After surgery, all dogs should receive basic care upon his return home, although in this article we will focus on the care of newly spayed dogs.
If you are interested in knowing the difference between sterilization and neutering and the care required for newly operated dogs, read on.
What is castration?
Castration is the removal of male gonads (test) or female (ovarian and uterine) or only ovaries.
The surgical procedure during which the testicles are removed it is called an orchidectomy. Removal of the ovaries is called oophorectomy And if the uterus is also removed, it is called an ovariohysterctromy.
Isn't castration the same as spaying?
We are talking indiscriminately about neutering and spaying, but it's not the same. Sterilization consists of leaving the animal without the possibility of procreation, but this can be achieved with techniques of human medicine called «tubal ligation»In females or«vasectomy»In males.
The gonads would still be there and if these techniques were used in dogs they would still produce hormones and cause the animal to react to their reproductive instincts. And this is precisely what we want to avoid, as well as the action of sex hormones, which in the long term, cause many diseases in dogs (breast tumors, uterine infections…), And in dogs (hyperplasia of the prostate gland), in addition to marking, aggression or the tendency to escape.
Therefore, although we are talking about care in newly spayed dogs and we use this term regularly as a synonym for castratedWe must remember that it is not the same, and that what brings benefits to our dog is castration.
Caring for newly spayed females
To remove the ovaries and uterus, the access to the abdominal cavity, so that our dog returns home with one or more incisions in the abdomen.
Surgery can be done in these ways:
Laparoscopy
We will see two small incisions above and below the navel, which we will have to monitor the days after the operation. We will be asked to flush the incisions with serum every day until the stitches. Sometimes the stitches will be reabsorbed without having to be removed.
Conventional medial abdominal approach
A small incision a few inches below the navel. The size will depend on the size of the dog, if she was jealous or not, if she is thin or obese ...
Side wall closeup
We will look at the incisions behind the ribs.
In all cases, regardless of the technique, we will be asked not to have access to stitches in the following days, using Elisabethan collars or cotton t-shirts to prevent the dog from licking. Postoperative analgesics (meloxicam, carprofen ...) will also be prescribed and according to the veterinarian's criteria, they may indicate antibiotic for the following days.
Females must recover in a quiet place, warm and comfortable for a few days, where the appearance of the incisions can be checked daily (if there is exudation, inflammation, redness, heat ...) and where the possible occurrence of abnormalities after surgery.
If the incision was very large, despite painkillers, it may cost you to defecate, so they can sometimes indicate a soft diet and a little lubricant through the mouth, such as olive oil in food. Emphasize the need to report any adverse reaction to medications that guide us (vomiting, diarrhea ...) and will avoid too rough games, such as jumps or uncontrolled descents for at least a week, since whatever the incision size, a hernia can always appear.
Won't the males chase her anymore?
Be very careful the first few days. If the female is close to her next heat or in the days that follow, he will continue to officially feel that the female is «available»For some time and the males will continue to harass her.