Recovery after spay?

[Pumpkintopf]

Gorgeous show cocker ddog 16mos is booked in for her spay next week. She can't have laporascopic unfortunately as she's too small.

Vets mentioned 10-14 day recovery time - is that realistic? What does that actually look like in your experience- will she need to be off walks etc for the duration? Finally any top tips to keep her happy and comfortable? Am already feeling guilty...

Hopeful bump...

Following, as small yorkie poo pup (a rescue... I didn't chose the "breed") is also booked in for a spay next week and I have no idea how she's going to stay calm and without walks for that long!

Fairly recent spay here.
She felt groggy the evening after and was not herself the next day (though 100% up for a walk around the block on-lead). She had three days pain meds and by Day 3 she was so much back to normal that I forgot them completely

Rather than a buster collar/ cone of shame she had a bodysuit. This was great - we kept it partly unclipped so that she could go for a wee, except at night when we did it up because sh'ed be completely unsupervised for 8-odd hours. She left her incision alone, though, evening the daytime when she could have got past the unclipped suit.. Much better than a buster collar.

The trouble was keeping her still at home - she wanted to charge about the place and play. At the one-week check-up we were told to keep her on-lead for another week, as the wound was still partially scabbed and not fully sealed. However, she was losing her mind so once the wound had fully sealed we let her off. She's a high-drive working-bred dog, and used to a lot of exercise and regular training.

It was much the same when our previous bitch was spayed.

TBH I hate getting them spayed, I'd rather cope with seasons. It's only the thought of pyometra that persuades me.

Recovery after spay can vary a lot depending on factors such as:- age/size of dog; individual animal's healing rate/response to pain; individual surgeon technique etc etc. It can be hard to predict, but I would expect a dog of that age and type to have a fairly swift, uncomplicated recovery.

Your vets will give you full after-care instructions when you pick her up - they will be likely to include restricted exercise for around 2 weeks, plus keeping the wound clean for this time and preventing any licking. You/she may prefer to use a bodysuit (like a baby vest with poppers at the bottom) to prevent licking, rather than the cone of doom, but not all dogs lick. Expect her to be quite groggy after the anaesthetic on the first night.

Try not to feel guilty - there are good reasons to get her spayed at this age, and she will likely bounce back.

Beagle. She was fairly limp and pitous that night, a bit subdued the following morning, and then TOTALLY back to normal.

As in full on charging around, rough housing with the others, wanting walks, leaping on and off the furniture.

In my experience, the issue isn't so much problems with the recovery, as stopping the damn dog rupturing itself out of sheer enthusiasm. Which is good, but...

My miniature poodle got done a couple of months ago. She was quiet for a few days and seemed aware that she mustn't jump up. She sleeps on my bed so I carried her up and down stairs. She wanted to sleep a lot. We took her for short walks after about 5 days and then built back up to normal from there. I think she had painkillers for 3 days.
We tried the cone but she kept getting it off, I was prepared to put a bodysuit on her but she actually left the stitches alone! She healed up very quickly.

10 - 14 days of rest (no stairs, no jumping, no off the lead) is advised - this is while the incision heals, so even if she feels like she wants to bounce off the walls (and many of them do!) she shouldn’t. A short calm walk on the lead, out to the toilet etc, is usually fine after the first couple of days.

Tips for recovery - get a bodysuit to protect the wound instead of a ‘cone’ collar, then she won’t bash it on everything.

Feed using puzzle toys like a Kong, and try non physical ‘brain games’ to replace the mental stimulation she usually gets on a walk.

Get a crate so she can’t bounce on the sofa when she is unsupervised.

This is all useful advice, thanks all - those of you who used bodysuits did you purchase these in advance or did your vet supply them?

@GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman I know. Her first season was unproblematic but the vet was very clear that pyometra is a serious emergency situation, and said they weren't designed to just have seasons without pregnancy- in the wild they'd be pregnant all the time she said, hence the increased risk of cancers etc.

Thanks @landofgiants that's reassuring.

@Calmestofallthechickens will she need to be on a lead to go out to our garden would you think?

@Motorina I think that may well be the biggest challenge...

I think lots of vets sell bodysuits now, but they are possibly cheaper online and you can make sure it fits beforehand.

I would put her on a lead in the garden if your garden is really big or if she’s liable to charge around it (especially after not being allowed to go on walks)

Yes she is likely to charge around especially if a squirrel crosses her path...

Pyometra can be lethal - I knew a dog who died of it - but I'm inclined to let my own have a few seasons so they're mentally and physically mature first. I just watch them like a hawk.

Our 9 year old Border Collie was quiet for a day then wanted to play and run. BCs don't make good patients....
The body suit was very good instead of the cone of shame, seemed way more comfortable for her

Suits online seem to be £15-£20 is that about right?

Any brand or type you'd particularly recommend?

@GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman yes I hear what you're saying. I also saw some research that suggested that the optimal time to spay a cocker was 2 1/2 years old - but all the vets I've spoken to suggested that between first and second season was best (or even before first season!) I am concerned that she will change personality with the op - any views?

@Pumpkintopf I don't have enough experience to do more than offer the anecdote that our early-spayed bitch just slowed down a bit as she grew older and became less playful, whereas the late-spayed one turned into a different dog in some ways: more determined, better focus, will not take bad manners from other dogs (not aggressive, just tells them where to go - she'd have great classroom control if she was a teacher!)

Thanks grumpy that's so interesting- love the teacher analogy!