Spay Waggin'
Post-Operative Discharge Instructions
Your pet has undergone surgical sterilization today. We strongly suggest, for the safety and wellbeing of your pet, that you carefully follow these post-operative instructions.
1. All cats and dogs should be kept indoors for a minimum of 10 days after their surgery. All cats must continue to stay in their cat carriers for 1 hour after being picked up from surgery. After that, they must stay confined to a room (ex: bedroom or bathroom) until the following morning. They should be checked on every hour to make sure that they are recovering properly. You can offer your pet food and water starting at 6:00 p.m. on the evening of the surgery. If your pet is not interested in eating, you may try offering a different food in place of their normal diet (i.e. canned food, chicken, tuna, and/or jarred meat baby food). Please do not force your pet to eat or drink.
2. All dogs should be walked only. Please prevent your dog from running, climbing, and playing with other dogs for a minimum of 10 days following their surgery. The incision needs time to heal and heavy exercise could cause tearing or stretching, which could lead to infection.
3. Please check your pet's incision daily (which is located on the abdomen for females and the scrotum for males). Check for any bleeding, pus, severe swelling, or any kind of seepage from the incision. On some females, you may see a walnut size (sometimes larger) lump develop on the incision site. If you see any seepage or the lump becomes excessively large, please call us at 1-877-590-7729.
4. The incision needs to be kept dry for a minimum of 14 days. Please do not bathe your pet during this time or apply any products to the incision.
5. Your pet does not need to return for suture removal. All sutures are internal and dissolvable. Please discourage your pet from licking the incision site. However, if your pet does lick or bite the incision, please purchase an Elizabethan collar (lamp shade collar) from a pet supply store. Excessive licking of the incision can lead to infection.
6. Any urine “marking” behavior of male pets may subside after sterilization, but this can take a few weeks. The younger they are at the time of sterilization, the more successful this will be.
7. It is common for some pets to gain weight after sterilization. Please be conscious of the amount of food you are feeding your pet and their activity level. Consult your veterinarian if you have any diet-related questions and for recommendations.
8. If your pet is having an emergency relating to his or her spay or neuter procedure, please contact your own veterinarian or one of the following emergency hospitals:
- VCA Roberts Animal Hospital (Hanover) 781-826-2306
- VCA South Shore (Weymouth) 781-337-6622
- New England Animal Medical Center (West Bridgewater) 508-584-1600
- VCA Plymouth Animal Hospital and Pet Resort (Plymouth) 508-746-4232
- Cape Animal Referral and Emergency Center (South Dennis) 508-398-7575
- Abbott Animal Hospital (Rehoboth) 508-336-4430
- Mass/RI Veterinary Emergency Room (Swansea) 508-730-1112
- VCA Quincy 617-773-8247
- Angell Memorial ( Boston ) 617-522-7282
- Tufts (Walpole) 508-668-5454
- Vescone (Waltham) 781-684-8387
You may also look in your phone book for a hospital in your area if one is not listed above.
If your pet needs to be seen at a local veterinary hospital after his or her spay or neuter procedure, please contact the Spay Waggin' during normal business hours to see if you qualify for reimbursement.
The Animal Rescue League of Boston is happy to offer these services, and it is our goal to encourage you to seek out a relationship with a veterinarian for the long-term health of your pet.
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