How much pain are dogs in when they get neutered ??

Question

hi i have a 8 month old cavalier king charles ,gonna get him neutered soon as he was humping his teddy the other day , obviously neutered is better aithough i have been told cavaliers put on weight if neutered but surely if plenty of exercise will combat that , how long till they feel better ,do they have to wear a cone in case they bite their stiches, will my dog hate me , lol for putting him through that , hes only little i cant believe hes humping already lol well trying to ,xx

and my daughter says they take away the dew claw at the same time ,is she right xx

Answer 1

These are all questions to direct at your vet for answers specific to the vet practice you'll be going to, but I can give you general answers.

They only remove the dew claws if you request this - I don't see why a vet would do this as standard, that would be weird. Just ask them if they do it when you book the neuter op, it's your choice whether to have it done or not.

The subject of pain in animals is a subject of constant debate - it's generally accepted in recent times that they do experience pain the same as we do, they're just much better at hiding it. However, any vaguely decent vet will supply an animal with adequate pain relief. Ask them what pain relief they provide- it may be a long-lasting injection, or they may send you home with tablets. I can tell you that dogs are fairly back to normal by the next day, and completely back to normal after a week. They don't really suffer from it. You can get an e-collar from the vets as a precaution, it's not always supplied as standard but it's a good idea to put it on him at least overnight when you're not with him.

Now as for the weight - 1) cavaliers are the number ONE breed prone to overweight 2) the only negative side-effect to neutering is that it slows down the metabolism and makes the animal more prone to weight gain. HOWEVER, this is perfectly controllable with the right diet. Exercise is good of course, as you said, but the right diet is vital. Ask your vet for a recommendation, but I recommend Hills Science Plan or Iams - just so long as you never feed your cavvy Pedigree Chum, Winalot, Bakers, Caesar or Butchers! It's impossible for any cavvy or labrador NOT to get fat on these supermarket foods, believe me. Stay away from supermarket foods! And do stick to the feeding guidelines on the food packet. Cavvies are SO hard to keep slim - I've seen a grand total of TWO slim adult cavvies in my life!!

Last of all, I can promise you your dog will NOT hate you for this! He will seem groggy from the anaesthetic for the rest of the day - this is not him hating you or sulking in any way, this is him feeling drugged up. Remember, dogs don't have the same perception as us, they're not capable of thinking 'AGH where have my balls gone'!! I really don't think they know what's happened to them, and once the drugs have worn off it's business as usual (except without the humping, thankfully).

Chalice

EDIT: as for whether the dog will have stitches or glue, this is a surgicl technique that varies from vet to vet, practice to practice. The most modern technique is stitches that have to be removed 14 days later - this is also useful for making sure the dog is brought back for a post-op check. Dissolvable stitches can be used, but stitches that are taken out before the dog is brought home?!? No such thing to my knowledge - would be pointless.

Answer 2

There is very little pain involved for the boys -- one or two stitches or staples at most and some vets take them out before you even take the dog home. Some swelling in the testicular area is normal, and I believe my boys had the most problems with itching as the hair which was shaved grew back -- you can use an antobiotic cream or cortisone cream if they seem bothered. My boys licked a little for a few days, then stopped. The did not need cones. My boys were back doing their normal routines (even running and jumping) in just a couple of days.

No -- he will not hate you! He will miss you while he is gone and thank you for probably extending his life. Humping is not so much sexual as dominance and really, I think some, both male and female, just like the feeling --one of our MinPins is 10 and still humps his teddy bear! It may not stop the humping, but may elimnate marking if he has not started lifting his leg to pee.

You made the right decision! Good luck!

Edit -- yes they can take the dew claws while he is under -- be sure your vet knows you want that done.

Answer 3

1. He will not be in much pain. The section males have is very small. He will be a little dizzy from the anaesthesia for a day, but afterwards he will be back to normal. He will be itchy for about a week.
2. he must wear a cone for the stitches. Some vets say it is not necessary, but you must put it on, he will hate that at first but they get used to it after 1 hour or so. It is better to be safe than sorry.
3. He will not hate you for that.I felt the same way before neutering my animals, but it is the right thing to do, and they forget it, in fact they don't know what happened to them, so as long as the itchiness stop they forget about it. Dogs don't think like humans.
4. All animals gain weight after neutering. Make sure you give him food for neutered animals, and not too much. You must be checking his weight and the quantity of food he eats, exercise alone can't guarantee anything.

Answer 4

A cone is only needed if the dog messes with the surgical area. My BC didn't need one when she was spayed last fall. So it depends on the dog.

As for pain, it's pretty minimal, more so for a male dog than a female. It's just less invasive than a spaying is on a female. Your dog will have some pain meds for the first day and will likely bounce back quickly. Our Doxie had it done near the same age and he was fine the next day or two.

Answer 5

I just had my dog nuetured and yes he had to wear a con apparently there are soem who use glue and dont require it but I would use it anyways as a precaution. You do not want to have your dog get an infection, they are often hard to notice until they are severe enough to cause problems. Yes they are in pain but your vet should ask you if would like a pain pill for after the surgery if not ask! They seem to be very very sore afterwards even with the pain pill. My dog would not jump up on the couch and barley wanted to move around for the first 3 days. You feel like the worst person in the world I know.

Answer 6

I don't have a King Charles but I have had about 8 dogs neutered throughout my life and usually within 2 days they are fine.
Tehy usually don't get the cone unless it's really bad.
As far as weight don't let eh puppy dog eyes get to you keep him on the diet he should be on and he shouldn't gain weight.
he should be fine and if he does get mad at you just tell yourself that this can also prevent many tyypes of cancer that he could suffer from a lot longer and worse than a slight neutering.
Good Luck

Answer 7

we have three males and the three year old was neutered last month when we brought home a new male....he was tender a couple of days after surgery and we kept him out of the fields to keep the wound closed but he was fine....he took his own stitches out about 5 days post op. most of the sticking together happens in the first 24 hours...When working we kept all surgeries overnight and never used an E collar. Always follow your vets instructions about home care.

Answer 8

no cone, no stitches. They remove the parts and use dissovable stitches to glue the incision together.

I had my boy done at 5 months old. He was a little sore for a few days afterwards. Most boys are up running around the next day like nothing happened.

Diet and exercize will keep the weight down. Pets get fat because they are over fed and underworked.

Answer 9

Some vets say that you shouldn't give them medicine because it keeps them in a little discomfort. This causes the dog to not move around for better healing, but I disagree with this practice. I would see about giving your dog children's motrin for the pain or something like that.

It's not going to be bad pain (have you ever had surgery?), but it should probably be uncomfortable.

About his getting fat, I don't believe this. We have two male dogs, both neutered. They're just as active as they've always been.

Answer 10

my dog was neutered just a couple months ago and he was fine, I don't think dogs feel much until after, they'll be soar for a couple of days but after a week they'll be fine, you ay not notice a difference (my parents didn't) but he never humps or pees inside anymore so its worth it. you may have to make sure he doesn't bite the stiches but my dog didn't touch them.