WHAT TO DO
- Offer Water Immediately
- Offer a small amount of canned food when you get home. Feed 1/2 of a normal meal later. Resume normal feeding in the morning. Cats that have not been given extra pain medications may not eat well for a day or two.
- No Over-the Counter Pain Medications. TOXIC!
- Keep Outdoor Pets In the House (except for leash walking) for 10 days, Wild Cats for 24 hours.
- Avoid Running, Jumping, Playing for at least 10 Days.
- Dogs: Allow Short Walks on Leash as Needed.
- Cats: Confine to Small Area with Food, Water and Litter.
- Keep Warm. Avoid heating pads.
- No Baths for 10 days.
- E-Collar for 10 days.
- “Yesterday’s News” Litter (in supermarkets) for 10 days.
WHAT TO EXPECT (In Some Pets) After Surgery
- Minor sleepiness
- Watery eyes and/or drooling
- Rare vomiting
- A scrotum that is up to twice the size of the testicles. This resolves over 1-6 weeks.
- A non-painful lump by the incision. Resolves within 3-6 weeks.
- Sutures, if visible, may take 3 months to disappear. Most of the time sutures are NOT visible.
WHEN TO CALL A VETERINARIAN
- A “lump” near the incision that disappears when pushed on or that is accompanied by poor appetite
- Anything protruding from the incision
- Vaginal bleeding
- More than a few drops of blood from the incision the night of surgery or any bleeding thereafter
- A pet that is unwilling to move around
- Severe swelling (over 2 times the size the testicles had been) of the scrotum.
- Decreased appetite that lasts more than 2 days
- Skin discoloration, pus or a highly painful swelling around the incision
- Anything that has you concerned. Trust your instincts: when in doubt, call the vet.