My cocker bitch was spayed today.  I couldn't bear the thought of going through a season with two dogs and a bitch in the house.  We've managed well until now but it's such a risky business.

I got the usual post op sheet saying to feed her chicken and rice tonight which I have duly prepared.  She doesn't want to eat and is lying on vetbed under my feet and doesn't seem to want to move.  Having had the same op myself, I don't blame her!

I suppose I should try and get her out for a wee before I go to bed and I'll try and get her to have something to drink (glucose and water sounds a good idea, she loved that post-whelping).  Apart from keeping her warm (she can stay in tonight rather than cold kennel with heat lamp) is there anything else I should do?

You just feel for them, don't you? :-(

I would try and get her to drink something before settling down for the night but it will do her no harm at all to go without food.  If you have had an anaesthetic you will know it leaves you feeling rather groggy for 24-48 hours in same cases and possibly queezy.  Best thing is to leave her in peace to sleep it off, dogs actually seem more resilient than us humans, probably because they don't worry about things :)  Watch out for her starting to lick the wound though as she comes round more, it it easy to think they are not interested because they are so sleepy then they suddenly take an interest.  I think a bucket collar is better than trying to dress the wound as wounds are generally best left open to the air.

Trying to keep her quiet in the days to come will be the difficult thing.  When Molly was spayed a couple of months back, she was trying to bounce around the house as usual the following morning. The vet told us to stop giving her the painkillers as she clearly had no idea she'd had a major op!  As she usually sleeps in our bed (not a very good example of a working cocker, I'm afraid), we had to try to stop her jumping in and out of it - result, me sleeping downstairs on the futon with her for ten nights...  The first night, she was very grumbly, clearly in pain and didn't know what was going on and wanted lots of cuddles.  After that, she was demanding walks as usual, but as it was so wet and filthy outside we had to keep her in to avoid the wound getting mucky, which didn't go down too well.  The trouble with working cockers is that their energy and enthusiasm for walks seem to cancel out any pain they feel.
Did you decide one litter was enough, then?!

Thank you for your responses.

She hasn't been sent home with painkillers and we were told 'lead-walks' only for the first ten days to avoid just what you describe above Rosemarie.  She has just followed me upstairs to put the washing away, but coming down the stairs was too much, either that or she fancied a soft bed for the night!  She's by the radiator but has removed all bedding - typical of her, she doesn't like to be hot.  She's now been out for a wee which I am pleased about so am happy to leave her now.

She had a pup with entropian, despite the fact she was eye tested (not related I know) and we've had a pup change homes which has been heartbreaking for us all so after much thought we decided to not 'push our luck' any further.  All pups are healthy and happy now which is the main thing, but it could have been so different.  We've had a wonderful time, and ended up with a cracking little pup ourselves but the door is now firmly closed on that chapter, at least until a time long into the future.  We didn't want to run the risk of more problems, or her getting pregnant by "carelessness" as two dogs and a bitch at the same time are very hard work during seasons.  It just isn't worth it and we'll leave it to others now.

PS Do you think pup missed her today? I've just been in his kennel and his cushion has been ripped to shreds, he's never attempted anything like that before!  Our springer is mooching round the house as if he has a very nasty smell under his nose!

Hi J/k, my Sweepy had this done in Jan. I knew she must have neede to go but she couldn`t make the 5 steps so I carried her down & when she finished(she did both ;) ) carried her back in. Following morning she could make it down but not up! I got a cage set up for her cos didn`t want her wondering half doped around or being bothered by the others, she went in & slept. I didn`t feed her but let her have sips of water with honey added., following day she had light chicken broth & for next day or 2 then gradually thickening it up. She didn`t have painkillers either & she didn`t bother her wound but I kept a close eye cos she got a reaction from where she`d been shaved & the plaster they put over the dressing but that came off the next day, just make sure it stays clean & don`t let her over do things :)

Christine, Spain.

My Hollie was spayed last week and was very groggy for 24 hrs afterwards so for the first few nights I slept on the sofa next to her.
Keeping them from bounding around for the 10 days is really hard work.....almost impossible with 2 staffies in the house but we have managed quite well so far. She did bark and the yelp the day after and must have hurt herself and didn't bark again for nearly a week!
Lots of cuddles will help xxx

