Newly spayed puppy.. Few questions! Help please!

[drunkmike]

My 7mo old Sheltie puppy was just spayed on Monday and seems to be doing well.. The incision site looks beautiful and is not oozing/bleeding and looks like it will have no problem healing. The puppy however is driving herself crazy trying to get at it. I guess it is itching her.. I don't think she is in pain as she seems normal minus the lack of her regular appetite (she is still eating.. just not as interested as she was pre-surgery, but I'm guessing that is to be expected). She is wearing a e-collar, but she is trying to itch at it with her hind legs.. It almost looks like her legs don't bend in enough for her to be able to reach it but we are still worried she will figure a way out while we are at work. She doesn't lay down and try to dig, she lifts her leg up while she is walking and trys to get at it. The sutures are internal so I'm not too worried about it, but there is always a possibility that one of her claws could get caught in there. Tomorrow will be her first day alone since the surgery.

She also seems to be scared of me. The only thing I can think of is the doctor was a male so she remembers the last figure she saw before she was put to sleep and then woke up with a hole in her belly. She seems fine around my gf but is just kinda skittish in general. She stays in her crate alot just sitting and staring most of the day. She will come out and spurts around the house like she is itchy trying to dig at it then most of the time runs back in the crate. Right now I took the e-collar off while we are both watching her and she seems a bit more calm but I have yelled at her a few times to not lick the site so it will be going back on before bed. Are these all normal things for a freshly spayed pup?

What are some ideas I can do for tomorrow on her first day unsupervised for 8 hours.. Thanks in advance!

[Traci]

Yes it's normal, and yes, she will itch as the suture site heals.

If you're concerned, maybe contemplate leaving her with your vet for a day when you're at work? (they would probably charge you boarding fees)...while that might be a bit stressful, it would almost gaurantee her sutures won't get pulled/chewed/loosened. Otherwise, can one of you come home at lunch to check on her?

[drunkmike]

Yes it's normal, and yes, she will itch as the suture site heals.

If you're concerned, maybe contemplate leaving her with your vet for a day when you're at work? (they would probably charge you boarding fees)...while that might be a bit stressful, it would almost gaurantee her sutures won't get pulled/chewed/loosened. Otherwise, can one of you come home at lunch to check on her?

I already called about getting her boarded for the day and they agreed about the stress factor.. especially this soon after surgery. They said that most of the time the way they get pulled out is by mouth.. Rarely by a rear leg. Like I said it almost looks as if her leg is not able to move in enough towards the center of her body to get it in the first place.

As for coming home during the day there is no way possible. My GF is in school over 2 hours away in Philly for the day tomorrow and I am 2 hours south of here in DC at the Childrens National Medical Center..

[drunkmike]

I'm not worried at all about them getting pulled out by mouth as the e-collar she was given is HUGE. I was not too keen on the style they gave her at first, but it has made a huge difference with her walking into stuff and being able to eat without knocking food all over the place.




Cali and Baxter in jail! LOL

[drunkmike]

oh and don't mind the Christmas mat on the floor.. Ever since I took the decorations down and left that laying on the floor, Baxter screams to high hell if I take it from him.. He goes absolutely crazy if he can't find it to lay on!

[Traci]

That looks like a Trimline™ collar, which is the coolest kind. If you crate her when you're gone, she should do ok, might be hard to get to her food/water being confined in a crate and with the e-collar, but you could try it. Maybe put her food/water dish in right now and see how she gets to them while being crated.

[drunkmike]

You still think I should crate her? I would think that would just give her more "alone" time to try and figure out a way around it. I usually keep her baby gated into my kitchen were all of her food/water/crate/toys are to give her a bit of room to walk around while we arent home.. She has had a few potty accidents (mostly pee) since the surgery which is to be expected I guess so I really would hate for her to lay in it all day long and risk getting infected.

[Traci]

I would just worry about her getting too rambunctious when you're gone, and getting stuck in the e-collar.