my dog licked himself when he came home from the vet.he got neutered and they said DONT LET HIM LICK HIMSELF.only 2 licks,but I'm concerened...
also,he cant have his pain pill till later,what can i do now?
2007-10-16 12:19:18 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
thank you so much,to clear things up he already has an e-collar.the vet said i could take it off while watching him,i turned around,then he licked himself.
thanks for all of the help,my little baby is sleeping on my lap right now.
2007-10-16 12:43:51 · update #1
I am a 3rd year veterinary medical student.
First of all, disregard that answer of the pain meds are for you than the dog... That person is ignorant! It is a painful procedure, and the drugs prescribed are for pain and probably inflammation as well.
2 licks will not hurt. Yes, if he continues to lick, invest in an E-collar. They are quite cheap, shouldn't be more than $10-15. You don't want your dog to lick, because it could cause an infection, or cause the internal sutures (stitches) to come loose. Monitor 2-3 times a day for heat, redness, discharge, odor, and pain. Wait until the appropriate time your vet said to give the meds. Going under anesthesia, there was likely pre-op or post op pain meds that will last him until you were told to give the pain meds. Licking is not necessarily a sign of pain.
if you have other questions, call your local animal emergency clinic, or feel free to shoot me an email.
good luck, and thanks for neutering your pet!
2007-10-16 12:31:21 · answer #1 · answered by lakotamalik09 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Two licks? That's nothing to worry about at all. The vet is concerned that he will stop the incision from healing by excessive licking. He is curious about why he feels different, why it hurts etc, just as we tend to rub a scratch or pick at a scab. A couple of licks aren't going to hurt. If it starts to become a compulsion, run to the pet store or the vet's office and pick up an elizabethan collar he can wear that will prevent him licking. He'll hate it but it will stop him licking and give the incision time to heal. Congrats on taking this step - you've done the right thing!
2007-10-16 12:45:16 · answer #2 · answered by auskan2002 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your dog is just licking cause that is what dogs do when they have an ouchie. If he keeps licking you need to get the lampshade collar thing. Two licks is okay. Just keep an eye on it in case it gets infected. Your pup probably isn't hurting too much anyway and usually doesn't need all of the pain pills they send you home with. Its good for them to feel it, so then they don't get too crazy and wound up and injur themselves. But you don't want them in a lot of pain.
2007-10-16 12:40:52 · answer #3 · answered by jeepiegurl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The reason they tell you not to let your dog lick themselves is:
1. The incision could get infected if germs get in it while it is open.
2. They could open the incision and hurt themselves.
3. They bruise if they lick too hard.
Do not be too paranoid. Your dog should be fine. (Something you should do anyway is) Keep an eye on the incision for swelling or redness which are a sign of infection and will need an antibiotic. It may not be from pain but from feeling the foreign (itchy) object on his skin, the stitches.
2007-10-16 12:32:31 · answer #4 · answered by wyrdrose 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If he only licked it twice he should be ok just watch on the area and make sure it does not become red or swallen. If he keeps licking it go back to the vet for an e-collar so he cant reach it anymore. As for pain just wait till he can take his next pill he should be ok.
2007-10-16 12:22:59 · answer #5 · answered by Amy D 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That won't do any damage at all! If he'd been licking it for hours then he'd be howling but he hasn't so panic over! He will want to have a go at it though so it'd be wise to get him a cone collar to stop him getting at it, i'm surprised your vet didn't give you one to take home when you picked him up! Once the wound starts to heal it'll drive him mad coz it will itch badly so keep an eye on him a bit more around this time, and keep the collar on when you're not with him.
2007-10-16 12:34:39 · answer #6 · answered by misstraceyrick 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your vet's office is not opened now, you can get an e-collar at a lot of the pet stores (PetSmart, Pet Supermarket, Petco). Depending on the dog, sometimes just a little bit of licking can cause a lot of damage. Make sure the e-collar goes past his nose when the collar is pushed far back on his neck (towards his rear). If he can get his nose past the collar, he can get to the incision to lick at it. I know the collar will look huge, but I check all my patient's e-collar size before they leave the hospital because my staff usually picks a collar to small (their nose sticks past it when it's pushed back on their neck). The wrong size is just as bad as no collar at all.
2007-10-16 12:32:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My vet recommended boxer shorts when my dog was neutered. They looked silly, but they did not bother the dog as much as the lamp-shade style collars that we used when our previous dogs were neutered, and they prevented the dog from licking.
2007-10-16 12:35:59 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, don't let him lick anymore. If you cannot stop him, call vet and get e-collar!!!!
The pain pills are more for you than him anyway.
2007-10-16 12:21:38 · answer #9 · answered by ARE YOUR NEWFS GELLIN'? 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
He'll be ok, but don't let him lick anymore. Either get a cone for him or moniter him all the time! Good job for getting your dog fixed!!!
2007-10-16 12:27:03 · answer #10 · answered by yeehaneeha 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