I know I keep torturing myself over this and speying is regarded quite normal but not for all of us sadly. I took a very healthy bouncy Stafford bitch to the vets that morning, routine op isnt it.Later we picked up a very out of it poor panting, freezing cold girlie who I just wanted to get home and warm up and love. Little did we know she was in shock, little did we know she would be getting a very acute pneumonia that would drown her later that night and that was it a dead lovable dog that I adored gone and she deserved her retirement and the vet killed her. Did he get away with it cause he did we know he must of over anaesthetized her as everything else was normal (autopsy carried out) can we prove it NO but can he prove he didnt No he cant.
We have had to learn the very hardest way but boy would I ask questions next time.
1 How long will he/she be like this if still groggy
2 What should we look for as regards shock
3 Is your anaesthetic machinery monitered and will some one be monitering the animal during surgery, probably the most important question of all that one

I've just come down and she seems fine but was delighted to be able to trot off to her kennel!  She doesn't seem grateful in the slighted for having slept inside!!!! ;-)

I didn't occur to me until just now that they've cut her underneath but when they do cats they do it from the side.  Why is this?  It also probably accounts for the fact you see lots of shaved cats but not many shaved dogs (from speying)!  Is canine anatomy so different from feline?

Hi jackyjat,

Sounds as if she's doing fine!  Some bitches you'd never know they'd had a major op, and some need a little longer to recover - be guided by her.  My girl was very uninterested in walks for a few days, and just wanted to rest, so we just had very short ones until she was ready to go farther, but some are looking for walkies the next day!  I wasn't given painkillers either.

What you could get to help her recovery is Homeopathic Arnica 30c tablets from your chemist/health food shop and give her 3 a day - they help with recovery after ops, bruising, healing.  My girl had her stitches out in 8 days with them.

We posted at the same time!  Glad she's doing great.  If she's out in her kennel, you'll need to keep an eye on her to check that she's not removing the stitches or getting the wound dirty (salt water), or getting too playful with the others if they're together.

Sending Reiki for her.

Superfilly, really sorry to hear of your experience.

Superfilly, I'm so sorry to hear of your experience. Sadly, just like me, you're one of the people who've learned that operations, no matter how routine, still carry a risk. Death following surgery is very rare, but that's not a lot of consolation when your dog's the one-in-a-thousand who dies, is it. Sadly it's generally one of those things, and nobody's to blame. Some dogs (and people) react badly to anaesthetic, and even a small amount (not enough to dull pain) can cause serious reactions, and there's no way of knowing beforehand. Please don't blame yourself for years as I did when I suffered in the same way.

I found the Ch4 programme on people who aren't fully anaesthetised during operations very interesting and it clearly explained how we all react differently.  Of course this is the same for humans and dogs an is very distressing when it happens but is the heavy price we pay for such wonderful surgery that is done every day.

Yes, JJ, and with the muscle relaxant that's administered (to animals as well as people) there's no way they can indicate that the anaesthesia hasn't worked properly. :(

Thanks for those kind words and yes I could understand if she hadnt been put under before but she had and with the same vet when she tore a teat on barb wire he had to take it off and some of her mammery glands were removed as well. And yes that was also my fear what if he hadnt gave her enough hence she was topped up how awful is that and it doesnt bare thinking about.
The thing I cant accept is that he sent her home to us with the words of advice being if there was any change or we were concerned to ring him. He didnt say she should be recovering in a few hours or if she doesnt improve so we had no idea what to look for. He gave us the responsibility of doing his job because he couldnt be arsed and probably just hoped she would be ok and for that I can never forgive him. My husband asked me when I carried her to the car is she ok and I said the vet said she was going to be but I should of followed my gutt feelings and took straight to another vets there and then and even then we might of been to late and never in a thousand years do you think they could die. Because it was a routine op, takes 20 mins max and the newbie vets perform it as there first operation.
The best was the RCVS report "death was as unavoidable as inexplicable" yea right and she died of respiratory failure well yea but something caused that to happen the best was they said she could of had pneumonia before the op what an insult as we and animals carry the pneumonia cells just like we all carry the big C its what triggers it off. And though it would of been desirable for him to keep our bitch a bit longer he wasnt wrong to discharge her either even though she was totally out of it and panting rapidly and her gums and eye rims were white not pink. But her colour did improve once we got her home and warmed her up and she did respond to us a couple of times but yes I blame myself and always will as I should of taken her to another vet.
And though I am fortunate to have her daughter and son the installed fear if ever they need to be operated on I cant tell you how that frightens me. But time will make it easier no doubt. Anyway i will shut up about it now as like you said its our own sorrow and we have to deal with it.  

"Anyway i will shut up about it now as like you said its our own sorrow and we have to deal with it."

I can't see the above quote in any of the posts and I am sure you have everyones sympathy for your loss.  It's very sad when things go wrong.

Thats very sad S/F & J/G :(
Its probably a bg fear for most of us when/if they have to undergo surgery, its very hard when its your dog that things didn`t go routinely for.

J/J, glad to hear she`s on the mend :)

Christine, Spain.