My Lab is being Neutered on Tuesday, what should I expect?

[BaconAndAvocado]

That’s it really.
He’s 18 mo.

I don’t have a lab but I got my male dog neutered back in May. It went really well. Dropped him off and they called me to collect him late afternoon. Dogs cope really well with surgery and injury. He was sleepy for a couple of days then seemed back to his usual self.

Mine was escaping out of the cone so we bought kids pants and put them on to keep the area clean.

He sleeps in bed with us (don’t judge) so we could here him at night if he was licking and he listened when we asked him to stop.

The hardest bit was after 5 days or so he was feeling back to normal and wanted to run but the vet said no walks and no running for 10 days. Get lots of snuffle mats, licky mats and treat balls/games for him to amuse him in the house.

It really settled out boy down. He’s even more loving and lazy than he was before.

Thanks Winterlove

Ah, my vet said no off-lead walks/runs for 10 days but can do on lead after a couple of days.
Snuffle mats are a good idea although it’s hard to find something he can’t easily destroy or chew up!

I might get some kids’ pants as when he had a cone previously he really didn’t get in with it either!

Glad to hear your boy is doing well.

I saw a homemade snuffle toy the other day and I’m going to make one. They rolled up strips of fabric (or old towels or bedsheets would work) and put treats in between each fold then tied it in a knot and overlapped 2 or 3 the same so it ended up a big knitted ball with treats. It looked great! My dog finds the standard mats too easy so it looks ideal although I’ve probably not explained it very well!

Pants with a tail hole cut in and hopefully that will do the trick. Mine left the pants alone and I was actually sad once he didn’t need them anymore because it was the cutest thing!

Hope your boy gets on ok and that you survive the 10 days of no running!

My lab was also 18 months and he was totally fine apart from being majorly spaced when he came home, that night he could not settle until i took my mattress on the floor and slept next to him! Love him so! He was already a reasonably calm occasionally teenage lovely big lump but it made no difference to his nature. Still lovely, still a featherbrain.

My dog was sore for a day or two, the first evening was hard as he had had all his painkillers but was still sore and couldn't settle for ages 😢

He had to wear a dog vest to stop him licking his stitches which he hated but it did work well.

Short walks for around a week and then he was back to normal.

In my experience they are remarkably resilient and your main challenge will be to keep him calm and clean enough to allow the wound to heal.

An on-lead sniffy walk a few times a day for a week should be fine once he is over the initial wooziness.

Be prepared for potential changes in him over the next few weeks and months as his testosterone dips. This can make dogs less brave / more fearful- if you can support him with this you are less likely to have issues with fear based aggression etc..

Also, watch his weight. Castrated males seem to put on more weight than entire ones on the same diet and labs do have a particular tendency to pile it on which is really bad for their joint health. As owners we sometimes don't notice the weight creeping on so make a note of his weight and how he looks and keep a critical eye on both.

Had our boy neutered about 4 months ago. Vet sent us home with a cone but said he wouldn't need it as he'd left it alone all day (he'd been operated on first thing).

I have never regretted anything so much. Woke up the next morning and he must have been going at it all night. Heavily bruised, had to go straight back to the vets because it was so inflamed then had to wear a dog babygrow thing and a cone and have no walks for weeks while he recovered. Also had to have biweekly vet checks to make sure it wasn't infected - became a nightmare. It was such a shame as they said the op had gone perfectly and they'd have otherwise expected him to be fine within a week or so.

Ours hated the cone and massively preferred the little suit which didn't bother him at all, I highly recommend one. Our vets gave us one for free so worth asking them if they have them when you go.

Otherwise we noticed zero behavioural changes in him until the last few weeks where he has been much calmer and sleeper (although still runs like a nutter on a walk but he's a cocker spaniel so I'd expect no less!)

We were told to take him back after 2 months to be weighed to make sure he wasn't putting on weight when his hormones settled but he's been fine on his normal food. We did have a problem with his skin getting very dry and causing dandruff and itchiness. We initially thought it was the suit but it persisted after it came off so think it was probably something hormonal. After trying all sorts of expensive vet treatments a friend recommended trying Johnson baby shampoo and that sorted the issue completely 🤣

Good luck!

@BaconAndAvocado how is he doing xx

Labralion
Minutes before he was meant to have his surgery (our vets are mobile so were parked on the drive) he ate almost a whole loaf of bread..........
Obviously, the procedure had to be cancelled. I was extremely apologetic to the vets. Felt like such a fool. In my mind, I had put the load out of his reach....
The vet just phoned and said they’ve rearranged it for next Tuesday.

What a palaver 🙄

Oh crikey @BaconAndAvocado!

Any chance he'd seen this thread- particularly the bits about being extra careful about his calorie intake?! Poor lad.

I know!
I think he was trying to avoid the procedure 🤣🤣
It worked.

Haha my dog managed to get kennel cough 3 days before he was due to be neutered the first time! I swear he did it on purpose 😂

Such a lab move! He'll be delighted with himself!! Hopefully he's not given himself a sore tummy x

I know!
He’s fine. The vet recommended no water or walk for him and it’s now been rebooked for next Tuesday.....unless my dog has another cunning plan up his sleeve!

I wouldn't have him neutered unless he has behavioural issues. Mine had a very, very bad experience.

A few of my adopted dogs have been neutered in my care and I have never found aftercare difficult. It is nearly all keyhole surgery these days... tiny incisions. However, just take care especially with the girls as more is going on inside. No jumping up and stuff for a week or so. I also avoid giving them pain killers, even if they are offered by the vet. A tiny little bit of pain will lead to more sensible behaviour. If the pain is masked you risk your dog bouncing about like nothing has happened. You will have a harder time persuading them to take it easy. I use that rule of thumb a lot... not just neutering 😀