How to take care of a female dog after sterilization? Should the uterus or ovaries be removed?

Nowadays, many families have dogs. When the puppies grow to a certain stage, the owners should consider sterilizing the dogs. This is good for the health of their own dogs, and it is also responsible for other female dogs. Generally, dogs are sterilized after the estrus period, so how should dogs be properly cared for after sterilization?

How to take care of a dog after it is neutered

Male Dog Care

Because the surgery is simpler for male dogs and the damage to the body is relatively small, the recovery time will be faster than that for female dogs. Most male dogs will return to their previous state and be full of energy within 48 hours. The only thing you need to pay attention to is to wear an Elizabethan collar to prevent the dog from licking the incision and causing infection. It is also recommended to spray anti-inflammatory lotion or ointment on the incision within one week.

Female Dog Care

Female dog surgery is considered a major surgery like a human hysterectomy. Under general anesthesia, an incision is made in the abdomen of the female dog and the entire uterus and ovaries are removed. They will receive an antibiotic injection immediately after the surgery and oral antibiotic tablets for the rest of the recovery period. Female dogs take longer to recover, usually around 14 days. There are two types of sutures for the incision. Dissolving sutures often do not require a return visit to the hospital for removal, while other sutures require a return visit to the hospital after 10 days.

Possible symptoms of infection after surgery

Once you bring your pet home, it is important to follow your veterinarian's care instructions. Even the best surgery can lead to post-operative infection in dogs, so be sure to check the incision twice a day during the healing period to ensure it remains clean and free of infection.

Symptoms to watch for include:

Redness or swelling around the incision

A feeling of overheating around the scar

Bleeding or dirty incision

Temperature over 38 degrees

Loss of energy for more than 24 hours after surgery

Pet refuses food and water

If your pet exhibits any of these signs, consult your veterinarian immediately and seek emergency care.

Should female dogs be sterilized by removing the uterus or ovaries?

When female dogs are sterilized, the default procedure is to remove both the ovaries and the uterus. Removing only one of the organs is not supported. Removing only one of the organs is not considered true sterilization and will also bring certain risks to the pet's future health.

1. Only remove the ovaries

Everyone knows that the ovaries are important organs for secreting female hormones. If the ovaries are not removed during sterilization, or there are residuals after the operation, the dog may still go into estrus later. The clinical symptoms are that the dog's vagina will become red and swollen and light pink blood will flow out. This is what we usually call a neutered dog, but why does it still have its period? If the ovaries are not removed, there is no true sterilization.

2. Only the uterus is removed

Some people say that removing the uterus is cruel and will age the dog. Is this true? The answer is no. What is the purpose of sterilizing a dog? It is to prevent reproduction, to extend the dog's lifespan as much as possible, and to improve the quality of life in old age. If the uterus is not removed during early sterilization, there will still be secondary diseases such as uterine pyometra, uterine effusion, uterine tumors, etc. in middle-aged and elderly people. This disease has shown a younger incidence rate, so it is meaningless to sterilize the dog without removing the uterus.

How old can a golden retriever be sterilized?

Golden Retrievers are medium to large dogs, so the time for sterilization will be later than some puppies. This is because small dogs develop faster and their first estrus is usually around seven or eight months.

Golden Retrievers usually go into estrus at around one and a half years old. If they are sterilized before the first estrus, the incidence of breast tumors and the probability of uterine pyometra will be much lower. Therefore, if it is a female dog, the best time to choose sterilization is around one year old.