*** Update **** Puzzled about my dog after her spay

[Sue]

***** UPDATE ******

We have been to the vet every day since Tuesday....The vet was convinced that it had nothing to do with the spay and kept telling me that it would get better well it has now been 4 days of scooting and her Bum is so irritated.......after 2 different meds, a cortizone shot , anal glands checked twice....they have now discovered that it most likely is due to the thermometer that they inserted in her bum during surgery to check her temperature......LExee is now on more antibiotics and an antiinflammatory.....So....anyone every heard of your dog reacting to a rectal exam.....Pls let me know...as my pup is now wearing a cone and a medi shirt.....arrrrghhh.....:(





Hi,

Lexee cam home last night after having been spayed. She was extremely groggy and slept the whole night with a little bowel movement and a few pees but very quiet and sleepy. She cried a lot throughout the night and peed once. The problem we are having is that she is constantly scooting her bum...she is acting like she has ants in her pants. She is wearing the cone and is trying to get to her anus and sometimes her stitches but we have the cone on often to stop her from licking. Have any of you ever heard of your dog having issues like scooting and seeming very irritated, itchy after a spay?

as an FYI - went to the vet this pm and they are clueless as to why she is doing this....They emptied her anal glands which weren't full just to make sure ( cost me 27$ and I knew that they would not be full)......

Pls give me your thoughts as I am at a loss as to why my Lexee can't settle down after her surgery...

Thanks for any input..

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

I wonder if she is allergic to the stitches? Or, maybe the place where they shaved her to prepare the area for the surgery is irritated. It could be that she is trying to get to the site of the incision, but can't reach it and it appears that her anus is her goal. Those are the only explanations that I can offer. I would give her the full course of pain meds, though. I hope that whatever is bothering her ceases soon.

[Jessica, Loki and Moose]

I dont't know that I have heard of this before but I agree it could be a problem with the stitches... They are usually pretty inoffensive but I have seen people who are allergic to dissolvable sutures so I would assume the same could be true for dogs. If that's the case please keep a close eye on it because at least in people, this can result in a nasty wound and infection if not managed properly. Did the vet offer a topical steroid cream? I honestly don't know if that would be recommended this close to her surgery but maybe she's just irritated in that whole area? 

[Sue]

Vet offered her another pain med on top of demetrex and I was told it can sedate dogs so to be careful....I am so concerned she bounces around trying to relieve the itch/pain whatever and the vet can offer no assistance but charge me 50$ for anal glands and pain meds ( which she may or may not need)......
They also told me that they clipped some hair around her anus.....do you think this could be it??
thanks...getting very worried as she is not herself....

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

It could definitely be that they clipped her too close around the anus. My Charlotte was once very irritated from getting clipped back there at the groomer. I was able to apply a combination of hydrocortisone cream and Neosporin. Does her anus look like they nicked her skin or gave her razor burn? I would not apply anything to the sutured area, but her behind would be fine. Isn't it terrible when they're hurting???

[Jessica, Loki and Moose]

So sad when they aren't themselves! :(

[Jessica, Loki and Moose]

Maybe from the shaving? Loki has gotten what look like little pimples when they shaved him for his neuter but he never reacted to having them, at least that I know of. Does any part of her "area" look red or puffy or feel warm to the touch (warmer than the rest of her)? Those would be signs of infection. I have two male dogs and I know their surgery is MUCH less invasive so maybe someone who has a female dog can say if redness/swollen/hot tissue is to be expected- I would assume no but could be wrong. If she just had her surgery I would think this would be pretty early to show signs of an infection (if I am reading this correctly it's only been 24 hours or so since her surgery) if its related to the surgery so my first thought would be to think it could be some kind of allergic reaction or just irritation.

It also could be an irritation to the soap they used to prep her. I have no clue what surgical prep for dogs involves but in people its typically either betadine (which has iodine based which is a common and can very very severe allergy in people- think anaphylaxis) or cholraprep (which is a solution of Cholrahexidine Glucanate which is a less common allergen but does give some people skin problems, sometimes with just one exposure and other people it's after chronically being exposed to it, this is also the ingredient in most surgical hand wash solutions or surgical scrubs). 

I hope your baby feels better!

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

[Sue]

That's my girl.....and she is so unhappy!!!! I don't know what to do....she keeps scooting around....she is trying to ease the pain/irritation.....I am very displeased that the clinic has sort of brushed it off....She has been home less than 24 hours......aaarrrhhhhh :(

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Aww poor sweetheart, hope she feels better soon. Maybe you could consult a different vet/clinic?

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

When Daphne got spayed, she didn't scoot her bum but she was very jumpy and acted strangely. I looked at her stitches and they looked like clear fishing line.  They were a little long and I could tell that was bothering her when she was lying down. So I took her to the vet so they could trim them and they said that there was no problem with the length. I took her home and carefully trimmed them myself so that when she was lying on her tummy, they were not causing her discomfort. I did not have that same problem with either of my other two but they got spayed with a different vet and the stitches were different. I don't know if that is your problem or not but worth a look.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Poor baby :( Lucy had no problems after her spay, but Oscar did very poorly after his neuter. He whined and cried the first 24 hrs home. When he would walk he sort of twitched like there was a pain shooting up his back side. I kept him well medicated and after about the 3rd day he was acting more normally. I think some dogs are just more sensitive to pain than others. Lucy was back to herself by the next morning. I never even needed a cone with her. Oscar was in a cone for a week. I hope Lexee is feeling better real soon!

[Sue]

This is Lexee is her little shirt and cone of shame......:(