Your pet may eat a small amount of food the evening after surgery, if they are awake and bright.
It is normal for dogs and cats to be sleepy for the first night after anesthesia, but your pet should be bright and alert by the next day.
Some pets may not have a bowel movement for 3-4 days after surgery and this is normal due to a decreased food consumption and decreased activity level. If your pet is straining to defecate after 4-5 days, please call us.
A small amount of coughing is normal but please call or e-mail if it seems excessive or your pet can’t seem to get comfortable.
Some of the to-go-home medications can cause vomiting or diarrhea- please DO NOT give NSAIDS (carprofen or meloxicam) if your pet is having any vomiting or is not willing to eat. Please call us if you have questions about whether to give your pet’s medications.
Your pet should wear the Elizabethan collar provided AT ALL TIMES for the first week after surgery. You may remove the collar for him or her to eat or go for a walk, but then it should be replaced. Wearing the collar is essential to prevent licking or chewing of the incision.
Do not allow your pet to lick or chew their incision for any length of time.
Please keep the incision clean and dry and check the incision daily. A small amount of redness or swelling is normal, but if redness or swelling seem to be increasing please contact the clinic.
Keep your pet confined to a crate or small room like a bathroom for the first 3 to 5 days. Do not allow any running, rough play or jumping up while he or she is healing. He or she also cannot have a bath or go swimming the first 10 days after surgery.
Give all medications as instructed.
Complications
The complication rate from spay/neuter surgery is very low. However, should there be a problem with an animal after surgery, please contact Luke and Lily Lerner Spay/Neuter Clinic (Lerner Clinic). Medical assistance is available 24 hours a day by calling the Henry and Lois Foster Hospital for Small Animals emergency service at 508-839-5395.
Fortunately, most complications are very minor and can be resolved by a phone call (508-887-4326), email with pictures (lernerclinic@tufts.edu) or outpatient visit. Should your pet show signs of being seriously ill (vomiting, not eating, unable to rest or get comfortable, or being extremely lethargic), he or she should be seen right away.
During the first 48 hours after surgery, if you feel that your pet is having an urgent complication directly resulting from the spay/neuter procedure and that it cannot wait to be addressed when the Lerner Clinic is open during business hours, you may bring your pet to the emergency room at the Foster Hospital for Small Animals to be assessed. The cost of the emergency room exam will be waived, but you will be financially responsible for treatments involved. Lerner Clinic is not responsible for medical costs that occur because of pre-existing conditions, contagious diseases, owner non-compliance, or if the owner incurs costs at another hospital.
It is very important to follow discharge instructions carefully to prevent complications. Animals must be watched carefully and kept quiet for 10-14 days after surgery. Elizabethan collars are given to each client upon discharge at no cost and will prevent problems from the animal chewing or licking at its incision.”
Note: Lerner Clinic is not equipped to provide follow-up care or diagnostic services to surgical patients. If your patient requires follow-up care or diagnostic testing (labs, radiographs, ultrasounds), please follow up with your referring veterinarian.