How to Clean Puppy After Spaying
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Introduction
Susie the six-month-old Shih Tzu just got spayed. Because she was trying to lick her incision, the veterinarian recommended she wear a cone, also called an e-collar. Now Susie can't lick her incision, or the rest of her body either. This means Susie cannot attend to her usual self-grooming activity. To make matters worse, she peed on herself during recover from anesthesia and vomited after her first meal the evening of her surgery. Susie is a hot mess! Her owner needs to clean her up a bit, but the veterinarian said not to bathe her for at least 10-14 days, as immersing Susie in water could cause her incision to become contaminated with dirty water and cause stitches to loosen and come apart. Cleaning Susie is going to require some creative workarounds so she is not covered in yucky fluids and her incision is not compromised.
Dog's Perspective
The Cleaning Body Method
The Clean Incision Area Method
Caution & Considerations
- Avoid bathing or soaking stitches for 10 -14 days after surgery.
- Avoid manipulating the incision areas or contaminating with water or detergent. Work gently to pat dry or clean around the incision.
- Watch for signs of infection, hemorrhage, or stitches coming loose and get veterinary assistance if required.
- Use clean hands and clean materials when working around your recently spayed dog.
- Do not let your dog lick or interfere with the incision site, use an e-collar if required.
Conclusion
Remember, stitches should not be exposed to water, which could loosen them and cause an incision to open. Also, dirty water from bathing can introduce bacteria into an incision. Avoid bathing for one to two weeks after your puppy's spay. Clean using localized methods and be gentle with your girl, she needs some tender loving care!
Success Stories and Grooming Questions
Grooming Questions & Answers
Maggie
She was neutered on Tuesday December 14, 2021. She has glue on the incision area. She had a bath the night before surgery. She is dirty and infested with fleas. Apparently the fleas came from the vets office because we don’t have them here.
She’s is acting her normal playful spunky self! Could I give her a quick bath and take extra caution around the incision area?
Hello, my doggie was spayed yesterday and during the procedure she defecated
on herself. They did not clean her up during the surgery,but did as best they could after and when i came to collect her i cleaned her up more (mostly her fur was affected and I didn’t go near the incision. How common is it for dogs to do that during surgery and should i be concerned? Also, i put her in a doggy onesie to sleep as i could not get a diaper on her and during the night she somehow managed to get to her pee pad which was only a few inches away, however when i checked on her soon after, she had wet thru the onsie and i am worried that some urine may have gotten on her incision. Should i be concerned? Thank you so much for your help.
0 Dog owners recommended
Hi there and thank you for the question. I hope Sybil is doing well today. I am sure the vet will call today to see how Sybil is doing and you can inquire with them. Or, even better, put in a call to them now so that you can clean the incision per their instructions. Being a groomer and not a vet, I feel asking the vet is the best thing to do. All the best to you and Sybil!
