After undergoing surgery, all dogs should have some basic care when they return home, although in this article on our site we will focus on care of the newly spayed or neutered dogs.
If you are interested in knowing the difference between spaying and neutering, and the care that recently operated dogs require, keep reading, you are interested:
What is castration?
Castration is the removal of the male (testicles) or female (ovaries and uterus, or ovaries only) gonads. The surgery in which the testicles are removed is called "orchiectomy", or also "orchiectomy". Removal of the ovaries is called an "ovariectomy", and if the uterus is also removed, it will be called an "ovarihysterectomy"
Isn't spaying or neutering the same thing?
We refer interchangeably to castration and sterilization, but is not the same Sterilizing implies leaving the animal without the possibility of procreating, but this can be achieved with the techniques used in human medicine called "tubal ligation" in females, or "vasectomy" in males.
The gonads would still be there and if these techniques were used in dogs they would continue to produce hormones and make the animal respond to its instinct to reproduce. And that is precisely what we want to avoid, as well as the action of sexual hormones that in the long run cause many diseases in female dogs (breast tumors, uterine infections…), and in dogs (prostate hyperplasia), in addition to marking, aggressiveness or tendency to run away.
Therefore, although we talk about care in recently sterilized dogs, and we use that term as a synonym for neutered on a regular basis, we must remember that it is not the same, and that what provides benefits for our dog, is castration.
Care for recently sterilized bitches
To remove the ovaries and uterus, the abdominal cavity must be accessed, so our dog will go home with one or more incisions in the abdomen. Surgery can be done:
- By laparoscopy: We will see two small incisions above and below the navel, which we must monitor the days after the intervention. They will tell us to clean the incisions with saline every day, until the stitches are removed. Sometimes the stitches will reabsorb on their own without needing to be removed.
- Conventional midline abdominal approach: We will observe a small incision a few centimeters below the navel. The size will depend on the size of the bitch, if she has been jealous or not, if she is thin or obese…
- Flank approach: We will look at the incisions behind the ribs.
In any case, regardless of the technique, we will ask that our dog not access the stitches the following days, wearing an Elizabethan collar or cotton shirtsto prevent licking. They will also prescribe postoperative analgesics (meloxicam, carprofen…), and according to the veterinarian's criteria, they may prescribe an antibiotic for the following days.
Dogs should recover in a quiet, warm and comfortable place for a few days, where the appearance of the incisions can be checked daily (if there is suppuration, if inflammation, redness, heat appears…) and where we can observe the possible appearance of abnormalities after surgery. If it is a dog that lives on a farm, they will ask us to take her to our house for at least a week.
If the incision has been very large, despite the analgesics, it may be difficult for you to defecate, so sometimes they may indicate a soft diet and an oral lubricant, such as olive oil with food. They will emphasize the need to inform about any adverse reaction to the prescribed drugs (vomiting, diarrhoea…), and avoid games that are too rough, jumps or uncontrolled running for at least a week, since no matter how small the incision, a hernia can always appear.
Will the males not chase her anymore?
Be very careful the first few days. If the bitch was close to her next heat, or in the days following hers, she will still officially smell an "available female" for some time and the males will continue to harass her. It is best to give her a 7-10 days before joining her with the rest of her canine friends at the park or playground.
Sometimes, the special hormonal cycle of bitches plays tricks on them and milk may appear in the breasts after surgery, and/or maternal behavior, known as pseudo-pregnancy or psychological pregnancy. Our veterinarian will tell us how to proceed in both cases, which, although infrequent, can be quite annoying for our dog.
Care for recently sterilized dogs
In the case of males, the testicles are removed through an incision in front of the scrotum (skin bag that covers them). Other veterinarians choose to perform it on the scrotum, but it is not as popular a technique. Since access to the abdominal cavity is not required, dogs generally recover faster, but the recommendation to recover in a warm and quiet environment and monitor activity physical a few days, it is the same for males and females.
We will be prescribed a post-surgical analgesic such as meloxicam for a few days (some less than in females), and monitor the incision for at least a week. Oral antibiotics are not usually prescribed to take at home, but it depends on each specific case. The stitches can be removed after 7-9 days, or be reabsorbable (they disappear on their own after a more or less long period of time).
Monitoring the appearance of vomiting and/or diarrhea in the days after surgery is the same for both sexes. In the case of the male, the surgery is shorter and usually requires less post-surgical medication, so the risk of these symptoms appearing decreases, but does not disappear.
They will recommend us to monitor the appearance of hematomas in the scrotum, due to the pressure exerted on it to extract the testicles, as well as the appearance of rashes or irritation in and around the scrotum area (it is the most sensitive skin on our dog's body, and it needs to be shaved for surgery).
Do males have to wear an Elizabethan collar?
Of course, it is necessary for the dog to wear an Elizabethan collar the days after surgery, or the itch that arises after shaving the hair and being born again, les will prompt you to lick taking away the stitches. And by "drying", the stitches can pull the skin slightly and be a bit bothersome.
What if bruising or irritation appears?
Baby-like sore creams can help if soreness appears on the scrotum, but should never be applied to the stitches or near the incision area. Some ointments for bruises that contain a product that breaks clots (pentosan), may be advisable if a scrotal hematoma appears.
Will it no longer chase females after castration?
The days after surgery, male dogs remain fertile, so extreme caution is recommended and avoid going to areas with females without castrating the week after the intervention. In addition, it will take a few weeks to eliminate all the hormones from the blood, and it is not advisable to be agitated after a general anesthesia when smelling females in heat.
As always, each dog is a world. These basic cares that we propose from our site can complement those that your veterinarian indicates, do not hesitate to consult the specialist for any abnormal situation that occurs after the sterilization of your dog.
