POST-OPERATIVE CARE What should I watch for? All of the following are abnormal following surgery. If your pet should exhibit any of the following signs, please call us immediately at (317) 823-1100. Loss of appetite for more than two days Pain Sutures come out Discharge from eyes, ears or nose Straining to urinate or defecate Change in breathing Refusal to drink water for more than one day Depression Excess drainage from incision Difficulty getting up or down Vomiting Diarrhea Swelling Abnormal odors Weakness Chewing, licking, or scratching sutures When should I start the medication the veterinarian sent home? Unless otherwise directed, begin/continue medication the evening you take your pet home from the hospital. Does my pet require a special diet after surgery? Unless otherwise directed, your pet can continue his regular diet following surgery. Animals sometimes go home and gorge themselves after food and water has been withheld, and they may make themselves sick. Because of this, we recommend you start by offering your pet half of the regular share of food and water after surgery. If he/she keeps that down and is ready for more, offer the rest of the food about one hour later. Some animals may have a decreased appetite for a day or two following anesthesia. This is not a concern unless the pet goes two days without eating, does not drink for a day, or vomits. Do I have to limit my pet’s exercise after surgery? The answer to this question varies widely depending on what surgery your pet has. For spays and neuters, dogs do very well overall with normal levels of activity. However, we do recommend that you discourage your pet from running, jumping, and other high levels of exercise for seven days. If your pet is one who runs the yard during bathroom breaks, you may be better off leash-walking him for a week. Excessive exercise after these types of surgery could lead to swelling and delayed healing at the incision site. Cats that go home after declaw surgery should be kept from jumping. This is especially important when jumping down, as the impact will result in all of the cat’s weight being forced onto the paws. Other surgeries may have special exercise requirements. Consult with the technician or veterinarian if you are unsure what level of activity is acceptable for your pet post-operatively. Do I need to return for suture removal? What is abnormal for an incision? As a general rule, if your pet has sutures (also known as “stitches”) or staples that are visible to you, you should return seven days after surgery to have them removed. This also allows a technician or veterinarian the opportunity to evaluate the healing progress. Some degree of licking and self-grooming at the surgical site is normal and safe; however, you should monitor your pet for excessive licking or chewing. Not only could your pet remove sutures before the incision has completely healed, but over-grooming may also be a sign of pain in some animals. If your pet begins obsessively licking at the surgery site, please bring him/her in to be fitted for an Elizabethan collar. (Many people call this a “lamp shade” collar.) We recommend checking the incision daily for swelling, redness, or discharge. If any of these signs appear, please notify us, as these may be signs of irritation or infection.