How to Care for a Dog After Spaying - Helping Your Dog Get the Rest She Needs

1. Understand why rest is important. The principle of rest is to avoid anything that might stretch the incision, increase blood pressure, or dislodge ligatures. In an ideal world, rests means just that—rest. Lots of lying around in bed, with no stairs, no jumping, and no walks.

2. Do not allow your dog to exert herself. This means no runs, games of Frisbee, or playing catch. It also means no running up and down stairs or jumping on and off furniture. Think about borrowing a child's stair gate for the duration of your dog’s recovery so that you can block off the stairs.
- If you own a large dog who likes to sleep with you, do not let her walk up the stairs to get to your bed. If you are concerned about your dog’s health, you can sleep downstairs on the sofa beside her.

3. Keep your dog restrained when she needs to relieve herself. Take your dog out into the yard on a collar and lead, rather than letting her roam freely. Keeping her on a lead can help you to restrain her and keep her from injuring herself if she sees something that she wants to chase.

4. Help your dog in and out of cars. Don't let your dog jump in and out of your car. If necessary, take a friend with you to help lift a big dog into and out of the trunk when you collect her from the clinic or take her somewhere other than your home.

5. Keep your dog on a leash once you start walking her again. If your dog is going stir crazy and has so much bottled energy she is bouncing or jumping at doors, check with the clinic to see if a short walk is okay. Always keep her on a leash during the walk.
- Three to four days after her surgery, you can consider taking your dog for a walk. Try to keep the walk to five minutes in length, and walk on flat ground.

6. Do not play roughly with your dog. If you have other dogs in the house who want to rough-house with your recovering dog, keep them under constant supervision so that they can't jump on her. Do not play tug-o-war with your dog, or any other games that involve movement.
- If you are concerned that you cannot keep your other dogs under control, consider asking a friend to watch those dogs until your recovering dog’s stitches have been removed.

7. Talk to your vet if you have a very hyperactive dog. If you have a hyperactive dog that absolutely refuses to take things quietly no matter how hard you try, let the veterinary clinic know. They may recommend a mild sedative to slow her down a little.