Oh my poor baby!!

[Mrs.W 514]

My fiance and I had our 6 month old puppy spayed today. Everything went perfect and the vet said she was so good about not licking her stitches that they didn't have to put the cone on her. But when i picked her up from the vet she had been crying and she just looked so sad and moved so slow. She was not happy to see me and wouldn't even look at me in the car. I have her snuggled up in bed next to me and she is shivering and quietly whining. I feel so bad!! I love her so much and today I killed any chance of her ever having puppies and she is is pain and feels sick. I am a mean mean mean doggy mommy

 

[Haven]

Oh what a sweet face! She is a beauty! What's her name?

Don't be hard on yourself--dogs are not humans, and it wasn't like she was thinking "I feel awful and it's all mommy's fault!" She was just feeling yucky, that's all.

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but I wouldn't give her affection while she's whining because then you're reinforcing the whining. I would leave her be until she calms down and THEN give her the affection you want to give her. I know it's hard, but you don't want her to associate whining with affection, because then she's going to learn to do more of it.

Big hugs to you. I know it's tough to see our furbabies feeling down, and our instinct is to give them the kind of response we'd give to a human.

 

[lulu]

Oh Haven, you're so strong! By now I would have a heating pad in the bed and her favorite treats lined up. Maybe she needs a pain killer?
Don't feel badly. One of my cats hissed at me for two days after her surgery.

 

[Haven]

Oh Haven, you're so strong! By now I would have a heating pad in the bed and her favorite treats lined up. Maybe she needs a pain killer?
Don't feel badly. One of my cats hissed at me for two days after her surgery.

Haha, I'm a weakling! It's just that I don't want to reinforce bad behavior because then I'll have to deal with with MORE!

Big hugs to you and your puplet, Future Mrs. W.!

 

[violet3]

Awww - girl dogs have a hard time with the spaying -- my girl dog didn't move for a day or two, but then she was ok. My boy dog, on the other hand, looked a little confused coming out of the vet's office, but after that he acted like nothing had happened. I think the proceedure is much more invasive for female dogs -- she'll feel better in a day or two.

She's GORGEOUS btw! what kind of puppy is she?

 

[mary poppins]

Aww, poor doggie is in pain and only knows that you took her to the place where people hurt her. She also probably lacks trust right now. It's a pretty traumatic experience for an animal, especially because it can't communicate and so doesn't know what it going on. Give her as much love and comfort as you can until she recovers and trusts you again. Perhaps she's whining because of the pain and could benefit from a pain killer.

DH and I had a similar situation with our cat which had a lump on his rump, so we took him to the vet for a biopsy. Upon returning home, he was in pain. It was obvious from his behavior that he was very angry with and distrusting of us, and understandably so. We gave him a little bit of pain killers the first day or two after the surgery which seemed to help. He returned to his normal routine and behavior after about a week.

I hope you beautiful dog has a speedy recovery.

 

[Miss Sparkly]

Dogs are not people. Dog live very much in the moment and if that moment includes pain then that is what they will show. Dogs also do not trust. They look for the leader and will follow, and sometimes challange the leader. You as her leader are showing her pain by the way you are treating her and she is responding. By cuddling up next to her your showing her that there is in fact something that she needs to be protected from. There's not. Thank you for killing her chance to have puppies. She doesn't need them to be happy with you and your family. It's a hard job to be a doggy mom! You want so much to love them and snuggle them and spoil them to "make them happy" when really you're only making yourself happy. Be their pack leader to make them happy....and tell them you love them a lot...I tell Milo everyday how much I love him

 

[junebug17]

It's really hard to see our beloved pets uncomfortable and not feeling well, but hang in there, she'll be ok! Don't feel guilty or bad, you are a great mommy, and your beautiful doggie will get through this!

Oh, and she'll have a great life without having puppies, so don't feel bad about that! And it's great she doesn't have to wear one of those collars, they are such a pain.

 

[yssie]

It's so hard to know our pets are in pain, and that we caused it - whatever the reason!

In this case, though, it's our guilt, despite knowing we did the right thing by getting them fixed, and we should take care not to project human feelings onto our pets. I'm very sure she's just uncomfortable and she'll warm up when she's feeling better - I do think trust can be lost, but only with prolonged, repeated abuse, which is absolutely not the case here.

Thank you for getting her fixed, the shelters and streets don't need more puppies, and she doesn't need babies to be a happy pet

 

[Mrs.W 514]

Thank you girls.
her name is Betsy and she is a Spangold (half golden retriever half springer spaniel) She is my future in law's dog's puppy

Haven I know you are right but I have just melted because she only whines when she needs to go outside. If she was a "whine to get her way" dog I would probably be less sympathetic. It is just so sad she groans and whining and she cant even go down the stairs
I know its silly but FI and I call her our pseudo baby.

