Care After a Spay Operation

The Spay operation is a procedure to permanently prevent a female animal from producing offspring. This operation in the bitch involves opening into her Abdomen (�Tummy�) and removing her Ovaries and her Womb.

It is normal in our practice for your bitch to come home the same day as her operation. Following her anaesthetic and operation the bitch may still be a little quiet and sleepy. She will only be allowed to come home if we feel that it is absolutely safe for her to do so, so that you can feel sure that this sleepiness is normal. Some bitches will be a little more quiet than others.

We routinely use pain killers as part of your bitch's treatment for her comfort. The drugs are given by injection prior to the operation and will last for 24 hours.

She should be given a warm and quiet place at home where she can be given peace to recover in her own time. It is not unusual for her to sleep off the after effects of her anaesthetic overnight, and will usually be rather more like her normal self by the next morning.

You should only offer her a small meal if she seems likely to want to eat, as most bitches will often not want to take food the same day as their operation. If she wants to eat, offer no more than one third to a half of her normal amount, and preferably offer something light and easy to digest - milk pudding or scrambled eggs are particular favourites. If a bitch takes a large meal, she will often vomit. This may do her no apparent harm but the retching can lead to tearing of some of the stitching and complicate the healing processes. In some cases this can mean another operation.

After the first evening she can be fed her normal diet, but some bitches may not want as much as normal for the first few days.

To avoid tearing of her stitches, she should be kept fairly quiet until her skin stitches are removed. Boisterous play, jumping on and off chairs or beds, and running up and down stairs should be discouraged. She is quite able to take walking exercise, but this should be confined to a short lead.

The stitches in her wound should be kept dry. Most bitches totally ignore them. However if you are unable to discourage her from licking at her stitches please contact us for advice.

Re-Examinations

We like to examine our bitch spay cases THREE days after their operation to ensure that all is going well. An appointment should be booked at reception.

Stitches are usually removed after TEN days. An appointment should be booked as above.

If your bitch seems to be unwell, or if there is anything that worries you at any stage, please never hesitate to contact a Veterinary Surgeon for advice.