How long to heal

[wallydiver]

My lab got spayed yesterday. The vet said she should wear that goofy plastic thing around her head for 10 days. Should I leave it on the whole time, only taking it off when she eats? Or keep it on only when she's alone for any period of time? Also, does anyone know how long until they typically heal?

Thanks.

[Eric Wettschreck]

My GSP had a lamp shade put on his head last week. Although it is funny looking, it's just plain humiliating for him.

If I'm there and constantly watching him, I took it off. If I knew I wouldn't be able to watch him I put it back on.

[wallydiver]

That's kind of of what I thought too. It does seem to be humiliating for them, she just sits on the couch and looks at the wall, not at me.

[hoggs222]

I just had this too. My dog wasn't ashamed of it though. I also had the rear dews taken out though. After a 4 or 5 days, I'll take it off when I'm around.

[wallydiver]

Well, I left it on her last night. After I put it on, she sat in the middle of the floor and stared at the wall, that was at midnight. At 7 this morning she was still sitting there staring at the wall! So I took it off and she hasn't been licking the wound too much and it seems to be healing fine. But if she starts messing with it too much, i'll have to put the cone thing back on.

[metrojoe]

While we were out grouse hunting my dog cut his foot. He had to wear a cone for quite a few weeks. I took his cone off while I was sitting in the living room with him and all it took was a five or so minute phone call and he had reopened his wound. I had to bring him in to the vet right away and found out he had removed all the stitches. It was healed up enough to leave it but it was another 3 weeks of bandage changes and cone wearing. I know it's really tough to watch them try to function with that lamp shade around thier head but it's really for the best.

[wallydiver]

She looked fine again this morning. She doesn't have stitches, just 2 suchers (sp?) under her skin. so far so good.

[hoggs222]

With my dog's dew claws, we couldn't find a cone that was big enough for her. She's 6 months old, very long legs on the dog. She can reach her back legs even with the cone on. She's had the cone on for 3 weeks now! I'm more annoyed with it than her, I think. Everytime I walk away from her, she rams the cone into the back of my legs.

[Long Gray Line]

Had my 14 mo lab spayed this last Friday morning. 2 days later you can't tell she was under the knife. She was very sore Friday night, a little slow on Saturday, completely back up to speed today. When my other female was spayed, she was right back at it within 3 days. I didn't have mine spayed when they were little (like the vet wanted). I waited until they were fully grown and stronger before putting them through the procedure. My figuring is that they should grow up whole, that surgery when they're less than fully grown can only put more stress on their systems and that vets want to do it when they're little only because it's easier for the vet, not necessarily for the dog. Based on the notes here, I'm thinking even more that a little later is better.

[LABS4ME]

Actually if you spay your female before their first heat cycle (usually 9-12 months) you bring the chances of breast cancer and others to nearly 0%. By doing this before their first heat cycle and full development of their hormones is a proven fact. The dog is nearly 100% mature physically around 9 months old, only some filling out to do, so I don't see how it would be easier on the vet?

For those that have no breeding plan for the dog, it is still wise to do a spaying or nuetering around 9 months to a year. Talk to your vet, go with his advise, he wil tell you what's in your dogs best interest.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Long Gray Line]

The vet wanted to do it at 6-7 months. We had intended to do the procedure at about 12 months. Mother nature had other plans as she went into heat the week the surgery was scheduled and so we had to wait. I just have an objection to vets (like mine, soon to be my ex-vet but that's another story) that want to do the spaying at 6-7-8 months.

[Norsky]

I had my female springer spayed at 7 months. It took her about 3-4 days to return to normal. The surgery is less complicated and easier (for the dog and vet) if it is done before the first cycle, also less expensive. There is no physiological reasons to put if off and do the surgery later.

[Tripleplay]

Watching and experiencing my dog wearing a lampshade is probably one of the most frustrating things I've ever gone through! I had her spayed before her first cycle as I had no intentions of breeding her and she only wore the lampshade for a day or so and did great.

This past fall, she must have stabbed herself with a stick or something in her side towards the rear end. I honestly never saw the wound and this is a house dog that sees plenty of attention from the family. Week before Xmas, after numerous vet appts to see why she has this "puffy" area the thing BURSTS! Me chasing her and blood and pus squirting out at least 18 inches everytime she moves (actual open wound was the size of a pencil eraser). Two full laps around the kitchen table and in the next carpeted room later I finally catch her. They had to insert a drain to continue to allow the wound to drip out and heal. She wore the lampshade for over two weeks. I would have thought by the end she would have figured it out but I swear she ran into every wall, door jamb and anything else including legs that were available. Surprised she didn't knock herself out a couple of times. I did give her breaks from it when I was right with her but at night and when I wasn't around she had to wear it to reduce the risk of reinfecting.

Honestly 10 days seems like a real long time for spaying but it's better than her ripping it back open or getting an infection. (our first dog did lick on her spay wound too much and I got to watch them basically open the wound back up and drain out the pus she was forming and then medicate internally--night at the vet hospital, prescription for antibiotics, extra vet trips to check it all out----I learned my lesson)

[wallydiver]

It's been about a week now and she is doing fine. She was actually back to herself two days after when I took the lampshade off. She licks it once in a while but not enough to open it back up.

She's about 9 months old, so I would agree that's good age to get this done.