Keeping them calm

[Bastianboy]

Ok, so I posted another thread about Tessa's spay. Here's another question. How do I keep her calm?????????? I thought for at least the next day (I'll be working from home) I would definitely keep her on the pain meds so that she is sleepy, but what do I do after that???? She is a maniac. When she's out with us she is constantly zooming. I was thinking perhaps bone in her crate, but I don't think I can keep her locked up for 2 weeks. Any suggestions????

I know we survived Bastian's but he was an only dog at that point, no one to egg him on.

[moondog]

Make sure she has a quiet place when you bring her home, and rethink the pain meds. I haven't had a one dog come home from a spay with pain medication, and that's 4 spays. Pain is good in the sense that a dog will self-limit based on it, and since we can't reason with them, that's beneficial to their recovery.

When she starts to bounce back, leash her when she's out of her crate if she's too active and you're worried about it.

It IS nervewracking......will you remind me I said all this when it's time for Chili to be spayed?

[dogsbydoug]

Sienna didn't come home with pain meds after her spay/tattoo. I leash walked her for potty and exercise, without the other dogs (they went in the fenced back yard, she and I took a walk in the front yard). We did this for about a week - after that she went out in the yard alone, off leash. By day 10 post-spay she was back to herself. When we were in the house, she was leashed when not crated...hope this helps!

[Bastianboy]

HA! I look at her and think, I don't want to hurt her like that. Then I think about what that would mean and think, is it time yet? Just kidding. Bastian came home with pain meds for one day. I know they will give them to us for her as well. I will rethink drugging her. Do you think that Rescue Remedy would help out at all?

[dogsbydoug]

Originally Posted by Bastianboy

Do you think that Rescue Remedy would help out at all?

In terms of keeping her clam? It might. I think leashing her when out of the crate might be easier.

Are there other dogs in the house? If so, when she comes home, keep them out of the path (in another room, door closed) from the car to her crate and pop her in the crate to recover. With Sienna, I put everyone out in the backyard and then brought her into the house. She came home same day as her spay so was still a little "drunk" from the anesthesia so I crated her with a nice extra soft blanket and left her alone until about midnight and then I took her out alone, on leash, for a potty break.

[moondog]

I haven't used either, but a quick google revealed that you could use Rescue Remedy or Arnica 30c....both are used for trauma and nervousness.

The most important thing is to make sure she is given a quiet place where she won't be bothered, so she can curl up and sleep undisturbed.

[dogsbydoug]

moondog - we used Arnica post-spay for Sienna - fabulous stuff! I use it myself, post shoveling snow!