I know this is probably going to sound ridiculous but at the moment I feel like the worst doggy mum ever. My girl is booked in for her spaying today and we are getting ready to go, she is running around smiling (staffy) and her usual hyper self getting excited about nothing at all and I just feel so bad knowing what I'm about to put her through. I was reading about how other people's dogs have behaved after surgery (lethargic, trembly, whimpering and less hyper) and I worry that I'm taking away such a big part of her personality. o know the pros far outweigh the cons but finding it hard to be logical, I even have butterflies for goodness sake!

I have always had my pets done . This boy now I wanted to wait until he was a lot older BUT circumstances let me know at one year old was the time for this boy.

Anyway he was all bouncy going in and very happy with his new friends. when I picked him up Oh my he was sad and could not wait to get out of there.
I was upset all the way home ( hours drive) and he was just sitting up sleeping. They had tore his throat with the tube as well so that wasn't helping.

Anyway I went to bed feeling like the worse person in the world and woke up to my normal bouncy lad. phew

they said not to let him jump or run for 10 days and to keep the cone on for the same time.. woke up and the cone had been eaton. ( he never touched his wound) Could not stop him jumping either so stopped trying..
word of warning if they offer you pain meds.. they make many dogs have projectile poo.
I only gave him it once and though.. if he isnt in pain he will not take care, its the pain that will stop them doing things that might harm
We were never given pain meds before and I really think they are not a good idea for this particular op..

Play it by ear.. good luck

I've just had my dog castrated and went through exactly the same feelings. It's completely normal I think. I know it's for the best for the majority of dogs but you just can't help feeling like you're taking the decision to change their lives. On the other hand, it means less risk of certain cancers and in female dogs little to no chance of pyometra. Plus they aren't going to be bothered about having a "happy time" with dogs of the opposite sex.

Agree with Lyndeeloo about painkillers. Obviously if they are really in pain then the vets should be able to give something to take the edge off, but a bit of discomfort tends to stop the chasing about. My dog also had a cone and wouldn't settle with it on. He ended up wearing a baby onesie for a couple of days while he healed just so he couldn't get to the wound.

Hope all goes well. I'm sure she'll not feel up to much tonight but she'll be fine in a couple of days. Maybe get her some of her favourite food for when she's feeling up to eating.

My poor girl cried and clung to me all night long and I felt terrible. Make sure you get some painkillers.

Hi all,

Thank you for your honest responses. She is home now, laying in her bed and dropping in and out of sleep. I've got her cone and painkillers but she hasn't needed either yet, her tail is still wagging but her eyes are sad and she didn't want to get out of the car when we got home. I've got chicken and rice for her dinner, just a question; normally she's all about her food and will make it known when she wants food. Should I wait for her to signal when she wants food or should I encourage her after a certain time?

Thank you

I just put some down for him and left it a while. he wasn't interested and waited till the next day. But he did have a very sore through and was coughing blood up. but even that didn't bother him the next day.

PS I really would only give the pain meds if absolutely necessary. Its only a recent thing to give pain meds for this op . If it has the same affect it did to my boy then having bad runs and having to run out for poos, I would think be more painful ( for a bitch) and distressing.

She's much brighter this morning thankfully

She ate well last night (would have eaten more if I'd let her) was still a little trembly but better than earlier.
She was whimpering last night but it seems like that was less pain and more wanting the cone off (she started to bother the stitches) when I first put it on I thought she would end up bursting her stitches because she went absolutely wild, she eventually calmed down after lots of heavy breathing and staring at me like I was the devil incarnate it reduces to whimpering and sitting hunched over. I ended up putting on her jacket to stop her from getting to the area and she slept peacefully through the night.

The dog sounds an absolute nightmare, jumping up and down and getting over excited so easily all the time.

I have a 6 month old Staffie and mine is just as bad. I am seriously hoping he calms down when he loses his puppyness. You are seriously putting me off now hearing how yours is. If having the snip calms him down, I'm doing it asap.

I've just seen this post.

I don't know how I can seriously be putting you off a dog you already own I'm guessing you didn't do any research about staffs before you got him.

She may sound like a nightmare to you but she's loving, bouncy, intelligent and a joy to come home to for me. Yes she is hyper but 2 hour long walks a day, training and lots of love has her snoring in her bed right now.

One piece of advise the best thing I ever did was buy her a halti head harness, lots of people with staffs have chest harnesses and still get dragged around, but the head harness is brilliant and makes walking her much easier and relaxed.

I can assure you the snip will not calm him down..

i had mine done as he was picking up scent of the bitches in heat and went deaf and could not focus on anything other than that, He was only young and it would have got much worse and he is strong and I was worried he would hurt himself jumping over fences or through a window.

That I am happy to say is all the snip cured he can still smell the scent but now its more a curiosity than the blind deaf need to follow it
he is still a dog that bounces around and I am told they dont calm down for many years. Im Ok with that as long as he does as he is told and walks nicely I am fine with him being forever a pup