Tips for Managing Your Dog's Pain After Neutering

Our Bartlett vets at Hillcrest Animal Hospital understand that for some pet parents, deciding to have your dog spayed or neutered can be an emotional decision. However, try to keep in mind that the pain from neutering is typically short lived and easy to manage.

Benefits of Spay & Neuter

Our vets know that you may not feel like it at the moment, but going through the emotional process of having your dog spayed or neutered is worth it, both for you as a loving pet parent, and for your canine companion.

Having your dog 'fixed' can help to curb undesirable behaviors such as roaming, mounting and animal aggression. Spaying and neutering may also offer your dog a number of health benefits including a decreased risk of some serious illnesses, as well as preventing unwanted puppies.

An estimated 3.3 million dogs enter shelters every year! By having your dog spayed or neutered you are doing your bit to help reduce the overall number of unwanted pets in your neighborhood.

Is spaying or neutering safe for my dog?

Yes. These surgeries are common veterinary medical procedures that most vets get a lot of experience performing. Nonetheless, as with people, there is some level of risk involved whenever an animal is put under anesthesia for a procedure.

For that reason, throughout the procedure, your vet will closely monitor your dog and be on the lookout for any signs of illness or possible complications.

What's the difference between spaying and neutering?

The terms 'spaying' and 'neutering' both refer to surgical procedures that render your dog unable to produce puppies. Both of these surgeries are commonly referred to as 'neutering' or being 'fixed' although the surgeries are very different.

Neuter

• The neutering or castration of male dogs involves the surgical removal of the testicles while the dog is under general anesthesia. 

Spay

• Spaying is the surgical sterilization of a female animal through the removal of both ovaries and the uterus, while under general anesthesia.

How do I help my dog feel more comfortable after neutering?

After your dog has been neutered you are going to want to help them to rest and feel as comfortable as possible. Here are a few things that you can do to help comfort your dog after neutering:

• Provide your dog with a quiet place to recover indoors and away from other pets.
• Prevent your pet from running and jumping for two weeks after neutering. Be sure to follow your vet's instructions regarding activity after these procedures, since your dog may require further restrictions. 
• Have your dog wear a cone (Elizabethan collar) or post-operative jumpsuit (recovery suit) to prevent your pup from licking the incision site. Licking the incision may cause an infection.
• To help your dog's incision to heal as quickly as possible, do not bathe your dog (or allow your dog to swim) for at least ten days after their surgery.
• Check the incision site every day for any signs of infection and to be sure that the incision is healing well.

Contact your vet if you notice any redness, swelling or discharge at the surgery site, or if the incision has opened. Also contact your vet if your dog seems lethargic, stops eating, has diarrhea or begins vomiting.

How long will my dog be in pain after neutering?

When you pick your dog up from the vet's office after surgery, your dog may be tired, queasy, or just not seem like their usual self - those are all typical side effects of the general anesthesia. The next day your pet should begin behaving more like themselves and be showing little or no sign of any pain. 

While spaying your female dog is more involved than neutering male dogs, these surgeries should take about the same amount of time to recover from.

Any discomfort caused by having your dog fixed lasts for just a few days and should be completely gone after about a week. If your pup is experiencing pain or discomfort for more than a couple of days contact your vet for further advice.

Will my dog have pain meds after surgery?

Yes. Throughout the surgery your dog will be unconscious and not feel any pain. Once your dog wakes up after the surgery, medication will be needed to help manage pain. Directly following the surgery, your vet will administer long-term pain medication via an injection which should last for about 12-24 hours.

The vet will prescribe any take-home medications required to help relieve your dog's post-operative pain. Some of the most common medications prescribed by vets to help manage pain after neutering include Torbugesic or Rimadyl.

Follow your vet's instructions carefully when it comes to giving your dog pain medications. Never administer human pain medications to your dog! Some pain medications that work for humans can be poisonous to dogs.