Top Activities For Dogs After Surgery

Introduction

Your pooch has just undergone a procedure and you are curious as to how to nurture them back to health after the surgery. It’s a sound concern and there are a number of instructions that you should follow, but be sure to listen to the advice of the vet that has done the procedure. You should always listen exclusively to a professional who is in touch with your dog’s medical history and the medical case at hand. But what should you do after the first few postoperative days have gone by? You feel the need to get your dog back on track, to see them active and energized once again, and, who can blame you? Take a look at these activities that are aimed towards helping your dog, and yourself, return to your usual selves.

Games and Training

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Cheap

Normal

15 - 20 min

Items needed

treats

toy (rope, squeaky toy)

Activity description

Perhaps a walk sounds too far-fetched at this moment of your dog’s recovery – of course, it all depends on the type of injury or illness your dog is subject to. Therefore, this is an activity that is perfect for dogs that are still not exactly ready to run to the hills. It is an indoor activity, and you can make it as demanding as you wish it to be. You might even design it to be a training course to teach certain commands to your dog. Of course, it’s all up to you and your dog, but the following steps could be modified in accordance to your specific needs, ambitions and wishes.

Step

1

Prepare a toy

Depending on your dog’s current state, (which means whether they can stand, move their neck, move at all) consider what toys are appropriate for this activity. The point is to have fun but to keep that fun in the domain of safety. So, don’t overestimate your dog’s capability of movement and refrain from the classical fetch games. Therefore, ropes, squeaky toys, bones and the like should be your ‘weapons’ of choice.

Step

2

Learning

Try to be both creative and efficient. Sure, the easiest way is to just throw the toy into your dog’s vicinity and therefore amuse them in the simplest way possible, but why not go further than that? This is a splendid opportunity to teach your dog useful commands that they are usually too mischievous to obey and pay attention to. Therefore, a myriad of commands such as ‘stay’, ‘leave’, ‘sit’, ‘paw’ and the like come into consideration.

Step

3

Award

Especially if you opted for the advanced version of this activity, be sure to award your dog’s efforts and behavior by giving them a prize – their favorite treat. Do you recall Pavlov’s dogs and Classical Conditioning? By stimulating your dog in this way, you are using their natural instincts to build skills and promote useful habits. One thing to keep in mind is to use low calorie treats, you don't want to add inches to your doggo's waist, which could also slow down their recovery time.

Doggo Polo

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Cheap

Normal

10 - 60 min

Items needed

treats

kibbles

toys (rope, ball)

Activity description

This is another activity to stimulate your dog to walk and thus, activate the atrophied muscles. Perhaps they have had a serious surgery that has left them bed-bound to what seems like an eternity, but you shouldn’t simply leave it at that. It’s painful and aggravating for your doggo to endure the pain of standing on their feet, and each step seems to take a super canine amount of strength and resilience. So to make this acclimatization to walking less of a ‘survival mode ON’ situation, take out your treats or kibbles, or anything that is dear to your dog, and engage them by hiding these deliciously smelling bites all over the house or backyard.

Step

1

Treat picking

You should definitely pay attention to what you will use as bait – remember, your dog has had a surgical intervention prior to this and their special recovery diet may forbid some types of food. Ask your veterinarian what is and isn’t suitable for your dog at this moment and be sure to follow these instructions without excuses.

Step

2

Setting the stage

Sure, this game is fun as it makes your dog go into a frenzy of happiness. But try not to push it too far – hide the treats in places that are accessible to your dog at this stage of recovery. Maybe your Jack Russell Terrier can usually jump to impressive heights, but this is most certainly not the moment to test this. Keep it safe and simple.

Frequent Walks

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Cheap

Easy

5 - 10 min

Items needed

leash

treats

toy (optional)

Activity description

Your dog is depressed, drowsy, and sulky, and you are heartbroken whenever you look at them lying down in pain. This is a perfectly normal state your dog is in, but you cannot feel sorry for them more than it is within the scope of common sense. Why? Because it may turn out to be a bad thing to do to your dog. You may think you are undoubtedly helping them by giving them special treatment – that is true, but you must not exaggerate. So, having some activity during the day can help your pooch get back on their feet much faster and easier! Getting out of the house and having a breath of fresh air can do wonders for their health, both physical and mental. The thing you need to do as a conscientious dog owner is to slowly return to your usual habits and activities because, at some point, nobody will profit from the endless nitpicking and nurturing. Start with a short walk in the garden or park, and then slowly try to extend the time your dog spends outside with each trip to the park.

Step

1

First steps

It will most likely be an excruciatingly painful experience, physically for your dog, and emotionally for you, but you need to be strong and collected. Once you get over this first step, the rest will come to its place. A good method is to use treats or toys to lure your doggo to keep on walking. It’s like when you remove a Band-Aid – it hurts, but it must be done.

Step

2

The walk

You’re finally in the great outdoors, and your dog is on their feet and walking, but it’s painfully apparent that they are still in a great deal of pain, in spite of the obvious lust for life that is gleaming in their eyes. You need to be persistent, so try to stimulate your pupper slowly and gently. Try not to walk too much or too fast because your dog may be prone to injuries even if they may not seem so.

Step

3

The reward

Be sure to encourage your dog and let them know that the effort they have put into this physical strain is making you proud. Pet your pup profusely, give them their favorite treat, even buy them a new toy. You will see improvement in their comportment in no time, and more importantly, them returning to their old self.

More Fun Ideas...

Doggo Brunch AKA Drunch

If you’re feeling especially nurturing and caring towards your dog, consider making them a custom-made meal that will make them forget about the pain and misery altogether. This could also include your children or partner - you could make a big family drunch (a doggo brunch) that would also include your best furry friend.

Doggy Massage

Everybody loves a good massage, right? So do our canine friends. Massage your dog’s muscles to relieve tension and to show appreciation for your dog’s luscious fur. Just think about it - is there a better job in this world than being a dog masseur/masseuse?

Conclusion

We admit it is not an easy endeavor to keep a recovering dog active and entertained in the boundaries of their limited movements and diet instructions. But give it your best shot, besides, this situation is so much worse for them than it is for you. And remember the ancient saying ‘An eye for an eye, a (dog) tooth for a (dog) tooth’.