POST-OP INSTRUCTIONS
How to Care for Your Pet After Surgery
Please closely monitor your pet during the 7–10 day recovery period and strictly follow these mandatory post-operative care instructions.
Limit activity for at least one week after surgery.
No running, jumping, playing, swimming or other strenuous activity for 7-10 days after surgery. Pets must be kept indoors to rest and stay clean, dry and warm. No baths during the recovery period. Dogs must be taken outside on a leash, even in a fenced-in yard.
Check the incision site at least two times a day.
Do not allow your pet to lick or chew at the incision site. If this occurs, an Elizabethan collar (E-collar) MUST be put on immediately to prevent injury to the surgical site (can be purchased at UCAN for $5/Cat, $8/Dog, or at local pet stores). Male dogs should wear an E-collar for a week after surgery. You can also use boxer shorts to cover the incision (stick the tail through the opening). UCAN is not liable for any self-induced trauma resulting from not using an E-collar. There may be a FIRM LUMP under the incision as the dissolvable sutures break down for several weeks. This is normal. There are no external sutures, unless otherwise noted. Redness and swelling should be minimal.
Do not give your pet human pain medication.
Pain Medication that lasts 24 hours was given to your pet at the time of surgery. DO NOT give your pet any human pain relievers (like aspirin, Advil, Tylenol, etc.). These medications have the potential to be toxic to your pet.
Monitor appetite and activity level for 24 hours after surgery.
Appetite and activity level should gradually return to normal within 24 hours after surgery. Lethargy or lack of appetite lasting more than 24 hours, severe diarrhea or persistent vomiting are NOT normal and you should take your pet to an emergency clinic immediately if these symptoms occur. Pets may have a slight cough for a few days after surgery.
Keep a consistent diet for at least one week after surgery.
Do not change your pet’s diet for 7 to 10 days after surgery and DO NOT give any people food or table scraps during the recovery period. These could mask post-operative complications.
Quarantine female pets who were in heat before surgery.
If your female pet was in heat you MUST keep her away from intact (not neutered) and recently neutered males for TWO weeks or serious complications may result. It is normal to have some spotting of blood or mild discharge for up to 2 weeks after surgery. Please contact us if it continues longer than 2 weeks.
Vaccine Reactions.
For 24 hours after a vaccine is given, it is common for pets to experience mild pain/swelling at the vaccine site, mild fever, decreased appetite or activity, and sneezing/mild cough (for Bordetella vaccine). Less common but more severe reactions are persistent vomiting or diarrhea, facial selling, hives, severe coughing or difficulty breathing. If your pet shows any signs of these more severe reactions, please seek care immediately at a full-service veterinary facility.
Your pet received a green tattoo next to their incision to show the pet has been altered. The tattoo is a scoring process of the skin and is permanent.
It is NOT an extra incision.
Post-Operative Issues
Post-Operative Issues
During regular business hours (Mon. - Fri. from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., excluding national holidays), we will treat any post-operative complications resulting directly from surgery. Please leave a message on our post-operative cell phone 513-787-8746 with your name, the pet's name and the date of surgery as soon as you see any cause for concern (if it relates to the incision site, please also text a picture of the incision), and a medical team member will return your call as soon as possible.
If an emergency (labored breathing, pale gums, persistent vomiting or diarrhea), promptly take your pet to an emergency clinic.
UCAN is NOT liable for complications resulting from failure to strictly follow the post-operative instructions, for male dogs not wearing an e-collar for a full week after surgery, or for contagious diseases for which the pet had not been properly vaccinated prior to coming to our high-volume clinic.
After Hours Post-Operative Issues
If post-operative complications arise outside of our regular business hours, please contact your personal veterinarian or an emergency clinic.
Your regular veterinarian must address any illnesses or injuries that are not a direct result of the spay or neuter surgery.
Emergency Clinics Open 24 Hours:
MedVet Cincinnati, 3964 Red Bank Rd, Fairfax, OH 45227
Grady Veterinary Hospital, 9255 Winton Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45231
Veterinary Emergency Group, 3702 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45209
Care Center Cincinnati, 6995 E Kemper Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45249