How to Care for Your Dog After Being Neutered

Co-authored by Russell Hartstein, CDBC, CPDT

Last Updated: May 8, 2023 Approved

Your dog needs you right now. You just paid another human to cut him open and neuter him. He doesn’t know it, but this will affect his behavior and eliminate his ability to procreate. Despite the simplicity of the procedure, he’ll be extremely tired and probably nauseous for a few days. He will also be at risk of an infection for a while. All this aside, he still loves you. Take care of him by letting him rest, and doing everything you can to prevent infection and help him heal.^{[1]
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Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making Your Dog Comfortable After the Surgery

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Let him rest. As soon as you get home, make sure he has a comfortable spot to lie down indoors. Make sure it’s quiet, as he will likely sleep a lot following the surgery. Check on him once an hour to ensure he’s not vomiting excessively, but otherwise let him be. Keep other animals and children away from him.^{[2]
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- Be aware that your dog is likely still feeling the effects of the anesthetic he was given by the vet. He may not have complete control of his senses or his body.
- Keep him indoors for a full day, and make sure he is disturbed as little as possible.
2
Wait to feed him until the anesthesia wears off. Keep water readily available at all times; however, do not feed your dog until he's regained his composure. For most dogs, this will be the evening of the surgery, but many dogs experience nausea following surgery and will only eat a small amount, if at all. For his first meal following the surgery, feed him about a half of what he usually eats. Provide the rest of the food incrementally throughout the day.^{[3]
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- Your vet may provide bland food for your dog's first meal after surgery.
- If your dog’s interest in eating hasn’t returned after 48 hours, call your vet.
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Watch out for signs of danger. In particular, watch out for lethargy, decreased appetite, and vomiting or diarrhea. Call your vet if any of these symptoms persist for more than a day following the surgery. ^{[4]
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- Call your vet right away if your dog vomits.
- Note that a minor cough is entirely normal. A breathing tube was used to help him breathe while under anesthesia, and may have caused some irritation that will heal in a few days.^{[5]
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Part 2

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Ensuring The Incision Site Heals

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Get him an e-collar. These collars are colloquially referred to as “cones” today, and are reminiscent of an inverted lampshade. Whatever you call it, an e-collar will prevent your dog from licking or chewing the location of his surgery. This is extremely important to keep sutures in place, prevent infection, and ensure healing.^{[6]
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- Put a collar on him as soon as he gets home. You may be able to distract him from licking with a toy, but you’ll still need a collar to prevent him from doing so when you’re not around.
- Do not take the collar off too early, as the dog is most likely to chew at the incision most vigorously when it starts to heal and becomes itchy. This will likely happen from five to eight days after the surgery. To be safe, keep the collar on until the skin where his incision was is fully healed.
- You can get an e-collar from a pet store if the vet did not provide one. You can get a stiff collar or a soft one, which may make it easier for him to access his food and water bowls and toys.
2
Check the incision site twice a day. Ensure that the incision from the surgery is healing by checking it at least twice daily. In particular, look for any redness, swelling, or discharge around the incision. Small amounts of redness and swelling are normal for a few days, but call your vet about any sort of sustained discharge or swelling that increases in size.^{[7]
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- If the incision is open, call your vet immediately. You may need to bring your dog in to get the incision re-sutured.
- If you notice that the incision has gotten dirty, clean it with a cotton ball dipped in clean boiled water or salt water.
3
Keep him inactive for a week. Minimize your dog’s activity for a week at least. It’s very important not to interrupt the healing process, which requires plenty of rest. Take him on short walks on a leash, but do not allow him to get near any other animals. Do not let him off of the leash, even in a fenced in yard or park.^{[8]
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- Choose times to walk him when it is less likely that you’ll see other dogs.
- If you do see another dog, cross the street or change direction before reaching them to reduce stress and minimize potential sudden movements by your dog.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Easing Back Into Everyday Activities

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Don’t allow him to run or jump for a few weeks. For about two weeks following the surgery, don’t allow your dog to roughhouse, jump around, or even run. You want to ensure he heals before allowing him to return to full activity. Follow your vet’s specific recommendations regarding when he can become fully active again.^{[9]
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- You can start letting him out into the yard once it seems like the incision site has healed, but keep him on a leash until you’re certain he’s fully healed.
2
Hold off on bathing him. You will likely need to postpone bathing your dog for about ten days. Follow your vet’s specific instructions regarding the timeline for expected healing.^{[10]
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- If your dog goes to the bathroom and lays in it, or must be cleaned for some other reason, use waterless shampoo from a pet store. Don’t use this shampoo near the incision.
3
Return to the vet to get undissolved sutures removed. Go over the surgical paperwork. Most importantly, ensure that “buried sutures” were used, which do not require removal and will safely dissolve. If this sort of suture was not used, you may need to revisit the vet to have the sutures removed. If you’re unsure, contact the vet who did the procedure.^{[11]
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- The paperwork recording the procedure can prove your dog has been neutered. Keep this for your records. It will likely also indicate the vaccinations the dog has received, and any other information, such as whether or not he has been microchipped (this is often done at the same time as neutering).
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How do I entertain my dog after neutering?

Russell Hartstein, CDBC, CPDT
Certified Dog & Cat Trainer
Russell Hartstein is a Certified Dog & Cat Trainer and CEO of Fun Paw Care in Los Angeles, California. With over 25 years of training, nutrition, boarding, and daycare experience, Russell and the Fun Paw Care team provide the most current, humane, and science-based methods utilizing force-free positive reinforcement to train and care for pets. Russell is an author for PetMD, Chewy, and Dogster. He is also regularly cited in publications from various organizations, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). He is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and a Certified Pet Dog Trainer. He received his bachelor’s degree in History and Economics from Binghamton University.

Russell Hartstein, CDBC, CPDT

Certified Dog & Cat Trainer

Expert Answer

Try to redirect their energy and focus to something that they'll still get tired of but doesn't require a tremendous amount of energy or effort—think of the types of activities you might do on a snowy or rainy day. Just make sure that your dog isn't doing any vigorous exercise, like sprinting around or chasing a ball.

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