Post-Op Home Care Instructions
Your pet’s successful recovery depends on following these instructions carefully.
For All Animals - When to Call After Surgery
Please contact our clinic, your regular veterinarian, or an emergency clinic if you see any of the following:
- Lethargy lasting more than 24 hours
- Loss of appetite, vomiting, or diarrhea
- Difficulty breathing
- Bleeding or discharge from the incision
- Difficulty urinating or defecating
- Severe pain, depression, or weakness
Emergency Clinics:
- Valley Veterinary Emergency — Winchester, VA — 540-662-7811
- The Life Center — Leesburg, VA — 703-777-5755
Post-Op Care for Your Dog or Cat
Every pet recovers a little differently. Use the buttons below to find the home care instructions specific to your pet.
Post-Op Instructions for Cat Spay
Your cat has had major abdominal surgery. Her successful recovery depends on you following these instructions.
Your cat has had anesthesia. She may feel sleepy and unsteady for the next 24 hours. Please keep her confined to a small area (one room of the house) and away from other pets until tomorrow morning. Make sure she has easy access to food, water, and a clean litterbox.
For the next 7 days, she MUST be kept indoors and quiet, no running or jumping, no bathing.
Please look at her incision daily. Some redness, swelling, or bruising is normal, but there should be no drainage or bleeding. As the wound heals, there may be a firm lump under the skin from the sutures breaking down and absorbing.
There are no external sutures.
Some grooming of this area is ok but if the incision starts to open, use an E-collar to prevent this and contact us or your regular veterinarian.
Your cat received a long lasting pain control injection. DO NOT give any other medications. If she seems painful please contact us or your regular veterinarian for further pain control.
Female feral cats must be provided a safe, confined space to recover for 1 week before they can be re-released.
Post-Op Instructions for Cat Neuter
Your cat has had anesthesia. He may feel sleepy and unsteady for the next 24 hours.
Please keep him confined to a small area (one room of the house) and away from other pets until tomorrow morning. Make sure he has easy access to food, water and a clean litterbox.
Please keep him indoors for the next 3 days to help keep his incisions clean and dry.
There are no sutures.
Your cat has been given a long-lasting pain control injection. DO NOT give any other medications. If he seems painful, please contact us or your regular veterinarian for further pain control.
Male feral cats must be confined for 24 hours after surgery before re-release.
Post-Op Instructions for Dog Neuter
Your dog has had major surgery. His successful recovery depends on you following these instructions.
Your dog was under anesthesia today. He may feel sleepy and unsteady for the next 24 hours. Please keep him confined to a small area (one room of the house) and away from other pets until tomorrow morning. Make sure he has access to fresh water and it is ok to offer food but he may not want to eat until tomorrow.
For the next 7 days, limit your dog’s activity to short leash walks, no running or jumping. No bathing for 1 week.
Please check his incision daily. Some redness, swelling or bruising is normal but there should be no drainage or bleeding. As the wound heals there may be a firm lump under the skin from the sutures breaking down and absorbing.
There are no external sutures.
Do not let your dog lick or chew the incision site, please use E-collar provided for the next 7 days to prevent this.
Post-Op Instuctions for Dog Spay
Your dog has had major surgery. Her successful recovery depends on you following these instructions.
Your dog was under anesthesia today. She may feel sleepy and unsteady for the next 24 hours. Please keep her confined to a small area (one room of the house) and away from other pets until tomorrow morning. Make sure she has access to fresh water and it is ok to offer food but she may not want to eat until tomorrow.
For the next 14 days, limit your dog’s activity to short leash walks, no running or jumping. No bathing for 1 week.
Please check her incision daily. Some redness, swelling, or bruising is normal, but there should be no drainage or bleeding. As the wound heals there may be a firm lump under the skin from the sutures breaking down and absorbing.
There are no external sutures.
Do not let your dog lick or chew the incision site, please use E-collar provided to prevent this for the next 14 days.