Pup spayed today - can't lie down

bluejelly

Hi,

My 9 month pup got spayed today (laprascopic). I collected her at 3pm from vets but she has been unable to lie down since. She does try but gets up quickly after a few seconds. She is very groggy so falling asleep while standing up which means she either falls or wakes just in time. i rang the vet an hour ago but of course today is the day they close early (didnt tell me this). i left a message on the mobile contact number but haven't heard anything back yet. My other dog got the same procedure done 2 yrs and she was fine. The reason i went with keyhole was to avoid this situation! Any suggestions as to what i can do until the vet rings me? thanks

jellybear

Your poor pup and poor you I don't really have much advice but maybe try putting a lot of padding where she lies- you could roll up an old duvet if you have one. The softer surface might make it more comfortable. I'm sure you've tried to pick her up gently and lay her down on either side to see if that can make her comfortable. Last thing I could think of is to lie on the floor yourself and as she's standing there just continually pet her and talk to her- my three love that, it really calms them!!
Hope she gets more comfortable soon

bluejelly

thanks jellybear. i have covered the couch with really soft blankets, brought her bed in which is really soft and comfortable (i would sleep on it myself!). i have tried sitting down with her and moving her gently but to no avail. i am really surprised that she is like this to be honest. i'll try lieing down tho, thanks for the suggestion.

jellybear

You poor thing did the vet give you any pain medication for her by any chance? It might be worth ringing an out of hours vet if possible. Even just to get advice on whether they think she needs to be seen or not.

bluejelly

No pain killers to take away, they said they stopped doing that 2 yrs ago as there was no need for them. just got a call back now from the vet, he said the tension in the stitches are probably too tight and she is getting a pinch but would not be in pain. unusual in larger breed dogs but can happen in a small amount of cases. he advised short walks to stretch out the stitches so i will do that now, it should stop in 24 hrs.

jellybear

Awh I'm glad he got back to you. Hopefully that's all it is and you'll all have a nice time watching the parade tomorrow once she's settled down!!

tk123

It could be the drugs too OP from when she was knocked out? Bailey's had few anesthetics the last while from tests/operations etc and he can be like that too - very very uneasy and just won't lie down and go asleep. He was in for X-rays just over a week ago and kept jumping up out of his bed loads of times during the night. When he had his operation 6 months ago he didn't lie on the couch for 2 days and would only sleep on Lucy's bed. Now they both sleep on the bed in turns lol!

geniuspure

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Mod edit: Poster banned.

bluejelly

My pup is thankfully asleep now, after 7 hrs standing! My husband was able to turn her on her side/back & put pillows underneath to support her so she is finally comfortable hopefully tomorrow will bring a big improvement

Satori Rae

I had a dog years back who when she got fixed, just couldn't settle, the drugs made her so wonky. She kept falling over and when we tried to gently settle her down she would get back up and try get up on the couch but would end up panned out on the floor. Just keep a good eye on her shes probably out of it. You could ring around other vets to see if they have an emergency number

charlietheminxx

Just to note my dog was a bit unwell after being spayed and we eventually had to bring her to the emergency vet in Dublin, only for them to say her stitches were too tight, were coming apart and that she absolutely should have been given anti-inflammatories for after the surgery. If you're in any doubt today, get the on call vet or go to an emergency vet. I hope that's not necessary and that she's on the mend.

tk123

charlietheminxx wrote: »

Just to note my dog was a bit unwell after being spayed and we eventually had to bring her to the emergency vet in Dublin, only for them to say her stitches were too tight, were coming apart and that she absolutely should have been given anti-inflammatories for after the surgery. If you're in any doubt today, get the on call vet or go to an emergency vet. I hope that's not necessary and that she's on the mend.

Just to note the OP's dog had keyhole spay - it's not as invasive as a regular spay so that's probably why they weren't given anti-inflammatories. How is she today OP?

twomonkeys

Poor puppy! When my dog was spayed at a similar age she couldnt get comfy at all when I took her home. Did exactly the same, tried sleeping standing up. She eventually fell asleep lying on her back with her four paws in the air.

You should see quite a difference in your pup today. Dogs bounce back very quickly and 24hours makes a world of difference, the anaesthetic will also be gone from her system. If shes still in obvious discomfort today I'd try and get some painkillers from the vet.

bluejelly

Good news........my pup is much better today. She bounced out of bed in her usual manner this morning, has been on 2 short walks already that she didn't want to come back from :)and is now asleep on the rug in sunroom. Such a relief now as it was hard watching her yesterday. Thanks everyone for the advice, much appreciated.

Lizard_Moon

Just a quick post- glad your pup well OP and your vet got back to you and below doesn't apply to them!

All vets must provide an emergency service when their office is shut. They either do it themselves or share an on call rota.
Don't use a vet who operates and then shuts up shop for the night/weekend. This is irresponsible as any other vet you call won't have your dog's history about the surgery.
Always check emergency cover provided by your vet. Apart from Dublin I don't think there are Emergency only vets like in the UK, just vets working all day and then night for their own clients.
We, unfortunately, have experienced trying to deal with clients abandoned when the office is closed by another vet.