Golden Retriever Spay Recovery: What You Need to Do

Spaying a Golden Retriever entails an important recovery period. Unlike neutering, spaying is done to female Goldies where their ovaries are removed to halt reproduction. Since this is an invasive procedure, it’s important to pay close attention to Golden Retriever spay recovery.

What to expect after spaying a Golden Retriever?

After spaying, your pooch will be put in a dog cone to prevent it from licking the stitches. Some vet clinics will let you bring the dog home on the same day. But depending on the condition of your Goldie, the vet may require that the pooch stays in overnight.

Expect behavioral changes in your dog since spaying is a painful and stressful experience. You should be patient and never punish your dog. Just imagine yourself undergoing an operation. It’s not the most comfortable time.

After 7 to 10 days, the stitches on your dog’s belly need to be removed. The vet will surely discuss this with you. Still, removing the stitches doesn’t mean that your Golden Retriever has recovered fully. To ensure that the pooch will recover properly, you should do the following steps below.

How to help a Golden Retriever recover after spaying

As the owner, you have to ensure that your Goldie is safe after spaying. The following tips will help ensure that your doggo will have a full recovery:

🐕Limit the dog’s activities

Golden Retrievers are active canines but you have to do everything to limit their physical activities. If your newly spayed dog is trying to run, play, and jump, you can put it in the crate for the meantime. You shouldn’t let the pooch jump from elevated surfaces like the couch, stairs, and beds.

As much as possible, keep the pooch inside. You can go for short walks after sutures have been removed but you should still consult this with the vet. Do this for at least two weeks to ensure that your Golden Retriever has fully healed.

🐕Keep the dog cone on

Even after the stitches have been removed, I still suggest keeping the Elizabethan cone on. Your dog will surely try to lick the incision area since it will be itchy and slightly painful. Although this will limit your pet’s movement, it still guarantees that your pooch will not do anything about her wound.

🐕Don’t force-feed

After spaying, it’s normal for dogs to refuse to eat. Missing a few meals would be fine, so you should never force the pooch to eat. Your dog should be fine after a day or two. Just let your dog eat at its own pace and whenever it wants. However, if your pooch is refusing to eat or drink anything for two days, you should call the vet immediately.

🐕Keep the incision area clean and dry

You should never give your newly spayed dog a bath. It’s important to keep the incision area clean and dry for the first week. This is especially if the incision is closed using wound glue and not sutures. You should always ask the assistance of the vet to ensure that the incision area will not develop any infections.

Still, keeping the wound dry doesn’t mean you shouldn’t touch it. You should follow the proper cleaning procedure as discussed by the vet.

🐕Follow the vet’s prescription

After spaying, the vet will prescribe pain medications to soothe your Golden Retriever. You should follow the proper dosage and time of administration. This will make the recovery process less stressful for your pooch. Take note that you should never give your Goldie human medication like Tylenol or aspirin because it will just mess with their recovery.

🐕Don’t hesitate to call the vet

Last but not the least, don’t hesitate to call the vet if there’s something unusual on your Golden Retriever. It’s important to monitor the pooch so you can curb any problem that might occur anytime. If your dog vomits, had seizures, or becomes extremely lethargic for days, you should rush it to the vet’s clinic immediately.

Conclusion

Golden Retriever spay recovery will take at least two weeks. It’s important to closely supervise your dog during this period to prevent infections and other problems. If your dog suffers from adverse symptoms, you shouldn’t hesitate to phone the vet immediately.