# Sticky  For anyone who's worried about having their dog spayed.....



## 3boys1pup

If you search my posts, I've had a difficult time deciding whether to spay Pre- or post-1st season. I decided to wait until she was one but then panicked and decided to do it now before our holiday. Then I booked her in for a keyhole op, but when that vet wanted to keep her overnight, which i wasnt happy with so i cancelled and took her to my vet who i trust for a traditional spay. 

So all in all it's been much better than I expected. When i picked her up she was so pleased to see me she lay on my foot purring! She had the op at 2pm and I collected her at 6pm

This was at 8pm, so 6 hours post op.....










If you look at the enlarged photo you can see her scar. 

The next day, Day 1, I worked from home and she slept on her pillow most of the day. She had 3 small meals of chicken and rice and I took her in the garden on her lead. 

She hated the collar so just wore her onesie whilst we were there and the collar when I couldn't watch her, went out or overnight. 

Day 2 post op she was much perkier and I kept her on the lead in the garden when the kids were around as that's when she's more excitable. she chilled on the lawn a bit and i put her back on Barking Heads

Day 3 her inflatable collar arrived

She loves it and its on all the time now, so she has more freedom. When she gets too excitable I put her on her lead attached to the radiator until she calms down. She's much more herself now  but still sleeping a lot. 

Day 4 we went for a 30 min lead walk at 8pm after which she slept for ages! Since then we've had 2 x 30 min lead walks a day. 

Today is day 5 and her wound looks like this










We see the vet on Wednesday (7days after op) and hopefully can get back to normal then.......


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## kendal

Fab post, have made it a sticky.


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## markt3857

Cheers for the post and hope Coco is getting along ok now

When we had our goldendoodle spay we bought her an inflatable collar like that but somehow she managed to chew through the velcro the first night! Little moo

However, I think when we get Marcie spay, probably after her 1st season, that we will use one of those again. As shes much smaller it will probably help much more


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## RachelJ

Coco is lovely! So pleased to hear all went well & she si getting back to her normal self - such a relief isnt it x


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## 3boys1pup

Post removed


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## Cat 53

Once the fur grows back you wouldn't know they have had an op. so glad it's going so well and thank you for a very reassuring post.


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## 3boys1pup

3 weeks later and it's like she never even had the op!


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## SMM

I don't post much but visit the forum now and again, thanks for this post my cockapoo was spayed 6 days ago and so good to read others experiences. Izzy is 10 months, I waited until after her first season, I was also dreading it but it hasn't been too bad at all, although our vet told us 5 minute walk only so that has been hardest part as izzy is raring to go!


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## Dottieven

I worked myself up into ridiculous lather about Coco being spayed two months after her first season and one month from her first birthday. However, she left the vet's in one of those appalling lampshade collars looking quite tragic. We replaced the lampshade immediately with onesies (which she actually liked) and continued looking reproachful all evening. Next day - you would never know she had had anything done and we had to stop her from jumping around. She now has a beautifully neat little scar on her tummy BUT she has also developed a ravenous appetite which needs to be monitored.


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## dmgalley

I'm glad she has done well. I had three fixed over the last year and a half and they all did well.


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## Betsy

Thank you so much for this. Betsy is our lovely cockapoo and she is just 5 months. We still don't know what to do. When to have her spayed...
How does the inflatable collar help? 

Many thanks


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## Milly_pup

Milly is booked in fir the 9th December. She will be exactly 6 months old. She's having the traditional spay as our vet doesn't offer keyhole. I'm starting to panic a bit....

I was also going to ask about the collar and also wear size to get for the baby onesies? Milly is very petite and only weighs 5.5 kg at moment.

Your pics and posts are really helpful so thank you


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## Marzi

Mine were fine with just their onesies on - about 6 kg at the time and I went for 18-24 months that way it is loose and comfy but keeps the wound site clean and covered. 
If your pup is desperate to lick and nibble around the incision site an inflatable collar is a more comfortable prevention devise than a lampshade collar.


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## RubyToo

Thank you so much for this really helpful post. I'm worrying myself silly about Ruby's impending op in about 5 weeks time. She'll be just over 6 months at the time. I've been worrying about it being too early, the affect it will have on her growth, her recovery period, and so on and so on. I'm driving myself mad.


