How To Care For Your Pet After They Have Been Spayed Or Neutered

Spaying or neutering your pet is one of the most important things you can do for them. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, spaying and neutering can make your pet less likely to contract certain ailments. This surgery can protect your female dog from breast and ovarian cancer, and it can keep your male dog from developing testicular cancer. Fixing your pet will also prevent unwanted puppies and kittens from filling animal shelters. However, after your pet is spayed or neutered, you will need to provide aftercare. Here are four things you'll need to do:

1. Let your pet rest.

Your veterinarian will put your pet under general anesthesia before beginning the procedure. After the surgery is over, your pet will wake up, but they may be groggy for the rest of the day. You should let your pet rest. Don't disturb them. Instead, provide a comfortable, quiet place for your pet to sleep and recuperate.

2. Give your pet their medication.

Your vet may prescribe antibiotics and painkillers to your pet following their spay or neuter procedure. Make sure to give these medications to your pet as directed. You may want to put your pet's medication into wet food or hide it inside a piece of cheese to get them to eat it. If you decide to hide medication in their food, make sure you inspect the bowl when they're finished; you want to make sure they actually ingested the pill.

3. Keep your pet from disturbing their stitches.

After your pet is spayed or neutered, the vet will close the incision with stitches. As your pet heals, their incision may be itchy or painful. Their natural instincts will drive them to scratch, lick, or bite at the incision site, but this can lead to infection or injury. Discourage your pet from these behaviors by redirecting their attention if you catch them trying to disturb their stitches. If your pet persists, your vet may prescribe an Elizabethan collar, sometimes called a pet cone, to prevent your dog from being able to lick or bite their healing wound.

4. Be ready to take your pet to the vet.

In most cases, pets will heal just fine after being spayed or neutered. However, if your pet begins to act sluggish or erratic, or if their incision site begins to look red or pus-filled, you should take them to the vet. These symptoms are signs of infection, which may require additional treatment.

Contact a vet office like Buck Road Animal Hospital today to learn more.