[SOLVED ] Q. Post-op Spay of a female Siberian husky at 6 months, it's been 3 days since the operation. What are my limits with her? In detail.

Experienced and professional animal trainer provide their insights in answering this question :

A. Two weeks after surgery you will want to keep exercise to a minimum. Take the dog outside to go potty on a leash to make sure she isn’t running too much. You won’t need to do anything to the wound, unless the doctor used staples then you will need to have a re-check to remove them. Most doctors do not use staples anymore so if you do not have an appointment schedule you are probably fine. IF you have any issues at ALL don’t be afraid to call your vet. Your veterinarian should have given you an E-collar, use that for the entire two weeks. That will help keep your dog from lick and chewing at the incision which is very important. after two weeks your dog should be fully healed. Your dog doesn’t always have to use the e-collar if you’re able to watch the dog. You can take the e-collar off for feeding times as well. Think of the E-collar as your insurance that your dog will not ruin their incision site. If you did not get one and your dog is licking the site please go back to your vet and ask for an e-collar or purchase one at a pet store.

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Recovery After Spaying Surgery

Most pets will start to feel better in 24 – 48 hours, but full recovery takes between 10 to 14 days. During this period you should aim to keep your pet calm and refrain from allowing them to jump, as this could cause the incision to reopen.

Orthopedic Disease

This may be the area with the most clearly defined risks and benefits. It is well documented that spaying and neutering before skeletal maturity is reached (before the growth plates have closed) will delay closure of the growth plates which will result in disproportionately long limbs.

Question: How long will my dog be at the vet for neutering? Answer: They usually stay overnight, and are ready in the morning if you drop them off in the afternoon. Question: Can a vet hospital keep the dog for the time it takes them to heal? Answer: That would be expensive and unnecessary, as it takes about two weeks.

The average female dog spay recovery time is between 10-14 days. During the recovery time for female dog spay surgeries, you should restrict her activity and monitor her behaviour and healing.

An age of six to nine months of age may be appropriate for neutering or spaying a toy breed puppy or small breed puppy but a larger or giant breed may need to wait until they are near or over 12-18 months of age.

Dogs: According to the AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines, small-breed dogs (under 45 pounds projected adult body weight) should be neutered at six months of age or spayed prior to the first heat (five to six months).

A University of Georgia study, based on the medical records of more than 70,000 animal patients, found that the life expectancy of neutered male dogs was 13.8% longer and that of spayed female dogs was 26.3% longer.

Having your dog spayed or neutered early will not stunt your puppy`s growth, but it might affect the joints of large breed dogs. Studies show that early spay/neuter does affect the growth plate, delaying its closure and causing dogs to grow taller than they should have.

You may notice that after surgery your pet isn`t her usual self. After the procedure, it`s normal for animals to have low energy and feel lethargic. The procedure can make dogs calmer, but many dogs will bounce right back to usual personalities after recovery.

There are key signs that indicate that your pup`s incision is healing well, which include: Closed incision edges. Pinkish skin surrounding the incision edges (this is a normal part of the inflammation process) Slight skin bruising.

No bathing, swimming, or playing in deep snow. Check the incision twice daily until healed. A small amount of blood is normal immediately after surgery. Some redness and swelling of the incision is expected and normal.

Hormones play a large role in your dog`s emotional state, and when surgical procedures disrupt your pet`s hormone levels, depression often follows. Dogs who`ve been spayed or neutered are the most likely to suffer hormonally triggered depression, thanks to the removal of their reproductive organs.

Starting when your female puppy is between six months and one year old, she`ll begin her reproductive cycle, or “go into heat.” During this 3- to 4-week period, she`s ready to mate and looking for dates. That said, every pup is different and your pup may be on her own timeline.

Heat usually lasts between 2-4 weeks. Early in the cycle, a female dog may not be receptive to male dogs, although some are receptive through the entire cycle. It can be shorter or longer and you`ll know the cycle is over when all her vulva returns to its normal size and there`s no more bleeding or discharge.

Is it Too Late? The recommended time to spay or neuter a dog is six to nine months. But if your dog is healthy, there is no specific age limit to having the procedure done.

Spaying your dog too early can result in health problems later on since her hormones should have some time to work. Early spaying can increase the risk of hip dysplasia, torn ligaments, bone cancer, and urinary incontinence.

Standard spay and neuter procedures are typically carried out at around five to six months of age, whereas early or pediatric procedures are typically performed at about six to eight weeks of age. However, if your cat is healthy, these procedures can be done at any point in their life.

It`s generally recommended to spay puppies between the ages of 4 to 6 months, says the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). By that age a female puppy`s sex organs are fully developed but she hasn`t yet experienced her first heat cycle, during which she could become pregnant.

After being spayed or neutered, dogs lack sex-related hormones (like testosterone and estrogen) that are normally produced by the testicles and ovaries.