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## Bigjuicysteak

Thank you for the detailed post! This will be very helpful when I finally find my own Cockapoo.


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## SarahK

Thank you all for these posts. Very useful. I have a 6 month old puppy who tested me massively as a 3-6 month old and is now settling down fantastically. I have read so many blogs about when to spay and whilst pre-season would be more convenient for me, I am going to go with my vet's advice and wait until after her first season. Great to hear about your positive experience so thanks ! 

Sarah (& Roxie)


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## carrol

hi this is my first post. thank you so much for the info, I have a 5 month old .Rosie. when is the best time to have them spayed. also she is double due clawed. so that needs sorting to. has anyone had there dogs due claws off my vet suggested it. bit worried about that to. thanks xx


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## Tinman

Wow this is an old thread with Kendal's fur babies featuring?! X


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## Nanci

What ever happened to Kendal? I miss her expertise.


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## Aly

I found this thread really reassuring when I was getting Lucy spayed, so I thought I would share my experience.
I got Lucy spayed a month ago when she was 13 months old (3 months after her season).
She slept all day, on my bed with me, the day of surgery.
The next day I let her out into the garden to go to the toilet, thinking she was still drowsy from the anaesthetic. Well that was the start of it, she went absolutely berserk running and jumping everywhere!
From then on she was her normal self, jumping off the back of the settee and bouncing everywhere.
I let her off her lead on walks as she was just walking on her back legs when on the lead. In fact the only changes were I put her buster collar on for the first few nights so she couldn't get to her wound.
She has healed well with no problems. The vet said she was fine despite her best efforts!
I am not advising anybody else to let their cockapoo run mad after surgery but just to reassure anybody who is worrying that my Lucy didn't even know she had had an operation and was absolutely fine.


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## barkley

Great post! And Coco is a lovely dog! Hope she'll recover soon.


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## Sephora

Thanks 3boys1pup & everyone for this info. 

Last week I took Poppy for her rabies shot and the vet and asked me if I was planning on spaying her and if so then I should pre book her as she will be 6 months in a month and a half. 

I was a little taken aback that she suggested spaying her at such a young age until she listed all the possible cons of not doing it at 6 months. Now I looked at the forum before posting and there's a great sticky from a few years back listing the pros & cons of spaying at 6months or after 1st season. Then stumbled onto this stickey. I have not made my decision yet but had a few questions I havent seen on here yet, if anyone can give me their experience with regards to these questions. 

1) A cockapoo owner told me that having Poppy spayed at 6 months or anything less than a year, can stunt their growth, (she herslf had a female cockapoo and waited after she was 1yo). And on another forum I read that a dog (not a cockapoo) developed less bone density after being spayed at a young age. Someone else said that they felt that their dog never fully matured like other dogs due to a pre-season spay. Has anyone heard / delt with this issue? Did your pups develop normally physically and socially when spayed at 6m?

2) What are the beneficial differences between a cone and a onsie? Or is it just preference? Will the onsie not itch/catch on the fresh wound?

3) It is currently winter and lots of snow & wet grass, Poppy loves lying in the snow (I think it cools her down) and on the wet grass when she is out in the backyard. Is if still safe for her to do so after the op? Do I need to be worried about infections? This also applies to going for walks; where I live the council do not salt the streets when it snows but use a sandy grit instead which always gets on her belly when she walks. How long after the op is it safe to go for walks in this case?

4) Some have mentioned keyhole where only the ovaries are removed. I have never heard of this and will need to ask if our vet even offers it. Has anyone opted for keyhole? Will Poppy still go through a bleeding phase with a keyhole? Can she still have phantom pregnancies?

Thank you!


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## Bella16

We've just had Bella our 10 month cockapoo spayed on Friday. The first afternoon/night all she did was sleep ate a little scrambled egg and that was it. 

Day 2 however she was back to normal running around jumping up & down off the sofa and rolling basically getting up to mischief. We've been told we can lead walk her on day 4 but were already struggling with her. 

It's now day 3 and she's driving us nuts! Paranoid she'll burst her stitches


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