How Should Post-Operative Nutrition Be for Dogs?
Painkiller Use in Animals
After surgery, dogs should be given half of their normal meal amount approximately 2 hours after they arrive home. If post-operative care is to be provided for dogs and they are less than 16 weeks old, they should still be fed half of their normal food when they get home. If they do not want to eat, they should be fed with syrup, and generally, animals experience loss of appetite and do not eat on the day they come home after surgery. In this situation, one should not worry, and food should be removed from the animal's presence, with only a small amount of water placed in front of them. The next day after surgery, it is necessary to return to their usual feeding and routine. If they refuse to eat and experience diarrhea, it is essential to consult a veterinary clinic.
Care of the Surgical Area
Especially during sterilization surgery in animals, painkillers that have a long-lasting effect are administered. Therefore, after they come home, thinking that your pets are in pain and to alleviate this pain, human painkillers should absolutely not be given. This would be a fatal mistake, and painkillers should only be administered by veterinarians if deemed appropriate. For post-operative care in dogs, especially in the first 3 days after returning home, no application or medication should be given outside of veterinary instructions. In animals, stitches are generally placed under the skin, with no external stitches on the operated areas. These stitches dissolve and disappear over time, so there is no need to go to the clinic to have them removed. Among the post-operative care and precautions for dogs, if the animals do not cause any problems, their condition should be checked daily as a precaution. If the surgical area is very red, if yellow or green discharge occurs and there is a foul odor, if it is too hot to touch, or if there is a growing lump, it is necessary to contact the veterinary clinic as soon as possible. No medication, cream, etc., that has not been recommended or deemed appropriate by veterinarians should be used.
