My puppy is getting spayed today. How long do I have to keep the cone on her?

Question

I am picking up my dog in the evening today and she just got spayed. My vet told me that she needs to keep a cone on her for 2 weeks. There is no way my hypered puppy (boxer) will last two weeks with this. I'm guessing the vet is just being over cautious, does anyone have any experience with this?

Also, I have another male puppy, how long should I keep the two dogs apart?

Answer 1

My vet suggested just a week and my dog had an undescended testical so he had major surgery.

I've got a hyper puppy too (border collie/pit). We had his cone on for about 4 days. It was on over the weekend so he wouldn't remove his stitches because the vet is not available on weekends. He destroyed his cone after those 4 days.

So I suggest just keeping it on her for as long as possible then just keep her from licking the area.

good luck

Answer 2

Well, I used to work as a Vet Tech. As far as the cone goes its just to keep her from pulling out her stitches or staples (depending on what your vet uses). If you have a very hyper puppy the vet is really not being over cautious. Most of the time when you get your puppy back they are a little sleepy the first night from the anesthesia but they bounce right back. The cone will be a bit anoying for your pup in the beginning as she will constantly bump into things however after a few days she will get used to it and will be fine. The cone will come off when she is ready to have her stitches out in about 14 days. Tonight I would let her rest as she will be groggy and keeping her away from your other pup is a good idea even if she really wants to play. After that you can let them play but watch them to make sure she does not get hurt and separate them when you are not home. Also alot of times the vet will give you pain killers for the puppies after a spay. When working at my vets office, if we knew there was another pup in the house we would recommend not giving the pain meds unless she was really upset and whining. The reason for this is because unlike humans that know when they have had surgery and know to take it easy when they have had the surgery even if they cant feel the pain, when puppies feel no pain they act like they normaly would and end up hurting themselves more. If she can feel it a little bit but does not complain this is your best option because she will know the extent of what she can do especially playing with your other puppy. However, if she does seem to be in pain and whining about it dont think twice about the pain meds, you certainly want to keep her comfortable. I hope this has helped you a little. Good luck.

Answer 3

Two weeks is about right to get the incision to heal. Your vet probably gave you an antibiotic ointment to put on it, so you can check.

Now, I've never tried to keep my pets separated when I had to take them for neutering and spaying, and I never had any trouble because of it either. But since you describe the puppies as hyper, you might want to give it at least a week- and then monitor them.

Good luck!

Answer 4

You can keep the cone on for about a week. If the dog has trouble eating or going outside with it it can be taken of for a short period of time, with supervision. I would keep the dogs apart around 2 weeks, until the pup heals. Or atleast supervise.

Answer 5

I never put a cone on any of my dogs and I had them all fixed male and female.

She is going to be sleepy and not feelin like doin much besides sleepin and lookin sad today id think that you have a good 3 or 4 days till she trys to get the stiches out anyways. Good Luck.

Answer 6

It is called an E-collar (stands for elizabethan collar), and yes, 2 weeks is needed. Even if she licks at her stitches, they can become infected very quickly and have a lot of problems.
Your dog will get used to it, but never take it off or she will get more angry when you put it back on her.
Keep your other puppy away at all times unless you are watching them carefully. No licking of da stitches!

Answer 7

Many or even majority of dogs, will leave their stitches alone.
None of mine ever had to wear the "lamp shade".
Keep an eye on your pup, thats all.

Answer 8

My pup wore hers for 7 days. However I took it off her when I could supervise and when she ate. I just had to make sure she didn't lick or bite her stitches.

Answer 9

For as long as the vet says.... 4 to 6 weeks...

Answer 10

YOU CAN GET THE INTERNAL STITCHES LIKE MY FAMILY DID AND YOUR PUPPY WON'T HAVE TO WEAR THE CONE. AT LEAST MINE DIDN'T. YOU MIGHT WANT TO WATCH HER NO MATTER WHAT AND STOP HER FROM LICKING IT AND JUST STUFF LIKE THAT.