer recovery period, depending on your dog's condition.

GO! SOLUTUIONS Pet Food

During this time, you need to restrict any form of activity to help your dog heal.

It's also important that you don't let your dog lick their incision. Put an e-collar on them as instructed by the vet. This will help prevent any licking that will result in infection.

Aside from that, it's important that you make a regular check on your dog's incision. Observe if there's any swelling, discharge, or redness. Any of these signs can mean a major medical emergency for your pet.

Also, check on their bathroom habits post-surgery. Problems in urinating within 24 hours after the surgery can be a tell-tale sign of a complication.

Go! Solutions Pet Food

Make sure to also get a pain medication prescription from your vet after the surgery. Having these medications can help manage any surgical pain your dog is feeling. It's better if you have a pain-management plan ready before the surgery.

Most of all, it's important that you follow your vet's feeding instructions. Although some dogs tend to skip meals after the surgery, they should start eating the day after. That said, it's best you get healthy dog food for your dog to consume.

Keep in mind to check their appetite and notify any changes to your vet at once.

A Comprehensive Guide When You Spay Your Dog

Spaying your dog can be a scary experience, not only for your pet but also for the pet owners. Having everything ready beforehand will help you calm and level-headed. By doing that, your dog won't be feeding off negative energy that may affect their fast and safe recovery.

Keep your pet in its peak condition. Learn more about all things pet and healthy dog food options now. Speak to a pet nutrition expert today.