DOES SPAY/NEUTER CAUSE NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR CHANGES IN DOGS? Many guardians of spayed dogs report significant behavior changes (skittish, aggressive, anxious) after their dog fully recovers from the spay surgery.

The pain associated with spay or neuter surgeries is typically more of a discomfort and may last for just a few days and should be completely gone after about a week. If your pet is experiencing pain or discomfort for more than a couple of days it`s a good idea to contact your vet for further advice.

Most spay/neuter skin incisions are fully healed within about 10–14 days, which coincides with the time that stitches or staples, if any, will need to be removed.

When incisions are healing properly, they`ll appear clean with the edges touching each other. Once the incision is fully healed, the redness should disappear and no sutures are needed to hold the wound together.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Q. Post-op Spay of a female Siberian husky at 6 months, it’s been 3 days since the operation. What are my limits with her? In detail.

ANSWER : A. Two weeks after surgery you will want to keep exercise to a minimum. Take the dog outside to go potty on a leash to make sure she isn’t running too much. You won’t need to do anything to the wound, unless the doctor used staples then you will need to have a re-check to remove them. Most doctors do not use staples anymore so if you do not have an appointment schedule you are probably fine. IF you have any issues at ALL don’t be afraid to call your vet. Your veterinarian should have given you an E-collar, use that for the entire two weeks. That will help keep your dog from lick and chewing at the incision which is very important. after two weeks your dog should be fully healed. Your dog doesn’t always have to use the e-collar if you’re able to watch the dog. You can take the e-collar off for feeding times as well. Think of the E-collar as your insurance that your dog will not ruin their incision site. If you did not get one and your dog is licking the site please go back to your vet and ask for an e-collar or purchase one at a pet store.

Read Full Q/A … : Spaying Your Female Dog – Dogtime

Q. I currently feed my 2 year 31 lb Beagle 1 1/2 cups of Eukanuba a day. I was thinking of changing his food, can you recommend something?

ANSWER : A. If you are looking for a higher end food to feed your Beagle, there are many available now in commercial pet stores. Many brands such as Blue Buffalo, Nutro Natural Choice and others offer holistic foods that tend to be more meat based than carbohydrate based. Some brands such as Royal Canin also offer foods that are specific to certain breeds. This means the products tend to have more digestible ingredients in them rather than fillers. They may also avoid some allergenic ingredients such as corn, wheat and soy products which can cause digestive issues in some dogs. However, Eukanuba, Science Diet and others are a good mid-grade brand and many dogs do very well on it.

If you do decide to switch your dog’s food, it should be done so gradually to avoid digestive upset. A routine of 9 days is best for switching over. This involves 3 days of 25% new/75% old, 3 days of 50/50 and 3 days of 25%old/75% new before finally feeding only the new food. Also be advised that depending on the ingredient changes, foods that have different grains or fewer grains in them may slightly change the consistency and size of your dog’s stool.

Read Full Q/A … : Best 4-Star Dry Puppy Foods – Dog Food Advisor

Q. I’m fostering some now motherless 5 week old Pitbull puppies. There are 5 of them. How much do I feed them? I give them blue buffalo puppy food by wa

ANSWER : A. It should say on the Blue Buffalo on the back under, “puppies” or some sort of age chart. Make sure it’s puppy food.. puppies need extra protein and nutrients. http://bluebuffalo.com/product-finder/dog/?facets=Puppy,Dog_DryFood#

http://www.bullytree.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Feeding-Chart-Blue-Buffalo.gif – On the back of a puppy-food bag from Blue Buffalo it says underneath 3-5 months, “3 to 20 lbs: feed 1/3 – 1 1/4 cups per day” and “21 to 50 lbs: feed 1 1/2 – 3 cups per day.” Make sure you are breaking that up into at least three meals. Let’s say you decide to feed them 1 1/2 cups per day each, then, you should measure that out, and set it aside. Throughout the day, you should offer at least three mealtimes with that set-aside amount. You want to start with the least amount, and then if they seem hungry (licking the floors, begging you constantly for food, whining/crying) feed them a little more until you get it right. Do not overfeed, and try to avoid underfeeding a well.

Read Full Q/A … : French Bulldog Rescue Network :: Home

Q. I have a 3 year old female, spayed about 3 months aqo. Since the spay she has had hair loss, weight loss and on both sides there is swelling.

ANSWER : A. I would be very concerned about the weight loss and swelling. I recommend you get her assessed with a full health check and possibly bloods to investigate exactly what is going on. Some cats can have changes in hair coat related to hormone changes after being spayed but this is unlikely to be related to her other issues.

Read Full Q/A … : Cat Questions – Our Happy Cat.com

Q. I have 3 shihtzus 2 have diarrhea seem fine otherwise I did change there diets in the last 3 days for all. They eat imams canned food twice daily now

ANSWER : A. Some dogs have more sensitive stomachs than others so a change in diet may have been enough to cause it. Did you introduce the new food gradually? We normally recommend doing it over 7-10 days (a quarter of new food with 3quarters of the old food for a few days, then half and half for a few days etc). Was there a reason for changing their diet? If they were fine on the original food then stick to that. If the diarrhea doesn’t clear up in a few days then get some pro biotic paste from your vet.

