Is Your Pet Having Surgery? Follow These Tips To Help Your Pet Recover
If your pet is having surgery, you may find yourself wondering what you can do to help your pet recover. Here are a few of the tips that you can use to best help your pet recover following some of the most common surgical procedures performed at a veterinarian hospital.
Slowly Introduce Water and Food
Pets are typically sedated when they undergo a surgical procedure. The sedation can affect your pet's tummy. While they may be feeling hungry because they likely fasted before the procedure, if they eat or drink too quickly, they may end up vomiting. It is recommended that you slowly reintroduce foods and water to your pet. Ensure they can keep down water before giving them a small amount of food.
Try to Limit Their Activity
After surgery, you should work to try to limit your pet's activity. Consider setting up a comfortable bed in one room and closing off the room or placing baby gates up so they cannot get too far. You do not want your pet running or jumping around the home. You do not want them to split their stitches open or to injure themselves by doing too much. Resting is the best way to help them to heal.
Take Steps to Prevent Licking
If your pet licks their wound site, they are introducing bacteria to the surgical site. As such, you want to take steps to prevent licking. In many cases, this involves the use of a cone worn over the head that prevents your pet from pulling out their stitches and licking their wound.
Ensure Your Pet Routinely Gets Their Medications
When you leave the hospital, your pet may receive medications, including pain medications and medications to prevent or control an infection. It is important to follow the instructions for administering the medications and ensuring your pet gets them at the appropriate times.
Watch for Signs of Infection or Abnormal Behavior
Lastly, following surgery, be sure to watch for signs of infection or abnormal behavior. Many of the signs of infection in a pet are the same in humans, including a fever, drainage around the surgical site, and swelling or redness around the infection site.
After your pet is released from a veterinarian hospital, a vet will provide you with post-op instructions and follow-up information. Always follow that information to best help your pet recover following a surgical procedure. If you have any questions or concerns, if your pet is showing signs of infection, or if something simply does not seem right, do not hesitate to call your vet or bring your pet back to the veterinarian hospital to be looked at.
For more information, contact a veterinarian hospital like Sylvan Corners Pet Hospital.