Post Surgical Care for Dogs / Cats / Rabbits

POST-SURGERY CARE INSTRUCTIONS

Cat spay incision site, buried sutures

Thank you for spaying or neutering your dog / cat / rabbit.  You have contributed to the possible decrease of future homeless animals in your country.  

CHECKLIST  FOR THE FOLLOWING DURING RECOVERY PERIOD

1.)Presence of blood - no bleeding should be observed with your pet after procedure.

2.) Pale gums - normally the gums are pink in color.

3.) Respiratory problems – no difficulty breathing/no gasping of breath

4.) Loss of Appetite

Pets may not eat on the night they return home from surgery. If the animal does not eat on the day of discharge from surgery, give food and water on the next day. 

For rabbits, after 4 hours post-surgery, recommended to resume normal feeding activity 

5.) Cool or warm to the touch  – Normal temperature range 38.5-39.5 degrees Celsius

KINDLY AVOID INJURY AT INCISION SITE

· Some sutures are buried. Some stitches may be found on the outside of the surgery site and this dissolves with time.  This is a surgeon's prerogative.  Suture removal can be done within 7 to 10 days after surgery.

For female cats

For female dogs

   for rabbits:

For dog neuter

· The surgery site on a male cat is small that it does not need to be closed with sutures. Similar conditions apply to male rabbits. Wound will heal when the fibrin "seals" the site.


RECOVERY TIMES

       We usually observe recovery times within 24-48 hours post surgery in cats, dogs and rabbits. In general, males recover faster than their female counterparts.  Give them time and let them get back to their normal activity.  

For male cats

· Check the surgery site daily to make sure that it is healing. What you see on the day the animal is released from surgery, that will be the normal appearance for the surgical site.  

· Prevent your pet from biting/licking/playing with the surgery site as this can cause dehiscence (wound opens along the incision site).  

· Elizabethan Collar (E-collar). Provide the cone to prevent him/her from licking surgical site for 7 days. I find some patients need this collar to protect the wound. It is always best to have it as a precaution. Rabbits can also wear the cone.  Examples of the collar can be obtained from this link e-collar and other protective cloth E-collars

· NO BATHING for 10 days to avoid delays in wound healing. No other topical medicine to be applied unless prescribed by your veterinarian.

· Restrict movement.  Too much activity may cause dehiscence and delay wound healing.  Minimal handling recommended especially on Rabbits.

· DO NOT GIVE ANY OTHER MEDICATIONS UNLESS OTHERWISE INSTRUCTED UPON BY YOUR ATTENDING VETERINARIAN

Thank you for taking time reading this pet-care guide. 

If you have any surgery concerns regarding your pet, kindly call or see your attending veterinarian 

Source: 

Tobias, Karen. DVM. 2010. Manual of Small Animal Soft Tissue Surgery.  Wiley-Blackwell

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