# Spay + Pexy: What to Expect?



## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

Has anyone done the combo spay and pexy on their dog? Mia had her OVE (just the ovaries, not the uterus) and Gastropexy yesterday, and recovery is a bit slower than I would have expected from just a spay. This totally makes sense to me, but nonetheless, not what people (or the vet) told me to expect. Not mad at the vet - he's the best there is in this area, and he's always taken my suggestions and implemented them (e.g. he now recommends pexies on standard poodles, recommends OVEs when possible, and now I've recommended he put together a separate instruction list for the combo spay and pexy).

Anyway, back to my main question: what can I expect during recovery? Last night: she drank water, refused food, and was uncomfortable laying down. This morning: she ate a few bites, is sleeping at my feet right now, and is generally perking up (her eyes are no longer bloodshot, she even barked once this morning). Vet gave me tramadol; I'm giving 2 tablets every 12 hours (the max is 2 tablets every 8 hours). I've also added 4-5 arnica pellets. Yesterday and this morning I had to crush them up and pour them into her mouth.

TIA.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

tramadol is a pain killer, so she may be a little loopy for a few days....

i think as long as she is drinking, she can be fine with just eating a little food.

anaesthesia affects every cell in our body...so to me, flushing her system and keeping her hydrated would be right at the top of my list.

that she is perking up, to me, is a good sign.


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## CoverTune (Dec 20, 2011)

Very much agree with re

Were you not given any Metacam (meloxicam)? That is also a pain killer, but it's an anti-inflammatory as well and is what is usually sent home with patients after surgeries (around here anyway)... tramadol is usually only given if the metacam isn't enough. Both can be given together.

However, yes, it's not at all unusual for tramadol to cause drowsiness and a general "out of it" feeling and anesthetic can take up to 72 hours to clear the system.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I've had a spay/pexy done on two of my Danes. 

That sounds about right for the after the surgery. My girls didn't feel much like eating for about a day and then perked up just fine. I fed them small, boneless meals for about 5-7 days to give their stomachs an easy time with healing. Too big of a meal would not be a good idea. 

Healing time from a pexy is slow. I highly recommend keeping dogs crated when inside and leashed only while outside for at least two weeks. It'll be hard but it's only a few weeks a few weeks and it's imperative that those internal sutures hold or it will all fail making it pointless. 

I'd also recommend meloxicam as well as Tramadol because it'll provide anti inflammatory benefits.


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

We're at day 5 post-surgery, and Mia is about 90%. She still appreciates the pain meds (1 tablet/2x per day) and is staying pretty calm on her own. I fed her small ground-up meals for the first 3 days. Yesterday, she had a small dinner of chicken gizzards and hearts (small chunks). Tonight she got pork, so she could go back to chewing. I haven't checked to see how much she ate. She's starting to want to run around and play, so I have to work to keep her calm. We've been playing some Nina Ottoson games to give her some stimulation. I've been giving her arnica tablets this whole time as well.


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

Here's a run-down of the last week:


*Day 0:* Surgery. Picked her up in the evening. She was groggy, didn't eat, struggled to lay down. She drank water. Pain meds: Max dosage. Arnica: 4-5 pellets given with the pain meds.

*Day 1:* Bleary-eyed and lethargic. Ate a few bites of ground food and drank water. Slept most of the day. Had trouble with stairs, climbing onto the bed. Pain meds: Max dosage. Arnica: 4-5 pellets given with the pain meds.

*Day 2*: Eyes are clearing up. Still had pain when climbing stairs. Was content to sleep most of the day. Ate about half her usual meal. Pain meds: Max dosage. Arnica: 4-5 pellets given with the pain meds.

*Day 3:* Eyes were clear. Still some pain. Lazed around the house. Ate about a normal ground-up meal. Had a bowel movement (perhaps her first since surgery). Pain meds: backed off the max dosage. Arnica: 4-5 pellets given with the pain meds.

*Day 4:* About 75% normal energy. No signs of pain but she stayed really calm through-out the day. Ate a small meal of small chunky meat (her first non-ground meal). Had a bit more energy, so we played some low-key games indoors (nose work, Nina Ottoson). Pain meds: about half the max dosage. Arnica: 4-5 pellets given with the pain meds.

*Day 5:* Back to about 90%. She played a bit with our other dog, but wouldn't chase him. Just tug and what we call "sea-lioning," where they snap their teeth at each other. Struggled to find ways to keep her entertained. Ate about half her usual dinner of pork (so she could go back to chewing). Normal BM. Pain meds: tapered to about a quarter of the max dosage. Arnica: 4-5 pellets given with the pain meds.

*Day 6:* Had a few short sprints today, so we had to actually work to keep her from playing. Surprised us with a few crazy sprints around the house after dinner. Finished the other half of the pork dinner for breakfast then had a small fish for dinner. Pain meds: about a quarter of the max dosage. Arnica: 4-5 pellets given with the pain meds.

*Day 7:* Back to 100% (or nearly so). Wanted to run and play. Ate a normal bone-less meal. No pain meds or arnica at night.​

Advice to Vet: (1) unlike a spay, takes about a week to get back to 100%. (2) metacam after surgeries. (3) even more important to keep her calm afterwards to ensure pexy holds.


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