Read Full Q/A … : Kibbles 'n Bits Dog Food

Q. I have a jack russle puppy gave hem his first puppy shot my self he is a little over 6 months now and was wondering if he needed a booster shot

ANSWER : A. I would recommend that your puppy have at least 2 vaccinations, approximately 3 weeks apart in order to acquire proper immunity. If it has been longer than 3 weeks since the first shot, start over and do 2 shots at 3 week intervals. You will be required, however, to get his Rabies vaccination from a licensed veterinarian and this vaccine should have already been given. The recommended age for a Rabies vaccine is 16 weeks, or 4 months of age. It is always better to have all of your vaccinations given by a licensed veterinarian to ensure that your vaccine is of good quality, had been stored and shipped at proper temperature and is safe.

Read Full Q/A … : Vetinfo

Q. My cat is excessively scrstching herself., to the point she has sores. She is strictly an indoor cat. Did have flees been treated for 2 months

ANSWER : A. For every flea you see on your pet, there are 100 more in the environment. Get your pet on a good topical or oral flea control through your vet. In flea control, you get what you pay for. Consider asking your vet for a dose of Capstar. It helps get the problem under control by killing the fleas on the pet starting in five minutes but only lasts for 24 hours.

You need to treat your home environment. If you use a pest control service, tell them you are having a flea problem and they can adjust their treatment. Use a premise spray that also contains an IGR, insect growth regulator. This keeps eggs and larvae from maturing into adults and helps break the life cycle. Also, vacuum EVERY DAY, throwing out the bag or emptying the canister every time into an outside receptacle and spraying the contents with insecticide to kill the fleas youâ€™ve vacuumed up.

Treat your yard too, since fleas are opportunistic and will hop a ride into your home on your pant leg without you knowing it. Concentrate on areas under bushes, in the shade. Fleas are less likely to be located in open sunny areas where it gets hot.

If chemicals are a problem, you can use borax. Sprinkle it into rugs, into corners and under furniture, use a broom to work it into the fibers and let it sit for hours, days even. It won’t hurt you or your pet to have it present. Then vacuum it up, reapply as needed. Food grade diatomaceous earth can be gotten from a health food store and worked into the rugs and corners in the same way as borax. These treatments aren’t as fast and effective as chemical insecticides but they can help.

You might want to consider boarding your pet for the day at your vet, to give you the opportunity to flea bomb your house without having to worry about your pet being exposed. They can bathe your pet and give a dose of Capstar while you treat your home.

Be patient, you may have to repeat these steps multiple times 10-14 days apart to help break the flea life cycle.

Skin problems can have a variety of causes, sometimes more than one. It is important to have the problem checked by your vet to determine if there is a medical cause for your petâ€™s skin issues and treat accordingly.

In pets of all ages, fleas, food allergies and exposure to chemical irritants such as cleaners and soaps can be a cause. Any one of these may not be enough to trigger the breakouts, depending on how sensitive your pet is, but a combination can be enough to start the itch-scratch cycle. Finding out the cause and eliminating it is the best course of action. With flea allergies, if your pet is sensitive enough, a single bite can cause them to break out scratch enough to tear their skin.

Check for fleas with a flea comb. Look for fleas and/or tiny black granules, like coarse black pepper. This is flea feces, consisting of digested, dried blood. You may find tiny white particles, like salt, which are the flea eggs. Applying a good topical monthly flea treatment and aggressively treating your house and yard will help break the flea life cycle.

If you use plastic bowls, this is a possible cause for hair loss, though this tends to be on the chin, where their skin touches the bowl while they eat. If you suspect this to be the culprit, try changing the bowls to glass, metal or ceramic.

Food allergies are often caused by sensitivity to a protein in the food. Hill’s Science Diet offers some non-prescription options for sensitive skin as well as prescription hypoallergenic foods for more severe cases. Royal Canin carries limited protein diets that may also offer some relief. Your vet can recommend a specific diet that will help.

If there is no relief or not enough, consider getting your pet checked by a veterinary dermatologist and having allergy testing done.

Read Full Q/A … : Cat Excessive Licking, Scratching, and Chewing Causes

Q. My 3 month old puppy has had diarrhea, liquid form. This is the second day. What should I do? I recently changed his food as well.

ANSWER : A. Is he vomiting or lethargic? Food should always be introduced slowly over 7-10 days as that can cause diarrhea, if there are any other symptoms then contact you vet. Try introducing 3/4 of old food with 1/4 of new food for a few days & then half & half for a few days followed by 3/4 of new food with 1/4 old food for a few days before completely changing onto new diet.

Read Full Q/A … : Diarrhea and Infants – DrGreene.com