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.