The first 24 hours post-surgery

Allow your pet to recover in a quiet, safe place indoors.

Cats must be kept in their carriers for the first evening. This will enable you to carefully monitor recovery and will prevent complications and risk of death from exposure to outdoor temperature extremes.

Be aware that your pet’s behavior may be slightly altered in the first 24 hours after surgery due to the anesthesia. For example, they may be glassy-eyed, sleepy, nauseous, wobbly, vocal, shivering, or irritable

Encourage frequent movement indoors to help your pet recover from the anesthesia. Allowing them to rest uninterrupted will result in longer recovery and potential complications

Offer small amounts of the food they eat regularly and water later in the evening. Your pet may feel nauseous, and it can take up to 48 hours for their appetite to return to normal.

You may notice your pet received a small green tattoo, indicating they’ve been sterilized. This tattoo is not an extra incision and does not require cleaning

The 10-14 days following surgery

Your pet should be closely supervised and on an exercise restriction for the next 10-14 days. Keep your pet quiet as quiet as possible during the first two weeks. Avoid running, jumping, and excessive playing. Strenuous activity increases your pet’s risk of developing swelling around the incision site that could result in premature dissolving of sutures, opening of the incision,

Keep the incision dry. No bathing, swimming,

Use shredded newspaper for kitty litter to prevent dust particles from irritating the incision.

Check the incision twice daily until healed.

• A small amount of blood is normal immediately after surgery.
• Some redness and swelling of the incision is expected and normal.

Do not allow your pet to lick, scratch, or chew the incision. An Elizabethan collar (E-collar) is provided and must be worn to help prevent potentially serious postoperative complications.

Male dogs and cats can still impregnate an unsterilized female up to one month after surgery. Please keep a close eye on your pet.

If sutures were used, you will be instructed to come back to the clinic in 14 days to get them removed.

DO NOT GIVE ASPIRIN, IBUPROFEN OR TYLENOL TO DOGS AND CATS FOR PAIN RELIEF UNLESS SPECIFICALLY PRESCRIBED BY YOUR VETERINARIAN. TYLENOL AND IBUPROFEN ARE TOXIC TO PETS AND ASPIRIN CAN BE DEADLY IF ADMINISTERED AFTER SURGERY.

Protecting your pet’s incision

Do not allow your pet to lick or chew their incision. Licking can lead to serious complications like the incision opening or becoming infected. This can be painful and may require follow-up visits which could result in unexpected costs.

Normal issues after surgery

• Small amount of bloody discharge from the surgical incision
• Redness or a small amount of swelling or bruising at the site of incision
• Whining or crying the first night after surgery
• Decreased energy during the 24 hours following surgery
• Not urinating or defecating on their normal schedule
• Open neuter incision (males only) with minor discharge

What to watch out for

Redness around the incision site

Discharge from the incision, particularly if it’s not clear and thin

A foul smell emanating from the incision

Opening of the incision where the brightly-colored subcutaneous tissues are exposed

Swelling of the incision, particularly if it’s bulging

Acute redness, swelling or bruising at the incision site

Lethargy for more than a couple of days

Refusal to eat more than a couple of meals

Signs of pain for longer than a week (shaking, hiding, drooling)

Vomiting or diarrhea longer than 24 hours after the procedure (some immediately after can be normal as a result of anesthesia)

Bleeding or pus from the incision site