When you own a beloved pet, and you suddenly hear the news that your dog might need surgery for an underlying problem, that can be scary for you. The majority of dog owners fear having their furry friend undergo any surgical procedure ever in their lives. It might be due to the fact that surgeries always come up with a range of concerns, whether it be complications after surgery or the prognosis.
But if you see the other side, you will come to know that a veterinarian doesn’t recommend surgery until or unless there is nothing essential. Your veterinarian recommends surgery only when it is in the best interest of your dog. And most importantly, a veterinarian surgeon doesn’t take it lightly.
Before the surgery
One or two days before the surgery, your veterinarian recommends you some instructions to follow. These instructions include keeping your dog off feed for at least 12 hours before the surgery. Sometimes he/she advises limiting the movement by keeping your furry fellow confined to a small room or a pen.
On the day of surgery, your vet may perform several examinations – physical examination, blood examination, X-rays, etc. You must keep yourself available during the whole procedure because your vet may reach you by phone during the surgery.
Post-surgery
Confining your dog after the surgery is crucial as the tissues take time to heal and join together. Confining your dog means restricting the movement and activities of your furry fellow. The post-surgery period can be made safe by adding soft bedding and pads and providing the fellow a confined area to sit, stand and turn properly.
The next essential thing is to keep the incision clean and contamination-free. Usually, your vet does not instruct you to clean the incision but what you can do is not to let it dirty. You must have a good watch on the incision, and if you observe any dust near the incision, you should gently clean it with a warm water wet towel.
What can go wrong?
It is possible that after the surgery, your pet lick, bite or scratch the incision site. Immediately get your pet restrained to avoid any unfortunate event. Because if your pet has broken the sutures, it may lead to complications.
Some of the typical dog surgeries are as follows.
- Spay
- Neuter
- Teeth extraction
- Fracture repair
- Intestinal obstruction
Your vet must make you understand and comfortable about all the scenarios and thoroughly guide you about all the procedures that will be carried out. If somehow, the vet doesn’t do so, you should ask him properly for the best interest of your pet canine.