Ovariohysterectomy (Spay):

Post-Operative / Follow-Up Care and Why it is Important

By: Rebecca England
Your pet has had an ovariohysterectomy. Now that she has recovered from anesthesia
and is ready to go home, there are several things you need to do to ensure a safe,
quick, and comfortable recovery. It is important to remember, you are the most
important person in the health of your pet. Please follow these instructions for the
next 14 days (or until your pet is healed), so you and your companion can get back to
doing the things you enjoy.

What Am I Expected To Do?

You need to:
Provide food and water as directed
Restrict exercise and activity
Administer medication(s)
Monitor the surgery site
Prevent self-trauma
Ensure your pet stays dry
Bring your pet in for follow-up care if required or needed

Food and Water Instructions:

Please offer small amounts at a time, and no more than half of what you would normally feed your pet in an evening. This will
help decrease the possibility of nausea and vomiting. The goal is to prevent these, so if you see your pet exhibit these signs, do not
feed your pet until the following morning. If your pet is uninterested in food tonight (which is not unexpected), she may be
nauseated so wait until morning to re-offer food. Starting tomorrow, you may offer normal amounts of food and water if she is
doing well.

Why Restricted Exercise?

Restricted activity is necessary for your pet to heal well in a timely
manner.
Exercise
restriction
will also
help reduce
pain.

Please follow these guidelines:

Leash-walk only
No stairs
No running or jumping
No playing with housemates
No unsupervised time in the yard

Even if your pet feels like doing these things, do not let her. If not restricted properly, healing will take more time and your pet
may require additional surgery or other treatments to correct any problems. For tonight, your pet will be groggy from anesthesia,
so monitor her closely when she needs to move around the house or go outside. Should you have difficulty restricting your pet
while following the instructions, your pet may need oral sedation to keep calm and stay quiet during the recovery period.

Are Medications Really Necessary?

Medications have been provided for your pet they are needed to prevent
infection and manage pain. If your pet accidentally misses a dose, call for specific
instructions. The most common side effects of these medications are nausea,
vomiting, and diarrhea. Please let us know if these (or other signs) occur.
Medication doses should:
Be given on time, and in the proper amounts
Not be skipped
Be given until the prescriptions are finished
Given with food unless instructed otherwise

Monitor the Surgery Site? Yes!

Check the incision at least once daily for signs of infection or other healing
problems.
Monitor your pets surgical area for:
Redness or irritation
Swelling
Discharge or bleeding
Stitches or staples falling out
Opening of the site
If you see or suspect any of these signs, please call us immediately to discuss your pets needs. If any of these signs are seen and
left unattended, serious complications may occur, which could lead to delayed healing or even permanent damage.
DO NOT let your pet lick or chew at the surgery site, as this can cause irritation or damage. Use an Elizabethan-collar or a t-shirt
to prevent licking while you are sleeping or away from your pet. If she is under your direct supervision and leaving the incision
alone, she may have time without the collar or t-shirt. It is also important that she stay dry in order to heal quickly. DO NOT allow
your pet to swim, play in water, or receive a bath until she is healed completely.

Does My Pet Need Follow-Up Care?

Your pet needs a recheck 14 days after the surgery to:
Assess if your pet has healed completely and is ready to be released to do
normal daily activities such as exercise and play
Remove stitches or staples, if present, and ready to be removed
Answer any additional questions you may have
It is crucial your pet is seen sooner than 14 days, if you have any concerns
regarding her post-surgical recovery
Where can I find more information about care for my pet after surgery?
Please scan this barcode below to visit our website. You may also visit it directly at
www.alpineanimalhospital.net
Please also view this video on post-op care using this barcode on the right:
Or visit www.rengland-tsu-vt.weebly.com/video-demonstrations.html

Educational Program Plan (Spay)

There are multiple ways you could use this educational program to promote the
awareness of the importance of post-operative and follow-up care for pets whom have had an
ovariohysterectomy procedure performed. This program would be beneficial, with several
applications. The idea is to make the sure the community receives the information it needs, but
not overload it with the same information repeatedly. This brochure should be distributed not
only as part of spay awareness month promotions, but also regularly and directly through the
veterinary hospital. This brochure could be adjusted to incorporate post-op neuter instructions as
well. People often do not get their pets fixed due to fear of anesthesia and recovery, or because
they lack the knowledge of why it is important to do so and what exactly is involved in the
process. This brochure should definitely be sent home with the owner after the procedure has
been completed, in addition to regular discharge instructions. It should also be discussed and sent
home with every owner that brings in a new puppy or kitten. It may also be beneficial for owners
that have adult dogs or cats that are not spayed, in which this procedure may be recommended.
Clients inquiring about post-op care before scheduling the procedure would also benefit from
this. Overall, it will provide an awareness of what to expect after the procedure and why the pets
care at home is the most important for the recovery process to go well.
The material presented above should be presented as a double sided brochure. Its easy to
send in the mail, send by email, and even hand out personally to new clients, existing clients, and
community members. This information could easily be posted online onto a veterinary hospitals
website, or sent out individually as part of an awareness month.
Areas of the community to reach out to should include schools (K-12) and colleges.
Other areas should include the community center, the local swimming pool and gym, the public

library, and community events such as farmers markets and shelter adoptions. This only lists a
few, but the opportunities to educate are endless. In general, these are all areas where people
group together. If copied single sided, or stapled into a packet, this would be an easy thing to
post onto bulletin or community boards.
Having a female pet spayed is important to sustain lifelong health. It significantly reduces
the chance of mammary and other associated hormonal cancers. It also eliminates the potentially
life-threatening infection in the uterus, pyometra. Also, by removing the reproductive organs, this
helps decrease the contribution to the pet overpopulation within the community. After the
procedure is performed, home care provided by the owner is most important for the pet to heal
properly and quickly. If strict instructions are not followed, serious consequences may occur;
further medical attention such as additional medications or surgery may be necessary. Using this
brochure, and other resources, to educate clients about post-operative pet care, is one of the most
important tasks of the veterinary staff.

