What to expect after dog is fixed?
Thursday March 31st, 2011
My pups are going in for spay/neuter surgery. Should I expect "normal behavior" once the anesthesia wears off? How about long term?
answered by Phil Zeltzman
Let's go over some short-term and long-term behavioral issues.
Short-term, dogs may not be themselves for the first 24-48 hrs after anesthesia and surgery. They may be a bit lethargic or sleepy, until the drugs wear off completely. They may have a slight decrease in appetite and may be tender around the surgery site.
They may wonder what these stitches on their belly are and may want to lick them. To prevent any infection or open incision, we advise keeping an E-collar (plastic cone) around their neck for two weeks, until the sutures are removed.
One of the most common long-term consequences of spaying and neutering is weight gain, which is why we would recommend switching to a light diet once your pups are fully grown.
Long-term behavior changes are usually positive if the spay or neuter was performed at a young age. For example, male dogs may become less aggressive. If the dog were neutered at an older age, then old habits may be harder to break.
So overall, there are few bad behavioral consequences. We expect normal, age-appropriate, behavioral development for dogs after spay or neuter surgery. This means that some dogs will "calm down" over the next few months, while others may take years to calm down.
Dr. Phil Zeltzman is a board-certified veterinary surgeon at Valley Central Veterinary Referral Center in Whitehall, PA. He performs surgery on dogs, cats, and "exotic animals," and is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. To subscribe to his weekly newsletter, click here.
Read more about Phil Zeltzman in the DogTime expert center...Why spaying/neutering is important
March 31st, 2011
Many folks hesitate to spay or neuter their pet, fearing that it's painful and wondering what the actual benfits are. Here is a discussion of the procedure and why you should consider it for your dog....
Former ‘Bachelor’ star to help control dog population
February 8th, 2012
A prince in more than one way, former Bachelor star Lorenzo Borghese will donate funds from his pet spa franchise to help dog low-income dog owners spay/neuter their pet.
Myths and facts about spaying and neutering
March 31st, 2011
MYTH: My dog will get fat and lazy. FACT: The only way your dog will get fat and lazy is if you do not provide enough exercise and feed him too much. MYTH: It's better for my dog to have one litter...
|
Why is my female dobie whining constantly now? We got her fixed and she's on pain meds and all that but she still randomly starts whining about nothing. She didn't used to do this... almost 2 years ago by Anonymous |
|
|
when should i spay/neuter my dog. over 2 years ago by Anonymous |
Recent conversations on these topics
-
help please!
i have a 5 year old male staffordshire bull terrier. he has not been neutered and up until recently we have never had a problem with other dogs. bitches he is fine with, but on two occasions he has shown dominance towards another dog with has led to him becoming aggressive towards them. we are responsible, we keep him on a lead and if need be let a fellow dog owner know he is not very good with them. however if another dog off leash approaches him he goes into fight mode and recently a stray akita ran towards him and my dog flipped it over and grabbed a mouth full of fur. my dog will not get the exercise he needs kept on a leash and i do not wish for him to wear a muzzle. will neutering my dog eliviate the problem? we do not stud him and we have only had him for 18 months but because his temperament has always been brilliant, especially with our children we never felt the need.
-
Neuter
My dog is an Australian Shepard and Blue Heeler he is approx. 8 years old he is not neutered we had no problems until we moved to the country and there is all sorts of dogs running loose. Now my dog is acting like he wants to run with the dogs and whines all the time I thought it was because his brother passed away about a month ago but now I am thinking it is because he is not neutered. Can someone give me some insite on this? Will it be safe to have the surgery done with him being 8 Years old? I would call my vet but it is saturday night.
-
My lil man after neutering
I had my male dog neutered about 2 wks ago. I also have a female who is in heat now. The male dog is acting 10 times worse than he ever has, not eating, and when he does, throwing it back up and whining all the time. Is there anything I can do? He is driving me nuts.
-
Neutering my Cocker Spaniel
We have a wonderful, playful sweet Cocker Spaniel who will be three years old on St. Patricks Day. Around Thanksgiving we took him and our 11 year old Cocker to the groomer. That's when the problem began. Murphy, 11, is neutered and was crazy before he was. However, Riley was never agressive, peeing or humping until he came from the groomers. He was bothering Murphy for two weeks at which time we separated the two. Now Rileys at it again. I don't want to change his wonderful personality but I cannot put up with this behavior. Do you think he will change from his sweet playful self to a lazy, slow moving cocker, devil may care dog? We love both our dogs so much, but can't supervise this behavior all the time. Murphy has always been grumpy but Riley is the life of the party. Please help me !!!
featured articles
Dog bites anchorwoman on live TV
by Leslie Smith on February 9th, 2012
Animal behavior: Like baby, like dog
February 10th, 2012
Video: Dog help in the office
February 11th, 2012
eBay: Please stop enabling unscrupulous breeders
by Leslie Smith on February 8th, 2012
Former ‘Bachelor’ star to help control dog population
February 8th, 2012
Romney dog redux: Car stopped for suspected animal cruelty
February 9th, 2012
offers from our sponsors
Coupons and free offers on dog food, dog supplies, and more
March 31st, 2011
Eukanuba 28 Day Challenge
July 13th, 2011
0 comments | leave your own comment