my dog just got neutered.how can i stop infection and reduce his pain?

Question

i got my dog neutered today.the vet didn't give me painkillers or a shield so wouldnt lick himself.should i get him some pills and a shield or something? And my dogs very hairy. he got hair stuck in the wound. its hurting him.what should i do?very desperate.

THANK YOU U GUYS R GREAT!!

Answer 1

Your vet didn't shave the incision area? I am a little surprised that his hair has been able to stick to the incision. You can take scissors and cut the hair, so it stops pulling... HOWEVER... do not rip the hair that is stuck to the incision. You will be doing a lot more harm than good. Your best bet is to leave it alone.

If you see your boy start to lick his incision site you can absolutely go out to petsmart or petco and purchase and Elizabethan Collar (lamp shade).

As far as pain meds, I know this sounds cruel, but I can assure you he does not need them. If he needed pain meds, your vet would have prescribed some. We never send home pain meds with routine neuters. They bounce back very quickly.

You are going to want to check his incision several times a day (for the next 7-10 days) to look for anything out of the ordinary. If you see any swelling, redness, blisters, and/or discharge then you should call your vet so they can take a quick peak.

NOTE: Lenny! Careful with your answers! You are NOT supposed to put ANYTHING on the incision site! NOTHING! No neosporin, nothing at all. AND NO ib for this dog! Especially considering there is still anesthetic in his system! You REALLY need to be careful with your advice. Shame on you!

Answer 2

First of all, your dog doesnt need painkillers or bandages. He was given a shot of antibiotics before you ever took him home, that is standard procedure with any surgery. The hair isnt going to hurt much either. Your dog may feel some discomfort and may want to lick the site alot, but dont let him. If this proves to be hard to do, call the vet and ask for an Elizabethan collar (this is the cone for his head and neck that will prevent him from licking too much) They will most likely charge you a deposit, which you will get back when you return the collar. A pharmacist isnt going to be able to give you anything for your dog, trust me. If the site isnt red and oozing pus, it is most likely fine. Redirect your dogs attention, you can take him for short walks, let him sniff around and just wander along, or you can give him treats and a chew toy. Some dogs get obsessed with licking, so watch him closely. Please dont try cleaning the site, just let nature do the healing. You may see a small lump there also, again this is nothing to worry about, it is scar tissue. I am sure your vet gave you a post-op care sheet, please read this and you will find that these problems are addressed there. If you are making over him too much when he fusses, you are making the problem worse, you need to just get him focused on something else. In a week or so, you will never know he had the surgery, he will heal fast and be his old self !!! Chalice - I am with you, why do people answer these questions when they are so obviously clueless??? Thumbs up to vet tech and chalice and on the radio! Sheesh!

Answer 3

Dog Neutering Infection

Answer 4

Ring your vet, what do you expect us to do??

E-collars aren't always necessary, they're not always handed out as standard. Go back to your vet if you want one. Also ask them what pain relief he's been given, and get some more for him.

He will have been given antibiotics and obviously the surgery will have been done in a sterile environment so if you can stop him licking it won't get infected. A bit of hair shouldn't matter.

You can only get him pain relief from the vets - not from Yahoo, so pick up the phone!

Chalice

EDIT: Honestly the answers on here demonstrate why this is not the right place to turn to with medical questions!!
a) you shouldn't need to clean it, a castration is not weepy wound
b) Castration sites don't get bandaged! what's that supposed to achieve?!? Also, do you know how long abdo bandages stay on with dogs? All of ten seconds.
c) Pet stores are not licensed to carry medications so you won't find anything there
d) Your vets will be able to give you pain relief if you ask for it!!
e) I'm thinking the incision area WAS shaved, am I right? But his long hair is sticking in it from around the shaved aread?

Answer 5

Vets don't prescribe painkillers for neutering. Most human doctors don't even prescribe painkillers for people for vasectomies, etc... It isn't necessary... after the initial operation, there's supposedly very little pain, only itching. Painkillers will just cause their own complications. So unless your dog is crying in pain, DO NOT give him painkillers.

As for a shield... it's generally a good idea, but many dogs don't need them. Some will just leave the incision alone. But it's definitely a good idea to have one in case it's needed.

As for hair... they're supposed to shave the incision area. If they didn't, then I'd take him to another vet. If they did, then... ???

Also... DO NOT clean it!!! A couple people said to do so... but don't. That will just irritate the wound and take longer for it heal... longer than the stitches will last/stay in, which will then make him prone to infection. So don't clean it or get it wet or put ANYTHING on it... absolutely nothing! Just leave it alone. the wound was completely disinfected before and after they stitched him up, so don't tamper with that... just leave it alone!

So... painkillers = no! Shield = good to have, but not always necessary. Incision hair = I have a feeling you're worrying about something normal and just not explaining it correctly.

Answer 6

Go back to the vet and ask for some painkillers. You may also want to buy him a shield or just get it from the vet. My dog, Ozzy, got neutered about three weeks ago and three days after the procedure he didn't need any pain medicine. Some licking is normal, but not to the point where he's ripping stitches out. Keep an eye on him and make sure to keep the area of the surgery clean.

Answer 7

first off, don't panic... I'm sure your dog is fine, though it's hard to see your dog in pain. I would go to a different vet. The first vet should have shaved the surgery site so there wouldn't be any hair in the wound. as far as the cone goes, a lot of vets don't use them anymore unless a dog is doing damage to site. go to a different vet, have them check out the site. Ask for some pain pills. Keep your dog from jumping or rough houseing to much and just keep an eye on him. He should be fine.

Answer 8

Do not remove the stuck hairs. This will cause him more pain. Give your vet a call and ask what you need to do to keep it clean and what to do about pain. When my dog got neutered, i didn't use a sheild for him but did receive a few days worth of pain meds. He will be just fine.

Answer 9

Call your vet and ask him to send a prescription for painkillers for your dog to your pharmacist. While you are talking to the vet, ask how you can keep the dog from licking himself there, like, would the pharmacist have a shield that he can give you when you go pick up the painkillers for the dog? Ask the vet what to do about the hair stuck in the wound, I can't believe it wasn't bandaged for the first day or two so that wouldn't happen. What kind of vet is that!?

EDIT: To the Answerer who said that doctors don't give painkillers to people who have vasectomies - yes they do. My husband had one, my brother in law had one, and three of my friends have had it done.

It is pretty painful for the first three days or so at least, and painkillers ( as well as ice packs) are a must for all the men I've known who went through this.

I can't imagine that a dog would hurt any less. It IS painful, just because it's a dog the vet thinks it doesn't feel pain from this operation?? I wouldn't even see a vet who wouldn't give painkillers for neutering, no thanks.

Answer 10

call the vet back, if hair and stuff get into the wound, infection could set in. if you can't get him back to the vet, i would put some neo sporin or anti biotic creme for a precaution, give him ibuprofen twice a day. half of what humans take, maybe 2 in the morning and 1 at dinner and 1 at bedtime. if you have a prescription for painpills i wouldn't give it to him unless you talk to a vet. vets do give dogs narcotics sometimes, but alot don't. main thing is keep that wound clean and keep the infection out.