Post Surgical Care of your Running Dog

Since Guinness has just been neutered, I thought I’d post a few thoughts on how to care for your running buddy after an elective operation such as neutering or a lump removal.

The hardest part is keeping your dog quiet to let them recover fully. They feel back to normal within a day or two of their operation, but they really shouldn’t run for a bit longer. The movement of the skin around the surgical site may make healing a little slower, and the increase in blood pressure may lead to a bit of bleeding.

It’s hard, because your dog wants to run but doesn’t understand why he can’t. Guinness had the most mournful look when I left with Cinnabar for a run. I found that the best way to help him through this period of forced rest was to start going for slow walks as soon as I felt he was up to it, and also do things to keep him mentally active. Adding a bit of extra obedience or trick training to his day seemed to alleviate the boredom.

Whatever you do, don’t start back training before your vet gives you the all clear. If you make things worse, your dog will have to sit out for longer, and that will only increase his frustration, and yours.