You have finally digested the fact that your dog is having surgery. You have figured out how to pay the invoice, have prepared your home to accommodate a post-surgical puppy, and are ready to care for your dog during restoration. When you have an active dog, this thought has occurred to you… how are you going to maintain your pet silent for 8-14 weeks while he recovers? If you are like most people, your reply is “It is not possible” or “there’s no way I can achieve this. My puppy will be this bored.” Your next thought is probably the realization your dog will be expressing that boredom with boredom reaction behaviors such as barking, licking, jumping, complaining, destruction or depression.
The good news is that mental stimulation is equally as rewarding to a puppy as exercise and you can keep your pet’s mind occupied while he recovers from surgery. Below are a couple of things you can do daily to keep your dog occupied and out of trouble while he recovers:
- Replace the food jar with food release products such as a Kong or Monster Mouth. These products distribute kibble and soft foods such as yogurt, canned pet food, or pumpkin and turn into a three-second feeding event into a psychologically challenging activity. If your dog has never used these products before, make certain to introduce him to the goods first so that he learns how to use them. Instruction videos to teaching your dog how to use a Kong or Monster are available online.
- Offer your pet a raw bone in case your veterinarian approves of the usage. These can be purchased at many dog boutique shops and will keep your pet occupied for hours. They’re messy though and are best given in the crate or X-pen.
- Teach your dog a new game every couple of days. There are hundreds of things you can do with a dog recovering from surgery that needs only the use of the eyes, the snout, or even one paw. Choose a game and begin! Your dog will love having something to do and you’ll love all the things he’s learning.
- If your puppy is restricted to his crate, place novel things in the environment he can look at. Staring at the very same walls through the cage will get boring quickly. If possible, move the crate every couple of days to reach the same purpose.
- It can be rather enriching for some dogs to be exposed to scents. Place a drop of the lemon infusion on the floor in precisely the same area since the crate (not in the crate please.) Change the scent every two or three days by using a drop of lavender, or vanilla. A dog’s sense of smell is considerably superior to ours therefore just one drop of scent placed at ten feet away from the crate is going to do the trick. You might also look at using a dog appeasing pheromone known as DAP. This recreates the scent of mother’s milk and many dogs find this particular relaxing. DAP can be purchased in most pet stores.
- Use touch exercises and canine massage. Both enhance flow and will relax your pet’s mind and body. If your pet is depressed after surgery, purposeful touch can help considerably.
- Rotate toys to keep them interesting. Think about buying five new toys of different shapes and textures. Introduce them to an own dog one at a time. Remove the first brand new toy daily two when you present another one and keep rotating them to keep interested. There is not anything like a book toy to raise a puppy’s spirits.
Regrettably, we cannot inform our pets that recovery is a process that won’t last forever but we can tell them daily through our actions that we know what they are going through and we can help them get through the boredom. Here is to a speedy recovery!
Richmond Vets Surgery
At this vet lab, we are pleased to provide a wide array of surgical procedures for dogs and cats in the Richmond area utilizing innovative surgical techniques and rigorous safety protocols.
During each surgery, a dedicated nurse will administer sedation and continuously monitor your pet using electronic patient tracking equipment. Learn more from our pet surgeons here.
Tracking after the surgery as well as pain management is our priority after surgery. Your veterinarian will also give detailed instructions for maintenance once they come home.
Our veterinarians perform many different veterinary surgeries, from soft tissue and orthopedic operations to dental surgery, spays & neuters, and c-sections into Richmond pets.
