NORTH FLORIDA ANIMAL RESCUE HEALTH CENTER 16800 CR 137 ~ Wellborn, FL 32094 Phone: 386-963-1354 Fax: 386-963-1127 INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOUR PET AFTER SURGERY: Your pet has had invasive surgery today. Sometimes we forget that pets need care for their incisions just like us! If you had just had abdominal surgery, would you ride home in the bed of the truck in the wind and dust, or sleep in the dirt outside at night, or go swimming in the murky pond the next day? Of course not! Animal skin is not “tougher.” The stitches are in place, but remember the tissues have not healed together for many days to weeks after the procedure. Bacteria can get in and incisions can open up. We recommend the following care for your animal at home after surgery to optimize healing and avoid costly medical complications. KEEP YOUR PET CONFINED in a small room or area. It should not be excessively hot or cold in the room. Do not allow rough playtime with children or other pets for at least 7 days. No climbing, jumping, or running in or out of the house. This is especially important for adult pets and large male dogs. If pets are outside animals, keep them in a shed or bathroom or enclosed garage for at least 5 days after surgery. If they are in kennels, be sure the floor is solid, dry, and warm. Cats tend to do a better job of restricting their own activity after surgery than dogs. Kittens and puppies are normally very active! DO NOT ALLOW dogs to lick, bite, or chew the surgery area. No amount of licking is acceptable, the tongue and mouth carry a lot of nasty bacteria. Male dogs will try to lick the incision. We would rather you take home an “E” collar and not need it, than to get home and not have a way to prevent your pet from chewing or licking. Cats are “groomers”, so try to tell if the cat is licking to groom or licking to chew on the incision. It is rare that a cat needs an “E” collar for a routine spay or neuter, but there are occasions. IF YOUR PET HAS AN “E”COLLAR OR FOAM COLLAR, KEEP IT ON FOR APPROXIMATELY 7 DAYS. For dogs with foam wrap-around collars, remove every day to check the neck for any signs of rubbing, then rewrap snugly and secure with duct tape or similar tape. Males with E-collars should keep them on for at least 7 days. Also, many dogs will not eat or drink well while the collar is on; it can be removed only while they eat. NO SWIMMING OR BATHING FOR DOGS FOR 10 DAYS. KEEP THE INCISION CLEAN. Do not allow dirt near the surgical area. This could cause infection. If there is any oozing of blood from the incision, use a warm moistened cloth to gently blot and clean immediately around the incision. This will often happen with heartworm positive animals, pets with bleeding tendencies, and female pets in “heat.” DO NOT LET YOUR PET OUTDOORS IN THE DIRT. Dogs may be leash walked to use the bathroom for the first week after surgery. OFFER YOUR PET half of a normal meal tonight after 10pm but do not worry if he/she does not eat. Normal appetite should return the next day. Offer water after 8pm tonight. Exception: Very young puppies and kittens eat immediately after surgery, and are often fed in the clinic soon after the procedure. We use DISSOLVABLE sutures (stitches) so there will be no stitch removal required on regular spay surgeries. However, there may be occasions where there is a more advanced surgery needed, a complication, an anatomic abnormality, or other reason that the veterinarian may place skin stitches. You will be specifically notified when to return if your animal has skin stitches so that they can be removed. ONLY GIVE MEDICATION PRESCRIBED BY THE VETERINARIAN during the recovery period. Some medications can be deadly or damaging such as Tylenol. Please avoid holistic “antiinflammatory” medications such as arnica which can increase bleeding time. Discuss questions with the veterinarian. CONSTIPATION is common after anesthesia and should not last more than 48 hours. OCCASIONALLY there is a skin infection present at or near the surgery incision, and the doctor will send home antibiotics to help protect the surgical incision. Unless you are told differently, begin the antibiotics on the morning after surgery. WHAT DOES A NORMAL INCISION LOOK LIKE AFTER SURGERY? A normal incision will be slightly raised and slightly pink for several days after surgery, with no drainage or discharge. The stiff stitching material can be easily felt below the skin and in the body wall in thin-skinned animals. Occasionally there are dogs and cats that tend to bruise easily, this will be noted on the surgical notes if it is discovered during surgery. For the first 24 hours after surgery, if your dog or cat had bleeding tendencies noted on the surgery report (as can occur with “heat”), there may be very mild oozing from the incision line. Bulldogs also have skin that tends to “gather” a little more when it is closed. Thin-skinned animals like elderly patients, Chihuahuas, poodles, etc. will also sometimes have a more redappearing inflammatory reaction than dogs with thicker skin. The most common “normal” complication is a suture reaction, where the body of your pet doesn’t recognize the foreign material and a lot of inflammation occurs. This is normally a raised, firm, “lump” just beneath the incision site the same size or slightly larger than the incision line, but the skin on top heals nicely and looks good. Please report all incidences of suture reactions, and at any time bring the pet in for an examination by the doctor. Occasionall, batches of suture cause more inflammation than is typical and need to be reported to the company. ABNORMAL COMPLICATIONS: An incision that opens up even partially, drains any liquid, pus, or foamy material; severely painful incisions to the touch; incisions that do not stop oozing blood; any stitch material that “works itself out” over time; large areas (over a half inch) of dark purple bruising around the incision. Other reasons to call immediately include pets with distended/bloated bellies, diarrhea, vomiting more than once, or listlessness (being almost drowsy/unconscious). If at ANY time you are concerned about your pet after surgery, call us at 386-963-1354 during business hours. If you have an emergency after hours, call Affiliated Pet in Gainesville Florida at 352-373-4444.