Well tomorrow Honey is due to be spayed, I am sure it is the right thing but I do feel mean to be putting her through an operation. I adore this dog and feel strangely similar to when my then 2 year old son was having surgery! Can anyone tell me what I might expect with the recovery time? And does it hurt them a lot to have the stitches out? Will the scar fade till it is hard to see or feel or will it be obvious? Thanks for any information.

It's awfully worrying when they go in for surgery! But usually within 24 hours of coming home (usually the same day) they're pretty much back to normal and it's a real pain trying to stop them bouncing around too much! The removal of the stitches is very quick and painless, and by the time the hair's grown back on her tummy (spaying's usually done midline on the belly) there's no scar to be seen. :-)

When ours was spayed last year the stitches were the ones that disolve so she didn't even have to go through that.  She was a bit quite for about 48 hours after the op but then was back to normal and as Jeangenie says the big problem is stopping the bouncing :)

Thankyou for your reassurance. I just have to wait now, it will seem a long day (no dog to walk!) Poor thing was terrified when I took her in this morning, she was shaking like a leaf when I left her. I did not expect her to be so upset because she has never been nervous at the vet's before. I think she might have picked up vibes from me although I was doing my best to be calm! She is so tuned in to me I can't hide anything. Anyway am looking forward to getting her home later and hoping she won't be feeling too bad.

I am sure she will be fine and try not to worry . She will be back safe and sound ;-)

Lucy
xx

Hi Honeybee
I know exactly how you feel ! Bonnie is going to be spayed on 5th March and I think about it every day. I know it's for the best but do feel horrible putting her through all that discomfort.  The surgery probably think I'm a bit nutty cos I've requested that I take her in late morning just before her pre-med is due so that she doesn't have to wait around for ages, but I know she'll still be frightened when i leave her.
My vet uses dissolving sutures too so at least she won't need to have stitches out.
I'm sure everything will go ok for your girl today. Let us know how she gets on !

Hi Hamster - it is nice to hear you feel like I do as I reckon my vets think I am daft! I asked to bring Honey in later but they would not allow it, so she will have spent two or three hours waiting which is stressful. My vet uses stitches which will have to be removed unfortunately. He had better have done a nice neat job! I also handed in my pyjama top for Honey to get comfort from my smell! She does get frightened without me too but I don't think the vets assistant had any concept of that at all. Well hopefully not too long to wait now and I will let you know how she is.

Well she is back home now. Apparently all went well but I haven't looked properly at the wound yet. She is quiet and shivery and very miserable. At least she has had a big drink, the vets assistant said they had not offered her any water so she had not had a drink since yesterday! She does not feel like eating though. I will be so glad to see her usual personality coming back but I guess she will feel rotten for a day or so.

Did they give you pain killers for her? my biggest worry is if they will be in pain as i have  to spay 2 in about 3 months, one is ok but the other a total wimp!

Yes they did give me pain killers for her, though I am not to give her any today as they said she has had some already. She is unsettled and trying to get comfortable at the moment. She is looking at me so sadly I feel utterly cruel!

Try her with a little scrambled egg, don't worry if she refuses and then get her in a nice warm comfy place to snooze it off. She will be fine :-)

Lucy
xx

She has been sick now, a couple of times, obviously her tummy is empty so she has brought the water up again. She is whimpering a lot now too.

Yes she probably drank a little too much too quickly. Try and get her in a nice quiet corner as a good sleep will really help her.

hi honey, sorry to hear your little one is feeling a bit off colour.  I think it will be the anaesthetic that will be making her sick.  I'm sure she'll let you know when she's ready to eat so i wouldnt worry about the eating.  She is bound to be feeling really sorry for herself at the moment, bless her.  Hopefully she'll be up and about very soon.  Wishing her a speedy recovery x

Yeah i too think a quiet corner and a good sleep.  xxx

Hope she is feeling much better today. I must admit all my girlies have come home and been raring to go and I've had problems keeping them quiet.
Like us though they are all different.

Yes thankyou, she has picked up a bit - she had little drinks of water and bits of scrambled egg during the night, and has had a bit of boiled rice and chicken for breakfast. She is really licking at the wound so I have put one of my daughter's vests on her! (thought it would cover the wound without being tight or too hot)
She is still quite sorry for herself but I am relieved she seems a bit better, and I expect will be back to herself in a few days. She is a very sensitive soul anyway so I expected she might take a bit longer than some to recover, but at least it is done now!

A vest or teeshirt is very good for protecting the wound when you have a sensitive soul (like mine!) who can't tolerate a buster collar. :-)

One of my bitches jumped the gate at the bottom of the garden the day she was spayed Obviously she was feeling fine ;-) She was kept on a lead after that though until the stitches came out :-)

She would be shaking as an after effect of the anaesthetic, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. Just keep the wound clean and if you see it turning red then go back for a check up. It might be the start of an infection.

Sleep is the best thing for a day or so.

Yes she is just sleeping really so hopefully that will do her good. Just another question though - when might I expect her to go to the toilet? She has not even done a wee yet although she has been eating and drinking today, so she hasn't done a wee for over 24 hrs since the op. It would be nice to know that all is working properly!

I would just keep putting her outside and I am sure she will do something soon. It sometimes takes a little while to things to kick start after an OP :-)

It does take a while for things to get back to normal.  My Abby was okay to wee but it was five days before she would poo.  I would see her squat and I expect she was sore internally, because she would just stop without anything happening.

I too felt soooo guilty.  I cried when I left her at the vets, even though I'd spayed my dogs before ... I must be getting soft :-)

Thankyou for the information, it really does help. I am really pleased because she did manage to do a wee this morning and walked a few steps in the garden. Other than that she hadn't walked at all since the op so I was a bit worried. She is still lying in her bed looking sad and I am bringing her bits of tempting food and drinks, she will get used to being waited on I expect! 

Just have to add, Honey has just received a Get Well Soon card in the post (from my mother) so I am not the only nutcase in the family!

I know it is very worrying, but you will be surprised as to how quickly they recover (much better than we humans). One of my bitches was spayed just before Christmas and she went for her walk with the others the very next day. She was very wary of them running into her and would just tuck herself in behind my legs when they came too close but otherwise was fine. After a couple of days she was asking me to throw her ball for her (she loves chasing a thrown ball) and was really miffed when we wouldn't oblige. In saying all that I do think the smaller breeds often tend to be a little more sensitive to pain.
If you have any concerns just pop her back to the Vets. But I am sure she will be fine.

Just to say thankyou to all the replies with words of advice and reassurance. Yes she is loads better and actually the vet has done a lovely neat job with only a tiny incision really which will be barely noticeable. I am starting to feel happy to have done the right thing for her, no more seasons and crazy hormones! (lucky her!!)

My 7 year old was spayed last week and she was a bit sorry for herself and tucked up for a day or so but the painkillers the vet gave us worked well and within 3 days she was raring to go LOL!

The vet told me to keep her onlead for 10 days until her check up and stitches out but she was so obviously fine, and the wound healed so nicely that I let her offlead after a week - it isn't as if she's a youngster and liable to run about like a loony.

I think we suffer more worrying about them than they do from the actual op LOL!