The first day
Your pet had general anesthesia. Expect them to be sleepy and uncoordinated for the rest of the day. Pets recover at different rates.
Offer water in small amounts every 15 minutes. If your pet vomits, stop the water for an hour, then build up again. Then offer small amounts of food. Some pets are not interested in food for the first 24 to 36 hours.
Puppies and kittens up to 3 months must be offered food and water in very small amounts every 10 to 15 minutes. This one matters — do not wait for them to ask.
Keep your pet somewhere clean, dry, warm and quiet. Do not leave them outside.
The incision
Spay, neuter and mass removal.
Do not let your pet lick or bite the incision. Licking opens it and it becomes infected, and that leads to serious complications. Keep the collar on for 10 to 14 days — always, whatever the surgery. Never less.
Check the site each morning for the first week. Some swelling and a bit of pink is normal. A small, marble-sized hard lump is normal in female cats. Call us if it grows, or if a soft swelling larger than half a golf ball develops.
No bath for 10 to 14 days. Keep the site clean and dry. Do not clean it and do not put any ointment on it.
Restrict activity for 10 to 14 days, whatever the surgery. Leash walks only. No rough play with children or other pets, and no jumping.
Unless we tell you otherwise, the sutures are absorbable and buried under the skin, and you do not need to come back to have them removed. If yours are different, we will say so when you collect your pet.
After a dental
Soft food only for 10 to 14 days — wet food, or kibble softened with warm water. No hard kibble, treats, bones, rawhides, dental chews or hard toys while the mouth heals.
Mild blood-tinged saliva is normal on the first day. Sutures in the gums dissolve on their own over 2 to 4 weeks.
No chewing on hard objects or toys, and no tug-of-war. Do not brush the teeth or touch the extraction sites for 14 days. After that, gentle brushing is good.
Two things that catch people out
Females who were in heat may attract males for up to two weeks after surgery. Do not let male dogs near her — it can cause severe internal damage. Some reddish discharge afterwards is normal.
Male dogs can develop a blood-filled scrotal sac if activity is not restricted. Cats do not. Do not apply a compress and do not treat it yourself — people make it worse. Keep your dog restricted and stop him licking it, and send us a picture.
Feral cats
Put the cage somewhere quiet and comfortable, not cold, and keep it covered. Release the next morning, where the cat was caught. Kittens up to 3 months must be offered some wet food when they get home — carefully.
Call us if you see
- the incision opening, or bleeding or discharge from it — especially thick or yellow-green
- redness or swelling that develops, persists, or gets worse
- your pet in pain, not eating, or flat beyond the first 24 hours
- after a dental: bleeding from the mouth that does not stop, facial swelling, dropping food or refusing to eat, drooling, pawing at the mouth, or a bad smell
These surgeries are very safe, but complications can happen. If something looks wrong, call us rather than wait and see.
If you are worried
Call us on (408) 850-3922, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Outside those hours, see emergency care.