Puppy Challenge | Getting Fixed | Part 2

Surgery went off without a hitch and Andy was home later that evening. We were told to let him take it easy, to keep him from running or jumping, and to prevent him from licking his incision. This is where the elizabethan collar (i.e. e-collar, i.e. cone of shame) came into play. We had to shell out $15 for this thing and in the end Andy only wore it on and off for all of 2 days. When he wasn't wearing it he showed almost no interest in his incision so we decided to spare him the discomfort of wearing the collar. Any time he tried to lick his incision we told him to stop and blocked him from doing it and that was enough to get him to stop altogether. It might be worth asking around to see if anyone has an e-collar sitting around they can lend you. $15 seems like a lot of money for something that will likely never get used again.

Andy was up and at em' the day of his surgery. In fact I had to keep him from jumping up and off the back of the couch. He was harassing his brothers even while wearing the e-collar! The vet gave us 5 days of pain meds which Andy gobbled up like treats. It's a known fact that dogs mask their pain so be mindful of your pup's comfort level. Every animal reacts to surgery differently and it's important to keep a close eye on your post-op pup and consult with your vet if you have any concerns. By the end of the week Andy's outer incision had mostly healed. Apparently there are 2 incisions involved with a neuter - an inner and outer - so even if the outer looks healed the inner may still be in the healing process and your pup needs to keep taking it easy. Spays are more involved and so is the healing process. All in all Andy's neuter was a worth while procedure and I don't think he even knows what he's missing!