Our puppy is getting spayed tomorrow and I feel nervous :-(

[Anonymous]

I’m feeling nervous about my pup’s surgery tomorrow. Please tell me all will be well! And if you have any tips for how to help her afterward, please share them. I know this is 100% the best thing, but still. Poor little thing!

[Anonymous]

How old?

There is new research explaining that castration is better done after bone growth is complete (1.5 to 2 years, depending on the size of the breed). That is usually AFTER sexual maturation, BTW, so you have to keep an eye on your pet during the period between sexual maturation and end of bone growth.

Bones do not all grow at the same rate, and lack of hormones will cause some to elongate while others have already finished growing, thereby causing un-natural tension on some joints, and increasing risks of neuromuscular injuries later in the dog's life.

[Anonymous]

Mine was spayed a few months ago. Recovery was worlds better than I anticipated. She didn’t care about the incision at all, and even though she was rambunctious (against doctor’s orders) she healed just fine. After a few days it was like nothing had happened. I was afraid that we would need to medicate her to keep her calm and keep the cone on around the clock and it would be awful but it wasn’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old?

There is new research explaining that castration is better done after bone growth is complete (1.5 to 2 years, depending on the size of the breed). That is usually AFTER sexual maturation, BTW, so you have to keep an eye on your pet during the period between sexual maturation and end of bone growth.

Bones do not all grow at the same rate, and lack of hormones will cause some to elongate while others have already finished growing, thereby causing un-natural tension on some joints, and increasing risks of neuromuscular injuries later in the dog's life.

+1 our dog is 9 mo the and we haven’t spayed her yet. Waiting til she goes through her first heat.

[Anonymous]

Spay, but wait to do it. Major research about cancer and muscle issues when they are spayed too young.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m feeling nervous about my pup’s surgery tomorrow. Please tell me all will be well! And if you have any tips for how to help her afterward, please share them. I know this is 100% the best thing, but still. Poor little thing!

Your pup will be fine. Trust your vet, not a bunch of random internet strangers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m feeling nervous about my pup’s surgery tomorrow. Please tell me all will be well! And if you have any tips for how to help her afterward, please share them. I know this is 100% the best thing, but still. Poor little thing!

Your pup will be fine. Trust your vet, not a bunch of random internet strangers.

Who have done their research and may care much more than the vet... the vet gets to treat your paralyzed or cancerous dog at the end of his or her life, to the tune of thousands, or tens of thousands of dollars.
Tempting, eh?

[Anonymous]

All I have to add is that ours threw up in the car on the way home, from the meds. So bring some towels.

It's very routine, your pup will be fine. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old?

There is new research explaining that castration is better done after bone growth is complete (1.5 to 2 years, depending on the size of the breed). That is usually AFTER sexual maturation, BTW, so you have to keep an eye on your pet during the period between sexual maturation and end of bone growth.

Bones do not all grow at the same rate, and lack of hormones will cause some to elongate while others have already finished growing, thereby causing un-natural tension on some joints, and increasing risks of neuromuscular injuries later in the dog's life.

OP's dog is female.

[Anonymous]

My dog got spayed at 5.5 years. Not everyone spays when the dog is a puppy. I hated the thought of leaving her there for the surgery. Husband took her in. She had a rough recovery, but I stayed home with her for most of the time. Make sure she doesn’t jump and run and make sure she doesn’t lick the incision. I slept on the floor with her at night the first week or so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old?

There is new research explaining that castration is better done after bone growth is complete (1.5 to 2 years, depending on the size of the breed). That is usually AFTER sexual maturation, BTW, so you have to keep an eye on your pet during the period between sexual maturation and end of bone growth.

Bones do not all grow at the same rate, and lack of hormones will cause some to elongate while others have already finished growing, thereby causing un-natural tension on some joints, and increasing risks of neuromuscular injuries later in the dog's life.

OP's dog is female.

Can you move past the word and understand that it applies to both sexes?

Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old?

There is new research explaining that castration is better done after bone growth is complete (1.5 to 2 years, depending on the size of the breed). That is usually AFTER sexual maturation, BTW, so you have to keep an eye on your pet during the period between sexual maturation and end of bone growth.

Bones do not all grow at the same rate, and lack of hormones will cause some to elongate while others have already finished growing, thereby causing un-natural tension on some joints, and increasing risks of neuromuscular injuries later in the dog's life.

OP's dog is female.

Can you move past the word and understand that it applies to both sexes?

Sigh.

Does this apply to both sexes equally? My understanding was that it doesn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old?

There is new research explaining that castration is better done after bone growth is complete (1.5 to 2 years, depending on the size of the breed). That is usually AFTER sexual maturation, BTW, so you have to keep an eye on your pet during the period between sexual maturation and end of bone growth.

Bones do not all grow at the same rate, and lack of hormones will cause some to elongate while others have already finished growing, thereby causing un-natural tension on some joints, and increasing risks of neuromuscular injuries later in the dog's life.

+1 our dog is 9 mo the and we haven’t spayed her yet. Waiting til she goes through her first heat.

Yes to this. It was written into the breeder contracts with my current dogs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m feeling nervous about my pup’s surgery tomorrow. Please tell me all will be well! And if you have any tips for how to help her afterward, please share them. I know this is 100% the best thing, but still. Poor little thing!

She’ll be fine! It’s very routine and we’ll be over and done with quickly. Your vet is a better source of advice than other posters regarding the age of the dog - obviously make sure you trust your vet, but it’s still typical to have this surgery done on puppies v adult dogs.

I got my pup from the shelter when she was about 11 weeks old- and they had her up for adoption and available to meet the day after her spay surgery. Not good, and honestly contributed to me picking her. She was so young and vulnerable I hated the idea of the family of screaming brats that were also looking at dogs taking her home ... I did the paperwork and paid the fees to have her taken out of the available pups but had her kept overnight so I could get a smaller crate etc (I had not planned on a puppy, and not that day, but very glad I got her!) .

The shelter gave no after care instructions and didn’t have her in an e-collar; I did take her to my vet 3 days post op for a check up and was told she should have been in the collar for the first few days after surgery, she should have been restricted to minimize activity, and I couldn’t bathe her for 2 weeks to allow the incision to heal.

I was lucky - she never messed with her incision although I put a collar on her at night the first 2-3 nights just in case. I had her in her crate a lot but she wanted to be active and play- by the first night she was home there was a small bump near her incision; it wasn’t red or infected looking but was concerning. The vet said it was from her post surgery activity & was basically fluid under the skin. I had to keep an eye on it - took ages to go away but never grew or looked worse. Something to watch for, and I recommend the e-collar & just watch her when it’s off. Mine slept in her crate from day 1 at home with me but that first night I was awake watching her most of the night. She cried a lot the first couple days but she was in a new house after the shelter and came there as a stray someone found so hard to say if she was in pain or just adjusting. I got her a puppy Kong toy and some other puppy safe toys but she wasn’t interested in anything for a few days. I also made sure the room her crate was in was super warm and I slept with a small clean blanket that I put in her crate before her first night so she had a slightly familiar scent.

General TLC and I’m sure she’ll be mostly over it quickly! Good luck

[Anonymous]

Dogs should wear the cone of shame or e collar for two weeks post surgery.

If you have a large breed male dog make sure the now empty sack doesn’t get swollen. This is a common occurrence and if it does it means you have to add an anti
Inflammatory medication and an antibiotic in addition to the pain medicine your vet will give you.

But hey for $110 it was in and out in half a day and a quick recovery. No playing was harder then anything else.