[Dori]

Oleanderz. I would not change her diet before surgery unless you are looking for a better food and she can transition and be on the new food for a while before surgery. If you do it too soon before surgery and she starts having issues you won’t know if they are from the change of food, surgery, anesthesia or what. None of my dogs metabolism ever changed after spaying or neutering but if it does, it’s an easy fix. If she starts to gain weight, feed her less. If she starts to lose weight, feed her more. It’s just like people. As to pain meds, etc. and/or antibiotics and cone. She will have to wear the cone at all times until the stitches are removed which is typically 10 days. If you or someone is going to supervise her at meal time, what I have done is remove it while they eat and then put it right back on. BUT SOMEONE MUST BE WITH HER EVERY SINGLE MOMENT WHILE SHE EATS. Some dogs don’t bother too much with their stitches and some are obsessed with them. Initially it’s because they are in a bit of pain and as they heal they start to itch. If you or your mother don’t want to supervise her with the cone off while she eats, then depending on the size of the cone and her height, you will need to feed her on a little bit of a raised platform. Just anything that will raise the bowl off the floor a little so that she can reach the food while wearing the cone. Use a stainless steel bowl for her food in case she or the cone knocks her food bowl over, the bowl doesn’t break. Also make sure she can reach her water in her water bowl while wearing the cone. Some vets will put dogs on antibiotics and pain meds when spayed, some will just do pain meds. Vets appear to be of different mind sets on this. I would definitely have her on pain meds at least initially. Probably the antibiotics also but that’s the vets call. No, she will not hate you or anything afterwards. She will be so thrilled with you when you pick her up after her surgery she will think you are her savior. She will be in discomfort, there is no way around that. It’s a hysterectomy. It’s painful. I don’t think you will need to keep her in a crate or cage but she should be left in maybe the kitchen or bathroom area with a gate at the door so that she can see out. She should not be going up or down any stairs. You don’t want her pulling any of the stitches. There are typically stitches inside (they will dissolve on their own) and outside which will be removed by the vet after approx. 10 days. Since you’ve waited this long to have her spayed, it seems to me that it would make more sense to have her spayed when you are home from college for either a two week break or summer vacation and you have everything scheduled before hand. It will also give you ample time to adjust her diet if you want to switch her food.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 10 months ago by Dori.