As a pet owner, you are probably very familiar with the necessity to spay or neuter your pet dog. Not only will it help you with your dog’s future training endeavors, but it will also help protect the domestic dog as a species, and eliminate a number of different health concerns regarding your dog. The spaying and neutering procedures are relatively routine these days, with more and more people understanding the importance of this step in their dog’s life. However like with any surgical procedure, your dog will need to go through a recovery period. Here are some things to keep in mind as your dog recovers from the spaying or neutering.

The week after your dog’s surgery, you will have to make every effort to keep life low key. If your dog is a puppy, as he or she probably is, this may be quite difficult. Puppies are notorious as being balls of energy. However your dog may cause harm to himself if you allow or encourage activity after a spaying or neutering. Prevent your dog from jumping up on furniture, running up steps, running after toys and more. You can take your dog for quiet walks, but keep things calm for at least a week. Keep him on a leash outdoors to prevent running around and jumping. You may want to crate your dog when you are not home to supervise him.

It is important to keep things low key because your dog will have stitches. If he should exert himself, he may tear his stitches. If your dog tears the stitches, the wound may not heal as it should. Check the stitches each day throughout the day to make sure that they are all in tact. You should also check for any signs of infection, and call your veterinarian if you notice anything out of the ordinary. Your dog may try to lick the stitches, or even chew on them. If this is the case, talk to your veterinarian about placing anElizabethan collar on your dog. Remember that taking the time to tend to your dog’s post-surgery ensures a speedy and effective recovery, which will save you all time and energy in the long run.