My Spay Surgery Experience
I won’t be a tattle tale and say who was more nervous between my mom and I, but as my six-month birthday approached I sensed that she was dreading my surgery day, which would be just a few days after. I know that the thought of me, her cute little fur baby, being in any discomfort or pain, and in recovery for technically two weeks, wasn’t the best feeling. So to help HER manage on the day of MY surgery, she planned to stay mentally and physically occupied that day by doing loads of laundry and some major cleaning. I was too out of it after surgery to notice any changes, but let’s just take her word that that’s what she did.
So at what age should you get spayed, or for the fellas, clipped? KIDDING, I mean neutered. You should of course check with your veterinarian to understand what makes sense for you in particular. But for me, a female Cavapoo, my veterinarian along with ole reliable Google yielded a range of six months on the earlier side, to about eight months+ on the later side. Since I had read a few articles recommending that female pups ideally be spayed prior to their first heat cycle, I opted to play it safe and have the surgery done just two days after I turned six months old.
Here’s a timeline of my experience…
Pre-Surgery. I was asked to limit any food (no restriction on water) for at least 8 hours prior to my appointment time, and was also asked to use bathroom beforehand. I mean, I thought this was a given but I’m guessing there’s always “that one”.
Surgery. The procedure itself took about an hour long. However, I spent about 7 hours total at the vet given they had to run blood tests beforehand and monitor me afterwards.
Post-Surgery. I was totally out of it. As soon as I saw my mom, I started to whimper. I had no energy and couldn’t really walk. My mom felt sooooo bad. She gently picked me up and carried me home. At the direction of my vet’s office, I was restricted from eating any food after surgery and for the remainder of that day, which was fine as all I wanted to do was sleep anyway. I think somehow the combo of general anesthesia and pain meds might have that effect. To be extra cautious, my mom carried me out and back during potty breaks. I slept like a kid at summer camp on Benadryl that night. Sidebar: Never been to summer camp. Neither has my mom. Not sure where that came from.
The Next Day. Despite having a slight case of the runs due to the medical cocktail I received the day prior, I was pretty much my old self within a day. I took a pain med with my breakfast and it was as if I hadn’t gone under the knife at all. I was a little too much myself in the days immediately after, that my mom had to calm me down at times and keep me from trying to play with other dogs out of fear that I’d pop a stitch.
Cone of Shame or Recovery Suit? Buy both just in case, but try the recovery suit first and if that works, return the unused cone. My suit (pictured above in size L) worked perfectly and better than we expected, and was surely much more comfortable than that blow-up-neck-shackle-looking-thing.
Personal TipsGet some playtime in, and a bath, a few days before surgery. Most physical activities will likely be off limits for at least two weeks after surgery, so you might want to visit the dog park, call up your bestie for a play-date and/or take a nice bath before going into forced no-fun mode.
Buy your recovery suit around 2-3 weeks before surgery. This will give you time to try it on and make sure it’ll fit on the day - even if you binge on treats the weekend before. I wore my suit for two weeks and it helped having had the chance to keep it on for a bit beforehand and avoid the risk of it feeling foreign on surgery day. Reminder: don’t forget to bring your suit to your surgery so that your vet can dress you immediately after.
Visually check the incision daily. This will ensure proper healing and allow you to clean the area only if / when necessary.