Food & Water
The first day after surgery your pet may be a little nauseated, this is normal. We recommend that you not give your pet food until the day after the surgery to avoid vomiting. You may offer small, frequent drinks of water the evening of the surgery (not more than ½ cup at a time).

Exercise
Activity should be restricted for 5 days after the surgery for most surgical procedures, some procedures require less time and others require a longer period of time. In all cases there should be no running, jumping, swimming, or playing with other animals during this time of healing. When going outdoors, your pet should be on a short leash. Stairs should be avoided if possible. A gradual return to normal activity can begin after the 5th day unless otherwise instructed.

Surgery Site
The surgery site should be inspected daily. Some swelling and redness of the site is normal. Excessive swelling or redness can be danger signs and should be examined by our veterinarian. Licking of the site can cause irritation or infection. If your animal is licking excessively, please call our hospital.

Sutures/Staples
Clean the surgery site of all drainage/debris using small amounts of hydrogen peroxide or warm water on a cotton ball. Care should be taken when using hydrogen peroxide as overuse can actually prevent healing.

The sutures/staples should be removed 10 to 14 days after the surgery. Please make an appointment for suture/staple removal so that we may inspect the surgery site for complete healing and to insure that all of the sutures/staples have been completely removed.

Drain
If a drain was placed in the surgery site the area around the drain opening(s) must be cleaned of crust or scab debris twice a day. We recommend you clean the area with warm water or hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball. Once all debris has been removed, the entire area surrounding the drain needs to be massaged so that all fluid/infection drains out of the site. The drain should be removed once the area is no longer draining.

Medication
Give all medications as directed by the veterinarian.