[trisha2766]

We got our 4 month old BC/Australian shepherd mix spayed yesterday. We were told to keep her calm and to reduce her activity level for a few days - no jumping, running, etc.. The vet gave us some tranquilizers for her, but that's only helping so much.

She is still jumping up on to the couch, I don't know if that it really ok or not. And would love to run around and play. We were told she can't even go for a walk for a few days. I can't imagine how we will keep her calm the next couple of days.

We haven't given her any pain medication yet though, but she doesn't act like she needs it.

Any suggestions?

 

[FourIsCompany]

If she's wanting to be active, she must not be in much pain. I wouldn't give her any pain meds. The pain will keep her activity in check. I probably go overboard, but with my girls, I had them leashed to me for the first week. It's just easier to control their movement. It's HARD to get through those first few days. But keep telling yourself that this is temporary.

Google to find mental stimulation games for dogs. I think I even saw some here on this website. That will help keep her occupied and stimulated for these days. Also, feeding her in a kong or other treat ball will take up some time.

Good luck!

 

[muddyboots]

I help out with surgeries at a local shelter (mostly spays and neuters) and I think the major thing is to keep her from stretching that area and putting strain on the sutures (both internal and external).

The previous reply had some good ideas about using mental stimulation games/treats to keep her occupied. Kongs with stuffing, rawhides -those kinds of things can keep her busy and let her work off some energy without stressing her body too much.

I've seen a few cases of ripped sutures and resulting infections or hernias come through the clinic, but most were in multiple dog households where we suspect it happened while the dogs were wrestling. You should definitely keep her as quiet as possible, but most vets know that with puppies real rest for any length of time is pretty improbable. ...just do the best you can for her and she should be alright.

Watch the suture location for blood, color change, redness, or changes in (or extreme) tenderness and if you are concerned about internal tearing gently explore her suture area for any bumps or depressions that you can feel in that area and contact your vet if anything seems odd.

-Erica