GALTx eNews: Five Tips to Ease Post-Op Drama!
Those of us with dogs know the risk of a dog needing surgery always exists. Once in a while, we know when in advance and can plan ahead. Here are a few things you can do to help make recovery a little easier for all:
1. If your dog will need an e-collar, shop in advance for the style and price point you want rather than accepting whatever your vet provides. Put it on your dog a few times before surgery so that your dog can learn how to get around with it on. Dogs tend to initially react to e-collars by either pathetically freezing in place or by running around trying to escape it. Neither reaction is ideal post-op.
2. Consider installing an affordable security camera system that connects to your mobile devices. The video feed will be delayed a little and you absolutely will not have time to return home from anywhere to intervene in undesirable behavior. But a camera system can help you see around corners and through walls while you are home. Some of our adopters have found the Amcrest products affordable and easy to install.
3. Plan for your comfort the first few days and think about where you will both sleep (if you sleep). Dogs can feel disoriented for up to 24 hours after anesthesia and might not relax the first night. Vets usually recommend that dogs not jump on furniture and stairs might not be a good idea. An affordable, small bean bag chair can provide you with a lot of portable comfort down at dog level.
4. E-collars sometimes don't fit easily through dog doors. If your dog's routine involves using the doggy door without assistance, you'll need to make other plans for up to 2 weeks. Find a good dog sitter, dog walker or helpful neighbor to come let them out when you can't stay home. Although it is tempting to use a basket muzzle with tape over the licking end to solve this problem, dogs can suffocate if they throw up in it. Further, anesthesia and pain meds can increase the risk of nausea and vomiting. Therefore, you should use a muzzle instead of an e-collar only with close supervision.
5. And last but not least, do all your grocery shopping and errands before bringing your dog home from surgery so that you can stay home with them as much as possible in the first few days. Rent some movies, schedule a visit from a friend or two, and enjoy some time off from work if you can.
