I’m back because I’ve got a few questions. My dog, Fidel, was neutered two days ago now. Everything is going well so far. Even though he’s bored not being able to go out for a run, the wound is healing nicely and he isn’t trying to lick it.
We’re currently living in Mexico and the vets here are a bit more 'relaxed' than they are back home in the UK. My vet told me that two days after the op, he could go back to his normal routine. We usually go for long walks with Fidel where he meets other dogs and they sometimes play quite roughly. He said it wouldn't be an issue, but it seems a bit soon for the wound to have healed properly. What do you think?
Also, we live by the coast and, similarly, my vet said he could go back in the water in three days. This also seems a bit quick to me... How long should we wait before letting him go for a dip in the sea without risking an infection or slowing down the healing process?
Thanks for your help, everyone! :)
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me
I’ve had my 19-month-old dog neutered. I didn’t have much of a choice as he had an undescended testicle and the vet told me he’d likely have health issues later on, like tumours or something!! It’s been 4 days since he had his stitches out; how long should I wait before it’s safe to take him to the groomers? Thanks in advance for any help.
I’ve had my dog neutered.
Anyway, some hyperactive dogs are impossible to keep calm for more than two days – that was definitely the case with my girl. After 48 hours, once the anaesthetic had completely worn off, she was pacing and going stir-crazy; she just had to run and burn off some energy. There was no way I was going to put her on sedatives, even though the vet suggested it. ^^ So, I thought "come what may" and let her run and play with other dogs, despite her stitches. Within two days, she was doing everything the vet told me not to do. It all went perfectly fine; the only thing I did was check her stitches every morning and evening to make sure they were clean. Along with the dressing – which did a good job and luckily she didn't bother with – I put her in a dog recovery suit to give the wound and the dressing a bit more protection. Just wanted to say that if your dog runs around a bit two or three days post-op, it's not the end of the world! ^^
Hi! Mine is pretty much the same – he’s a Belgian Shepherd cross Bull Terrier. He's six years old but looks just like a Belgian Shepherd puppy. He’s just been neutered and, being hyperactive, keeping him calm is a nightmare. I totally get you, because when they have all that pent-up energy, it’s really hard on them mentally. So, three days after the op, I also started letting him run and play again gradually. Even a long walk isn’t enough to burn off his energy, so I think you just have to go by how your dog is feeling while staying alert. Having a hyperactive dog really forces you to adapt your behaviour; for mine, for example, he needs a very structured routine – that means two hours of walks a day with games until he’s exhausted. Good luck! 😁😁😁😁😁
Hi everyone! Thanks for your replies! I'll start with a quick update on Fidelito. He’s doing really well after his op. It’s healing nicely and he isn't trying to lick his stitches. The hardest part for him is not being able to go out. He’s been stuck indoors for three days and we’ve tried to keep him busy as best we could with indoor games, some brain training, and plenty of things to chew on. We’ve started lead walks again and a bit of a light trot. Depending on how the healing goes, I think I’ll wait a week before he can play with other dogs and about ten days before playing with the big bruisers :). As for getting back in the water, it’s the same—I’ll wait about ten days to a fortnight depending on how it continues to heal. Thanks everyone!! :)
When my girl was spayed, the vet told us to wait three weeks before letting her go swimming and, if I remember rightly, at least two weeks without any running or sudden movements. It might be different for a castration, though.
Here you can see the dressing on her tummy and she wasn't even wearing her recovery suit; she was playing with a pal without any trouble, rolling around on the floor and running about like a mad thing. And mind you, that mate is one of the calm ones, but she was also playing with some real bruisers like huskies, staffs, shibas and so on.
Anyway, some hyperactive dogs are just impossible to keep calm for more than a couple of days; that was definitely the case with my dog. After two days, once the effects of the anaesthetic had completely worn off, she was pacing and going stir-crazy; she just had to run and burn off some energy. There was no way I was going to give her meds to sedate her, even though the vet had suggested it ^^
So I just thought "come what may" and let her run and play with other dogs despite her incision. Within two days, she was doing everything the vet told me not to do. It all went perfectly well; the only thing I did was check her stitches every morning and evening to make sure they were clean:
On top of the dressing, which was already protecting it well and which, luckily, she didn't mess with, I put her in a dog recovery suit to give the dressing and the wound a bit more protection.
Just wanted to say that if your dog runs around a bit two or three days after the op, it's not the end of the world ^^
@Mariegame is right, it takes two weeks for the wound to heal after being neutered, and three weeks to a month before they should do anything active like swimming in the sea, as there’s a risk of infection if it hasn’t fully healed.
I’m going by reliable research here: after the operation, a dog shouldn’t run or jump (even just playing with their mates) for at least 5 days to make sure the stitches don’t burst.
I’ve been through the nightmare of torn stitches when my young girl wanted to play and I let her; it cost me a fortune at the vet and the poor thing ended up in a cone for a fortnight. From that experience, I’d say it’s definitely better to be safe than sorry! Regardless of what the studies say...
As for playing in water, which is always full of bacteria, it’s best to wait two or three weeks—until the final stage of healing—to avoid any risk of infection.
3 days is the kind of timeframe that makes me think your vet is planning on you funding his new swimming pool... it’s a straight NO.
Top tip for tiring out a dog without running: get their brain working. Buy a puzzle toy where you can hide some dry food; it works a treat. Stick to short, gentle walks nearby, but in places with plenty of interesting smells... the ten days or a fortnight will fly by.
