Frequently Asked Post-Operative Questions
Why is my dog's scrotum bleeding?
The incision on your dog’s scrotum was only partially closed, which allows blood that comes from small vessels that feed the skin and connective tissue to leave the scrotum and will reduce the risk of serious complications such as a scrotal hematoma, which can necessitate a second surgery. This bleeding is more common in more mature and larger dogs. If the bleeding persists beyond 24 hours, please send a picture of the scrotum and any discharge to clinic@lehighhumane.org
Why is my cat's scrotum bleeding?
No sutures are used to close routine cat neuters. The scrotum heals very well without the need for foreign material such as sutures, so they are not used. If scrotal bleeding persists beyond 24 hours, please send a picture of the scrotum and any discharge to clinic@lehighhumane.org
How long should my animal wear the E collar?
The cone should be kept on for 10-14 days to allow the skin to fully heal.
My animal is having a hard time with the E collar, what can I do?
Patience is the best advice in most cases. Many animals will start to adapt to the e collar within 2 days. The toughest day is typically the day of surgery, as they are still working through their anesthesia which can make things worse. If your animal is throwing themselves around and risking hurting themselves, remove the e collar for their safety and replace it with a soft e collar, donut collar, or surgery suit. If you do this, please understand that the rigid e collar offers the most effective protection for the incision and by switching to an alternative your animal may have easier access to the incision.
My animals incision has a lump, what should I do?
Swelling at the incision is pretty common and many times is not serious. Please send a picture of the incision to clinic@lehighhumane.org. Please also let us know if your animal is behaving normally, eating and active, and any other changes you have noticed. If your animal is not acting normally, please include what is different in your email to us.
How long will the anesthesia affect my animal?
Most animals will be back to their normal selves within 24 hours. Some take a little longer, but if they are not mostly themselves by the evening after surgery (except cats, see below) please contact your full service veterinarian.
My cat is acting weird, is that normal?
Most of our cat patients get a topical opioid solution for pain control that will last about 4 days. In this period, you may notice some mild to moderate behavior changes. Most commonly, cats become more affectionate, but some become "zombie-like." You may also see dilated pupils, mild incoordination, drowsiness, and mild appetite changes. If you are concerned, please reach out to us by phone and/or email and let us know what you are seeing.
Can I bathe my animal?
Please keep your animal out of all water until the incision is sealed. When everything goes how it should, this is typically about 10 days. If you notice discharge from the incision, lots of inflammation, or other abnormalities, you may need to wait longer before bathing or allowing your animal to swim. If it is raining out, it is ok to let your dog out to eliminate as long as they are not laying down on the wet ground.
When can my animal eat?
Wait until they are steady on their feet and you can offer a small portion, about 1/3 of what they would normally eat. A second small portion can be offered after 30 minutes, provided no vomiting occurs. If any vomiting occurs, withhold food and water for 6-12 hours and try again with a small amount of food. If vomiting occurs after that, please contact us or your full service veterinarian.
What if my animal does not want to eat after surgery?
Animals may not want to eat the day of surgery due to a number of factors. If your animal is otherwise doing well, returning to normal, resting comfortably, etc, do not worry if they won't eat the day of. If they are still not interested in food the day after, you may offer highly palatable food, such a warm meat baby food, boiled, unseasoned chicken or beef and rice, warm wet food or similar items. If your animal is still not eating normally by 2 days after surgery, contact us or your full service vet. If your animal is not eating and is also not behaving normally the day after surgery, contact us or your full service veterinarian.
My animal was neutered, but it looks like he still has testicles, is that normal?
It is common for male animals, especially dogs and more mature animals, to have their scrotum swell after surgery. Bruising may also occur. A warm compress twice a day for 5-10 minutes will help to speed recovery. When swelling occurs, the incision may become more noticeable and look open; this is to be expected and typically is not a concern. If the swelling or bruising is severe, or discharge occurs beyond 24-48 hours, or if the discharge is more than a few drips, please send a picture of the incision and discharge (if present) to clinic@lehighhumane.org
My animal has bruising near the incision, when should I be concerned?
Bruising is fairly common, especially on larger and more mature dogs. Sometimes blood vessels under the skin will create a pocket of blood that can develop as bruising hours or days after surgery. This bruising is visually striking, but the skin will be otherwise normal in feel and texture. If this is what you are seeing, and your animal is acting normally, eating and active, trace the bruising with a fine point marker if you are able so you will have record of the size and shape of the bruise. If the bruising continues to grow and remains as dark as it started over 48 hours, please send pictures to clinic@lehighhumane.org. If you see other changes in the skin associated with the bruise, such as a wet appearance, thickening or stiffening of the skin, this is suggestive of infection and the animal will likely need to be seen. If you see bruising and your animal is not behaving normally, please contact us or your full service vet as your animal may need to be seen.
When can my animal return to normal activity?
This depends on the type of surgery that was done. For routine spay/neuter, limit physical activity for the first week, then you can resume normal activity if everything has gone well. This limitation is different for each animal; if you have a dog that is high energy and is used to having freedom, confining them to a crate may make things worse. The goal is to keep them calm and less active than usual and to do the best you can, as our animals are not always cooperative.
When can I reintroduce my animal to my other animals?
Keep your animals apart until the one who had surgery is fully recovered from the anesthesia. After that, it depends on the type of surgery and the behavior of your animals. If you have animals that will rough house and run around every chance they get, only allow controlled interaction (such as on a leash) until the incision is healed in about 10-14 days. Reintroduction is usually uneventful, but you should monitor your animals for a few days to ensure nothing is likely to happen that would hurt the one recovering from surgery.