Neutering Question: What to expect

[NanouetJon]

So Maddoxx is going in for the ol' snip! I am dealing with my own guilt about it but I want to make this as easy as possible for him,

So far the vet has me dropping him off at 8:AM and picking him up at 4:30PM
The surgery includes Fluid Therapy and Pre-Anaesthetic blood testins. I am having him microchipped at the same time.
vet is well aware of the difficulties of chow's having a black mouth and not being able to use tongue or gums color as indicator.

Only small issue we have is that Maddoxx only has one descended testicle. although she thinks she knows where the second one is. Another great reason to have the surgery. An descended testicle has a 4X higher chance of getting cancer due to it being much warmer that it should.
Maddoxx is coming up on his 8 month birthday and is in great health..55 pounds.

So Question for you ( great community of advice givers)
What can expect in the up coming days of recouvery? I remember my last chow vaguely... Diarrhea the first day and alot of whining for 24 hours. Wore a head shield for about a week. I am taking a few days off to be with him at home..

What else should I think of?

[summer_rose03]

Carter was groggy for the first day. We had to tell at him to not lick for most of the healing time. We couldn't keep an e-collar on him and he destroyed the blow up e-collar we bought. He didn't seem sore unless I touched in the wrong area (while checking his incision).

You just want to try to keep him quiet, especially for the first few days. No jumping/rough housing, supervised/leashed potty breaks, and keep an eye on him for licking. Check the incision daily to make sure he didn't open it up by licking too much when you're not looking. Males are super easy, the incision is not a big deal compared to a female spay. If they do have to make a 2nd incision to remove the other testicle, that's just another area to keep an eye on. There shouldn't be anything different with him, depending on how far up they have to go.

I volunteer at a low cost spay/neuter clinic, and I will tell you there is nothing to worry about. I have to reassure a zillion people every summer. I was nervous when Carter was neutered, even though I knew I had no reason to be. I was way more nervous when he had his Entropian surgery because I had no idea what to expect.

All in all, the first day is the worst. By the next day you would never guess they were just neutered! Puppies recover much faster than older dogs too. Oh, and no bathing for at least 10 days, Vet may say 14 to be safe.

[kingalls]

Nahkohe didn't have the e-collar but it was so difficult to keep him subdued (sp?). The procedure didn't seem to have any effect on him - after the groggy-ness wore off, he was ready to go - jumping, running, etc. - that was the hard part - keeping him from regular activities.

[kiwani]

What else should I think of?

How long has he been hiking his leg consistently? Testosterone plays an important role in bone/muscle development/health too and there are testosterone surges as development progresses. There are archived threads concerning long term adverse effects of neutering too early, in case if you are interested.

[NanouetJon]

His leg has been coming up for about 2 months now. I was so proud the day he stopped squatting..

The vet suggested 6 months but I wanted to wait a bit longer so that is why we waited till 8 months.

[kiwani]

His leg has been coming up for about 2 months now. I was so proud the day he stopped squatting..

The vet suggested 6 months but I wanted to wait a bit longer so that is why we waited till 8 months.

Small breed dogs may be well developed by six months, but larger breeds take more time to develope joint strength, muscle mass. If you feel that his muscles are well developed in the hind legs now, keep him leaner after neutering, because knee joint injuries increase in neutered dogs. His metabolism will slow down, it will become easier to gain weight, putting more stress on the joints.

All best wishes...

[KathrynH]

Buddha was groggy his first day and incredibly whiney. He just couldn't understand why it hurt to sit...it took him awhile, but he finally was able to get comfortable, and refused to move anywhere. That was the first day, after that he was fine and happy. We didn't need to keep an e-collar on him because he left the area alone.

[NanouetJon]

Well Maddoxx has had the surgery and everything is going fine. I am not getting much sleep but I think its due to me being to much of a softy. I didn't put the E-Collar on him and spent the night keeping him from licking his wounds all night.

Turns out he had one descended testicle and one in the abdomen. So he has three little incisions with stitches that dissolve and are on the inside.

I am surprised that everyone seems to say, " oh my chow was neutered yesterday and is great today." I am am so nervous about him pulling out his stitches or over extending himself.

He is now wearing his e-collar so that I can step away for brief periods. Am I overcautious or what? I tried the t-shirt thing and its was a no go.. he just tried to nibble through the shirt.

So far the e-collar is working, my issue is he won;t do anything with it on. Just lays or sits because he is afraid to move with it on.

[kiwani]

Best wishes to Maddoxx. You might give him some breaks from the
cone, if you're going to be with him and attentive.



How to Care for Dogs After Neutering Surgery: Signs a Dog's Surgical Incision is Infected, Care After an Operation

http://petcare.suite101.com/article.cfm ... ng_surgery



6. Possible surgical and post-surgical complications of neutering.

http://www.pet-informed-veterinary-advi ... ering.html

[Auddymay]

Even though he may be a bit put off now, could you put up some up to date photos? He must be getting so big and manly looking by now.

[NanouetJon]

That was a great Link Kiwani.. Awesome..

[Buddha4me]

When Buddha neutered he had to wear the e-collar. Had to give him lots of breaks, because he couldn't figure out how to eat/drink with it on.
My 2nd Chow had the same problem, one undecended testicle, they showed me the video of the tissue, one testicle was healthy and pink, the other was black and looked like something was really wrong with it. Don't feel bad about getting him neutered, you did the right thing. Both of my males bounced back pretty quickly from surgery.

[NanouetJon]

Today is alot better for both of us. He is wearing the e-collar most of the time as he immediately starts licking as soon as I take it off. But he is fortunate today. I took it for meals and he got a good two hours with it off as I gave him a massage and quality time in the living room.

He has bounced back. I spent the afternoon outside and he did as well trotting about the back yard. He wanted to play and tried to entice me but to no avail. No playing for a good week or so.