How long will my dog be in pain after neutering or spaying?

How Long Will My Dog Be In Pain After Neutering Or Spaying?

I sit here on my couch and think about how long will my dog be in pain after neutering. As a dog parent, I know that It is not an easy sight to see your dog in pain. Therefore, I thought to write about what I found doing some research on dogs neutering.

So, how long will my dog be in pain after neutering or spaying? The pain of neutering may last up to one week for male dogs. He may be anxious or excited within the first few hours as a result of general anesthesia. Once the effect of the painkiller fades away, the dog starts feeling the pain. The pain will remain for up to 72 hours.

Spaying may be hard for female dogs since it involves many wounds and stitches. Therefore, the pain of spaying may last up to 5 days. It is better to keep your dog calm and less active until they fully recover.

Read – How Soon Can I Walk My Dog After Neutering? Complete Timeline & Guide

I have listed below the main topics that I discuss in this post. Feel free to jump straight to the topic you want. Let’s get started.

Is neutering painful for dogs? Is it safe?

Is neutering safe for dogs?

Yes, of course. Neuter and spay surgeries are standard veterinary medical procedures. Most vets have good experience of performing these surgeries since dog parents tend to neuter their dogs.

Typically, vets monitor the dog carefully to determine the condition before doing the surgery. They will not proceed if there is any illness or possible complication. Therefore, the risk of doing neutering or spaying surgery is minimal.

However, vets use general anesthesia before performing the surgery. That is the kind of risk that involves neutering.

How do you tell if a dog is in pain after neutering?

Most of the time, your dog will not feel as soon as the surgery because of anesthesia. He may seem a little anxious and excited about what happened. Your dog will start feeling pain after 12 hours of the surgery when the effect of painkillers fades away.

Your dog will start groaning when he is in pain. You will be able to see tears in his eyes if the pain is higher. Most dogs reject foods when they are in severe pain. And also, they won’t move anywhere if the pain is intolerable.

We know that dogs try to lick the stitches and wounds to reduce the pain. Therefore, you have to use a cone to avoid him defecating the wounds.

How long will my dog be in pain after neutering?

How long will my dog be in pain after neutering?

As I mentioned earlier, your dog may be tired, stressed and anxious when you pick him up from the vet. It is normal due to the side effects of anaesthesia.

Once the effect of anaesthesia fades, your dog will start feeling the pain of wounds. Usually, it takes around 12 hours to vanish the effect of painkillers.

After that, you may notice that your dog is in pain around 12 – 24 hours after the surgery. This time may be challenging to the dog as well as you, as a dog parent. However, the pain will reduce after 24 hours.

And also, it is advisable to make them calm and avoid activities for at least 48 hours after the neutering surgery.

Spaying a female dog involves much time and more extended procedure. And also, there could be more wounds and stitches. Therefore, female dogs will be in pain up to 36 hours after the surgery.

The pain of both spaying and neutering surgeries will last around 48 – 72 hours, depending on your dog’s health, strength and mental stability.

However, activities like running, climbing and jumping may cause pain even after 10 days of the surgery. Therefore, try to keep them less active for at least 10 days until they are fully recovered.

How long does a dog take to recover from neutering?

Typically, dogs get back to normal condition after 4 – 9 days after the surgery. The most challenging time is the first 48 hours. After that, he may feel uncomfortable, but there couldn’t be any more severe pains.

Your vet will ask you to come for a checkup after 3 days of the neutering surgery to see healing progress. If he is satisfied with the results, you can come back to the regular routine with your dog.

However, it is advisable to keep them less active until they are fully recovered. It will take around 9 – 10 days to recover your dog completely.

How can I ease my dog pain after being neutered? What to give a dog for pain after spaying?

How can I ease my dog pain after being neutered?

The best thing you can do is let him sleep and rest. Your dog may want to play with you and come back to the normal routine, but you have to make him calm and support for a fast recovery. You can do the following things to make him comfortable;

  • Bring your dog home – Bring your dog home safely in a way that protects the stitches. It is advisable to use a cone to prevent him from licking the surgical wounds.
  • Let him rest – Sleeping is the best thing for a fast recovery, as I mentioned earlier. Try not to poke him or make him active. Give him enough space to calm down.
  • Arrange the sleeping area – You have to be careful about the hygiene of your dog after surgery. Once you bring your loving dog home, arrange a sleeping area that is clean, warm and germ-free. Make sure that his sleeping place is properly clean. It will help to avoid any infections in stitched areas.
  • Reduce the noise – Calm and quiet environment will help him to sleep well. Therefore, try to reduce the noises inside the home.
  • Post-operative jumpsuit – If you can find one, it will help him prevent licking the surgical area since licking may cause infections.
  • Don’t wash them – You may like to see your dog clean but, don’t shower them up to 10 days after the surgery.

And also, don’t miss the post-surgery checkup after 3 days of neutering. It is better to make sure that the wounds are in the expected healing process.

  • Keep your dog away from other pets
Will my dog need pain meds after a neutering surgery?

If you have several pets in the home, they may be excited about what happened to the dog. Therefore, keep them away with the operated dog.

Your dog will forget the pain when he sees the other pets. And also, other pets want to explore what happens. It is better to keep them away from the operated dog.

Will my dog need pain meds after a neutering surgery? For how long?

Of course. As we discussed earlier, vets use painkillers to make dogs unconscious before performing the surgery. Once they wake up, they need medication to ease the pain.

Mostly, your vet will give some pain medications shots after the surgery. It will help your dog with the pain for up to 24 hours.

You can ask your vet for extra pain medications. Your vet will measure the size and weight of your dog and prescribe you some post-operative painkillers.

However, it is mandatory to ask for the vet’s advice for taking meds. We have seen some pet parents give human pain tablets to their dogs. That may cause troubles such as infections, vomiting or diarrhea.

Conclusion

We discussed one of the most sensitive questions for dog parents, ‘How long will my dog be in pain after neutering?’ in this post. It is a challenging situation for all of us.

Therefore, try to follow my guide to ease the pain and support them for a fast recovery. Always follow the guidelines of your vet for better results. 

Thank you for reading this post. If you have anything to share with us relating to this post, you can contact us via our contact page.

Author

  • Lisa Watson

    Lisa W. is a practicing certified veterinarian (BVetMed Hons in Veterinary Medicine) who graduated from Royal Veterinary College, UK. One of her research fields is mixed-dog breeds and their temperament, behavioral issues, and genetic health concerns. Also, she gathers data about purebred dog breeds and their origin, lifespan, and genetic conditions. Lisa is a loving dog parent who is keen to share her expertise with other fellow dog parents.

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