My dog had major surgery - she had lung cancer and they removed her left lung. She almost didn't make it but by some miracle she pulled through! She will be coming home in two days and I would like to know what we need to do to prepare for her homecoming. Do we need anything special? What do we need to know? Can she go out to go potty? What do we feed her? Any information you can offer will be most appreciated!
2007-01-28 10:21:42 · 8 answers · asked by tickledpink 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Feel free to call your veterinarian and ask them too. They will have everything (or should) written for you as far home care.
Basically she will need activity restriction for 2 weeks while the incision heals. She may need to wear and e-collar to prevent from licking at the incision. She should be crated or in a small room when unsupervised so she isn't over active. She should be kept from horse play with other animals in the household.
You will need to monitor her incision for signs of infection -- redness, swelling, discharge, odor, pain, etc. If you notice any of those, call your vet ASAP.
She will most likely be able to eat her normal diet. Don't feed table scraps. If you need to give her meds, hide them in meatballs of canned dog food, or a little piece of cheese or peanut butter. You don't want her to get any foods she isn't used to as this can cause pancreatitis and you don't want her to vomit.
She can go outside to potty. She should be on a leash to prevent running and horseplay and then back in the house. It is normal for dogs' bowel movements to not be normal after surgery due to pain medications and lack of appetite. I usually tell people they might not be back to their normal BM routine for 5-7 days after surgery.
You should not let her lich at the incision, and you shouldn't need to put anything on it. Likely she will be on antibiotics when she comes home and this will take care of protecting the incision from infection. Be sure after discontinuing the antibiotics that you watch her the next couple days for difficulties. Sometimes we see infections come back or appear after the antibiotics are gone and we need to place them back on for a longer duration of time. Most likely your veterinarian did a culture just to be sure. Most do, some don't. It just depends.
Basically you need to watch for any abnormalities - not eating, not drinking, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, coughing. Watch to see if your think she is painful, uncomfortable, etc.
In all, she should be fine and you should contact your veterinarian if you have any questions about her health. I'm sure they would be more than happy to assist.
We've removed a couple lungs. One was a dog that was shot, the bullet when through the abdomen, into the chest and she had ruptured intestines in her chest. She did great, went home, came back after antibiotics were gone. The bullet had caused an abscess and we had to go back in and remove a lung lobe. That was the sweetest dog ever! I will never forget her.
2007-01-28 10:45:49 · answer #1 · answered by Diana 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
bring this questions with you when you pick her up. It was a major surgery so the vet should have very detailed instructions for you. The doctor should go over all of your concerns. You could even call them ahead of time to make sure all your quesioned are answered and written down for you.
2007-01-28 10:25:33 · answer #2 · answered by ALM 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
this is a very serious surgery. you should not listen to what anyone tells you but the dr who performed the surgery. follow the dr's instructions perfectly. write all of these questions down and call them so you can prepare. i'm glad your dog made it through surgery. listen to your vet only on this. good luck.
2007-01-28 10:26:50 · answer #3 · answered by cagney 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
These are definitely questions you should ask your vet when you pick her up. Make a list so you don't forget any questions in your excitement.
Basic care includes not over exerting her until she's fully healed, making sure her incision site stays clean, giving her all her medications as prescribed, and taking her to any follow up appointments as recommended.
Hope this helps...
2007-01-28 10:30:08 · answer #4 · answered by rita_alabama 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Prevent your dog from running around a lot, also don't let her chew at her stitches, and don't touch anywhere near her wound, because she'll get aggressive if it hurts, make sure she has a soft, clean bed to lie on, and get her something to chew on to let the stress off. She can go to the bathroom, but when she is done don't let her run around, bring her inside shortly after, this way she wont re-open her surgical wound.
2007-01-28 10:31:07 · answer #5 · answered by cyanosis 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have one pet (dog) for last one year. But i didn't any experience for cause of surgery.
2015-01-04 23:41:40 · answer #6 · answered by Damien 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i dont know but your dog got surgery thats really sad but you should call the doctor to see.
2007-01-28 10:26:10 · answer #7 · answered by brownslilbabe 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you could ask the vet they would be a bit more precise
2007-01-28 10:25:51 · answer #8 · answered by ashleyrose2005_1986 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