My 11 month old golden retriever bitch was spayed yesterday and has cried pretty much non-stop since.  I took her back to the vet today who gave her an additional pain killing injection but it barely touched it.  Otherwise she is eating and toileting ok but the crying is heartbreaking.  anyone else had a similar experience or is this normal?

Certainly I woudl expect discomfort after major abdominal surgery, all teh woemn I knwo who ahve ahd a hysterectomy are in pain to some extent.  some dogs react to pain more than others.

It is a major operation and involves moving the abdominal organs about so apart from the pain from the actual removal of the womb and ovaries the whole abdominal area will be bruised. That said the vet should be able to control the pain and I would take her back and ask the try something else, of instance if she is on Rymadol she could have Tramadol as well.

anyone else had a similar experience or is this normal?

Never had this experience but I have never spayed a puppy, could be she is just frightened by the whole new experience of pain, my bitches have always been over 5 when spayed and they seem to take it in their stride after the first 24 hours.

I am taking her back to the vet tomorrow for the 2 day check up so I can talk to her about pain relief again and see what she can do.  Hopefully I will start seeing some small improvements in her over the next couple of days.

When my friend had her Beardie spayed she was like this vet said she had a low pain threshold and it was managed with painkillers. Hope you get her sorted

> My 11 month old golden retriever bitch was spayed yesterday and has cried pretty much non-stop since.

My bitch cried a lot last year after having a hip x-ray - if she'd had an operation I'd have thought she was in pain but it was just a reaction to the anaesthetic, she was fine once it was out of her system. Just a thought?

You can expect some disorientation for 24 hours but she should be fine after that and I think you are right to ask the vet for help for her if she is still upset. Take no notice of low pain threshold talk that is unimportant if the puppy is in pain or distressed the vet can and should give you something to help her.

EDIT to add - one of my dogs has just had a cyst removed and he was whimpering although very stoic, I phoned the vet who said it may just be the antithetic but I asked if I could give him some Tramadol, they said yes and within the hour he was quiet, relaxed and fast asleep.

My friends springer was like that and 2 days later, despite phone calls to the vet, they still weren't sleeping at night due to the dog's crying.  I thought she was having a phamptom pregnancy.  My friend took her dog to the vets next day and at first they said everything was fine, the surgery went well, nothing to worry about blah de blah.  My friend suggested the false pregnancy.  The vet checked and she had milk in.  Speying is usually done mid-season - just the right time for false pregnancies.  If you have any doubt go back to your vet and get her checked.

the vet did say she had a low pain threshold and was quite resistant to the anaesthetic meaning she had a high dose.  She must be absolutely strung out as she is usually a big sleeper during the day.  She is lying down but not asleep.  She is also very clingy, sitting outside the bathroom door even, making sure i don't forget she is crying!  as if i could forget!  back to the vet again in a couple of hours....

When Pepsi was spayed a few years ago she also cried for a few days, it was more the anesthetic I think and she was fine after about 3 days. I upped her pain relief but that made no difference. Vino cried for 24 hours after her sedation for her hip and elbow x-rays. Again I think more the funny feeling she was expieriencing than any pain. She was not sore at all. Merlot however is very stoic and has never cried after sedation or anesthetic..a lot depends on the dog I think. I once had a young (8 week) GSD pup who had a diaphramatical (Sp) hernia who underwent quite extensive surgery  who was very distressed for 24 hours after, screaming and crying,  pain relief had no effect, then he got it out of his system and after that bounced around like a puppy should do..to the point where we had to mildly sedate him to keep the stiches in ! (He was one of a litter I bred and went on to live a happy life :-) we called him Zip due to the scar on his tummy and his new family kept the name !)
Aileen

Thanks for your post Merlot.  I am starting to think she may just be feeling weird as she doesn't wince when moving or being felt by the vet.  She hasn't eaten any breakfast today despite me trying to tempt her and hand feed her.  This may be the longest few days ever!...

Just keep a very careful eye on her and if she gets worse or has a temperature get her to the vet. Try her on some cooked chicken or something she really loves, it's often just a case of waiting. I have always given mine a very short walk, just a gentle 5 mins out of the house to try and get some interest in life :-) On lead under strickt supervision ! They fret more if they cannot get out and I am lucky in having a green space to the side of my house  which although we never usually walk there is great for a very quick "Walk" being so close. It makes them feel part of the gang again.
I am sure in the next 24 hours she will settle.
Aileen

One of my dogs howls for a couple of days after an anaesthetic - he has had two. It is a pitiful sound and really worried me the first time he did this but my vet assured me that some dogs can be affected in this way. On the third day he was back to normal except for not being bothered about food - but then he is one of those dogs that only eats when he is ready to and there can be a few days in between meals anyway.

Our Vet always gives bitches after spaying, a 24 hour pain killing jab and then a week supply of Rimadyl and about 3 days of Cephorum.  This is major surgery but its quite amazing how many Vets send dogs home without any pain meds.

This is major surgery but its quite amazing how many Vets send dogs home without any pain meds.

This does seem to be the sad truth and particularly in the case of a puppy who has probably not suffered pain before it is doubly important that the pain is treated why should the bitch suffer when it can be avoided.

I have no experience of how a bitch after spay may react but it sounds very distressful, and I just hope she will be in comfort soon. I can only imagine how worried you must be. Hope things return normal for her soon and she's bouncing around again like a puppy should be :-) x

thankyou everyone for your suggestions and kind words, it has helped put my mind at rest.  She is much quieter now, and whilst not fast asleep, seems much more peaceful, so i feel we are on the right road at last. Just got to get her appetite back now to help her recover-i think she is enjoying the hand feeding and the sprinkling of cheese on her food too much though, she is a bit cheeky!  Back at the vet tomorrow for another check up.

Glad to hear she's on the mend. Haven't had one spayed myself but various people on my other dog forum have had similar experiences with very painful girls for a few days. I'm sure your girl will be feeling better and milking it for all she's worth soon!