Neuter tomorrow...

[samara fogel]

Rooster is scheduled to be neutered tomorrow... should I keep him crated and away from the kids?  How quickly will he be back on his feet- and will I need to keep one of those collars on him to prevent chewing?  I'm sure the vet will instruct me- but you all seem to be the real world experts!! :)

[Michele Kiss]

We opted to buy an inflatable collar instead of using the cone, which I think was much more comfortable for him. 

http://instagram.com/p/nors89qtZ-/
http://instagram.com/p/oGaMqKKtQK/

Is was, the cone wouldn't have fit in his crate! And unsupervised in his crate would be a great time to open up the wound... yikes. 

They're not supposed to do as much activity which is hard because once they feel better they just start bouncing around. So no long walks or puppy socials, etc. I don't think you need to crate him and keep him away from the kids the whole time though... Just tell the kids that he needs to stay calmer etc. 

They wear the cone for about two weeks which feels like forever. You definitely need something to try to stop them from licking or biting at the area (whether there are stitches, or glue, etc.) But you'll likely think he's "back to normal" really quickly (honestly for us it was the next day.) 

Oh yeah and be careful about giving him food when you first bring him home. They can vomit if they eat, because of the anesthesia. 

[samara fogel]

Thank you! He is a SUPER pig when it comes to his food- so thanks for the advice on being careful when feeding after.  He is going to be so mad at me in the morning when he doesn't get breakfast!!! He wakes up hungry!  I will have to put our other dog up for a bit as she is the one that makes him want to play the most!!

[Christina]

We also bought the inflatable collar but Oakley could still reach the spot. May have needed the larger size. It is more comfortable for them. We went back to the cone the vet gave us and he got used to it and it fit in his crate although tight. We would give him short breaks supervised of course without the cone for a break and by a week he was healed enough to remove. Not nearly as bad as I had expected. Our issue was keeping him out of water... Sprinklers shower and pool. Oakley walks in out shower with us ( open shower) and loves the sprinklers and goes on to the pool steps every time he is in the backyard. Need to keep the area dry so it can heal.

[samara fogel]

Thank you for the advice about the water...we just learned that Rooster likes to jump in the shower with us too! It was so cute! I am most concerned about the cone thing....I can only imagine he will HATE it :(  I will do the supervised breaks as you mentioned and look into the inflatable collars that both you and Michele referenced!

[Judi Kilpatrick]

We used the inflatable cones as well, one pup could get around it, the other never tried.. Just watch him closely and give him breaks without it as long as you can keep an eye on him. The vet's generally give pain meds for a few days so he will likely not be in much pain and may be a little sleepy. The hardest part will be to curtail his normal puppy activities, running, jumping, etc. My guys got neutered at the same time so it was a nightmare trying to keep them both quiet, didn't work all of the time and they had no issues so Rooster will be fine.. Good luck and keep us posted!

[samara fogel]

Thank you! I am defintiely worried about the high level of activity in our house...but hoping the meds will help a little, and maybe I will use this as an opportunity for some solo puppy time :)

[Stephanie and Ragley]

I'm not sure ho wlarge he is, but I know that there are a lot of people who use baby onsies, tshirts, or "whitie tighties" instead of cone because it is more comfortable for their dog. Maybe that would work?

[samara fogel]

HAHAHAHAHA- I have the funniest vision of my puppy wearing my son's undies now! But you are right..that may work!!!! 

[samara fogel]

Update...Rooster did great today and has acted pretty normal since he got home...hasn't tried to bite or chew the stitches yet, but we are watching him closely and have the cone ready! He was 32 pounds this morning...and we fed him tonight with no sickness after...my little piggy!!! Love this boy so much!!! Thank you all for the advice!!!