Pet InfoRx^®
After Surgery Care for Dogs

Your veterinarian will provide you with specific instructions based on your dog’s surgery, medications, and home care. It is critical to follow them closely. In general, however, it’s important to:

• Give all medications as directed and until gone, even if your dog seems fine or doesn’t appear to be in any discomfort. Skipping doses or stopping to give medications can have serious or unwanted consequences. It's recommended not to just put the medications in their food. This may cause your pet not to eat, or they may not get the full dose of meds. Be sure to have your veterinarian show you how to give the medications or different options on how to give them if your dog doesn't willingly take medication.
  
  
• Follow all home care instructions thoroughly. Especially the confinement recommendations. Read more here for help with wound and incision care.
  
  
• Keep an Elizabethan collar ("cone") on your dog at all times. While it isn't recommended because you may not be able to put it back on properly or your dog may resist you doing it, but if you can supervise your dog directly to avoid them licking or chewing their incision, sutures, or staples, then you may give them a break from wearing it. But be super careful as dogs can be very determined! There are many styles and options for E-collars, but as an overall general rule, the hard collar tends to be the most effective for many situations – to help prevent serious complications. 
  
  
• Avoid bathing your dog until any incisions have been rechecked or stitches/staples have been removed. Going into pools, or swimming in general, must be avoided as well.
  
  
• Strictly limit your dog's activity (at least 2 weeks for most surgeries and about 6 to 8 weeks for orthopedic surgeries) and plan to take your dog outside on a leash to prevent overexertion. No long walks. Basically, take your dog out just long enough for them to potty. Your dog shouldn't be allowed to run around, jump, climb (even up onto the couch) or play while their incision is healing. Any extension of their body or twisting can cause the incision to open.

• Ideally, if you have other dogs or cats, separate your recovering dog from them, even if they’re friends. Dogs returning from a veterinary hospital bring back a lot of scary new smells, and the other animals may not be as welcoming for a day or two. Also, once you do reunite them, monitor them closely so that the other pet doesn't lick their incision site.

If you're reading this before your dog has surgery, you can check out this video for tips on how to get your dog comfortable wearing a cone, or read this article for more tips.

Keep Your Dog Comfortable

The best thing you can do is to keep your dog calm, follow any home care directions, and administer all medications as directed.

Provide your dog with a clean, quiet spot for them to recuperate, away from other pets or small children. Be sure that their pet bed isn’t too difficult for them to get on and off of.

You may want to move their food and water bowls closer to their resting area, so they don’t have to get up and move as far to get to them. This also ensures you can keep an eye on how much they’re eating and drinking. It may also help to elevate the bowls to make it easier for your pet to eat and drink with the E-collar on.

Ideally, when you are not home with your dog after surgery, it is recommended to confine them to a crate or a small room without furniture for them to jump on. This will ensure that they cannot be active as well as prevent them from getting the E-collar hung on something.

If you're having a tough time keeping your dog inactive, or they're wrestling with their E-collar, your veterinarian may need to prescribe medication to calm them down. Give them a call to discuss your options.

You should call your veterinarian right away if your dog has:

• Respiratory difficulties: more than 40 breaths per minute at rest or when sleeping, difficulty breathing, or excessive coughing.
  
  To check respiratory rate: You count your dog's breaths for 15 seconds, then multiply it by 4 to get the number of breaths per minute. You can use the timer on your phone and place your hand on their chest to feel their breaths as you count. The normal rate for dogs and cats is between 8 and 40 breaths a minute.

• Vomiting or diarrhea: more than one or two episodes
  
  
• Discharge from the incision: any yellow or green discharge
  
  
• If your dog has gotten to the incision and torn or ripped out any sutures or staples