Laceration Repair:
Post-Operative / Follow-Up Care and Why it is Important
By: Rebecca England
Your pet has had a laceration repaired on the paw pad, and now that your pet
has recovered from anesthesia and is ready to go home, there are several
things you need to do to ensure a safe, quick, and comfortable recovery. It is
important to remember, you are the most important person in the health of
your pet. Please follow these instructions for the next 14 days (or until your
pet is healed), so you and your companion can get back to doing the things
you enjoy.

What Am I Expected To Do?

You need to:
Provide food and water as directed
Restrict exercise and activity
Administer medication(s)
Bandage your pets foot every 2 to 3 days until healed
Monitor the surgery site
Prevent self-trauma
Ensure your pet stays dry
Bring your pet in for follow-up care if required or needed

Food and Water Instructions:

Please offer small amounts at a time, and no more than half of what you would normally feed your pet in an evening. This will
help decrease the possibility of nausea and vomiting. The goal is to prevent these, so if you see your pet exhibit these signs, do not
feed your pet until the following morning. If your pet is uninterested in food tonight (which is not unexpected), your pet may be
nauseated so wait until morning to re-offer food. Starting tomorrow, you may offer normal amounts of food and water if your pet
is doing well.

Why Restricted Exercise?

Restricted
activity is
necessary for
your pet to
heal well in a
timely
manner.
Exercise
restriction
will also help
reduce pain.
Please follow these guidelines:

Leash-walk only
No stairs
No running or jumping
No playing with housemates
No unsupervised time in the yard

Even if your pet feels like doing these things, dont allow it. If not restricted
properly, healing will take more time and your pet may require additional surgery
other treatments to correct any problems. For tonight, your pet will be groggy
from anesthesia, so monitor your pet closely when needing to move around the
house or go outside. Should you have difficulty restricting your pet while
following the instructions, your pet may need oral sedation to keep calm and stay
quiet during the recovery period.

or

Are Medications Really Necessary?

Medications have been provided for your pet they are needed to prevent
infection and manage pain. If your pet accidentally misses a dose, call for specific
instructions. The most common side effects of these medications are nausea,
vomiting, and diarrhea. Please let us know if these (or other signs) occur.
Medication doses should:
Be given on time, and in the proper amounts
Not be skipped
Be given until the prescriptions are finished
Given with food unless instructed otherwise

Monitor the Surgery Site? Yes!

Check the incision (between bandage changes) for signs of infection or other
healing problems.
Monitor your pets surgical area for:
Redness or irritation
Swelling
Discharge or bleeding
Stitches or staples falling out
Opening of the site
If you see or suspect any of these signs, please call us immediately to discuss your pets needs. If any of these signs are seen and
left unattended, serious complications may occur, which could lead to delayed healing or even permanent damage.
DO NOT let your pet lick or chew at the bandage or surgery site, as this can cause
irritation or damage. Use an Elizabethan-collar to prevent these behaviors while you
are sleeping or away from your pet. If under your direct supervision and leaving the
site alone, your pet may have time without the collar. It is also important that your
pet stays dry in order to heal quickly and prevent damage to the bandage. DO NOT
allow your pet to swim, play in water, or receive a bath until bandages are no longer
required and healing is complete.

Does My Pet Need Follow-Up Care?

Your pet needs a recheck 14 days after the surgery to:
Assess if your pet has healed completely and is ready to be released to do
normal daily activities such as exercise and play
Remove stitches or staples, if present, and ready to be removed
Answer any additional questions you may have
It is crucial your pet is seen sooner than 14 days, if you have any concerns regarding post-surgical recovery
If you need assistance in bandaging your pets foot, or would like us to do the bandage changes, please let us know
Where can I find more information about care for my pet after surgery?

Please scan this barcode below to visit our website. You may also visit it directly at www.alpineanimalhospital.net
Please also view this instructional video on bandaging and post-op care, using this barcode on the right. Or visit www.renglandtsu-vt.weebly.com/video-demonstrations.html

Educational Program Plan (Laceration Repair)

This brochure would be best suited being sent home with the owners after this type of
procedure has been completed, in addition to regular discharge instructions. A client inquiring
about post-op care after dropping their pet off for surgery would also benefit from this. It would
help prepare the owner for what they need to provide during the recovery period. Overall, it will
provide an awareness of what to expect after the procedure and why the pets care at home is
most important for the recovery process to go well. Sending this brochure out to clients before a
laceration may occur in their pet probably isnt very useful. It should probably be strictly handed
out to post-op patients and their owners. It may be helpful, however, to post on the hospital
website, so that owners may access the information if they are looking for it.

References
Romich, J. A. (2015). An Illustrated Guide to Veterinary Medical Terminology, 4th ed. Stamford,
CT: Cengage Learning.
Tear, M. (2012). Small Animal Surgical Nursing, Skills and Concepts, 2nd ed. St. Louis, MO:
Elsevier Mosby.
Thomas, J. A. and Lerche, P. (2011). Anesthesia and Analgesia for Veterinary Technicians, 4th
ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.