Violet3 yes the procedure is more invasive. I did an internship with a vet one summer so I have seen and assisted many OHE''s. it is just so different when its your own puppy!

Mary Poppins I was just telling FI the same thing the hardest part is I can't explain what is going on or that she is going to feel better soon

Lulu I tried treats and she wont eat anything

I cant believe the vet said she wouldn't need any pain killers I'd like to give him a ovariohysterectomy and withhold the pain meds
baa men!

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Ohh what a sweet face! Poor girlie.

But you are a GOOD dog mommy. Good for you for getting her spayed! And just be with her, make her feel safe, give her lots of affection, and she'll be fine tomorrow I bet.

I have two boy cats, but one had a pretty tough neuter (one of his testicles didn't descend so they had to cut him open twice to find it). The poor, pitiful looks and meows he gave me - but he felt much better when he was snuggled next to me (especially since his brother was hissing at him).

 

[Imdanny]

I'm sorry but I don't agree with a lot of responses in this thread. The only thing I would do and I would not consider doing anything else is acting with empathy. It's that simple for me. If you took a loved one for surgery and they were sick and freaked out you wouldn't ignore them to 'not reinforce bad behavior.' That's simply judgmental and in my opinion not the right way to go even if you are talking about a dog or a cat.

Dogs and cats have four limbs like you do, two nostrils, lungs, a heart, two ears, I could go on. They have emotions just like you have emotions even if they don't express their emotions exactly the way you would.

Give the dog a break and be nice and comforting to her. My 2 cents.

 

[Mrs.W 514]

Thanks guys

Little Betsy is (and has been since 5:30) tucked in my bed snuggled against "mom" with a constant hand on her....which has made my paper writing slow but oh well I still have 2 days for proofing and she is so worth it!!

Imdanny I agree with you she is a member of my family

B.E.G. Yes spaying her is the right choice and I will not regret it. I would hate for any of her puppies to end up in the pound as they are already overcrowded and I know I don't need another dog. Still i might just be a little sad that we will never have Betsy babies but one must look for the long term benefit not the short term....unless "woman's best friend" is groaning next to her in bed, spoil away!!!!!

 

[FuturePsyD]

Thank you girls.
her name is Betsy and she is a Spangold (half golden retriever half springer spaniel) She is my future in law's dog's puppy

Haven I know you are right but I have just melted because she only whines when she needs to go outside. If she was a "whine to get her way" dog I would probably be less sympathetic. It is just so sad she groans and whining and she cant even go down the stairs
I know its silly but FI and I call her our pseudo baby.

Violet3 yes the procedure is more invasive. I did an internship with a vet one summer so I have seen and assisted many OHE''s. it is just so different when its your own puppy!

Mary Poppins I was just telling FI the same thing the hardest part is I can't explain what is going on or that she is going to feel better soon

Lulu I tried treats and she wont eat anything

I cant believe the vet said she wouldn't need any pain killers I'd like to give him a ovariohysterectomy and withhold the pain meds
baa men!

She is a gorgeous puppy and I am so sad to hear she is not feeling well after her procedure! I've had 4 cats and 1 dog spayed/neutered and our vet ALWAYS has given us pain meds, just in case, and for each pet we did in fact feel the need to give them pain meds the first 1-2 days and it always seemed to help rather quickly. Maybe if you speak to your vet, you can request a light pain medication. It seems like it would really be of help to your adorable puppy. The whimpering sounds like she is in pain to me.

 

[FuturePsyD]

I'm sorry but I don't agree with a lot of responses in this thread. The only thing I would do and I would not consider doing anything else is acting with empathy. It's that simple for me. If you took a loved one for surgery and they were sick and freaked out you wouldn't ignore them to 'not reinforce bad behavior.' That's simply judgmental and in my opinion not the right way to go even if you are talking about a dog or a cat.

Dogs and cats have four limbs like you do, two nostrils, lungs, a heart, two ears, I could go on. They have emotions just like you have emotions even if they don't express their emotions exactly the way you would.

Give the dog a break and be nice and comforting to her. My 2 cents.

Agree! I have babied each and every one of my beloved pets after any type of procedure! It's surgery, so it's natural that they will be miserable afterwards, with or without our undivided attention. So, better to be there for them then to neglect or with-hold affection.

 

[JewelFreak]

I'll bet she's feeling better by today, huh? It hurts to see animals in pain & not be able to fix it, but they accept it, really. You're a great owner to feel that way, good for you!

Besides not making more puppies in a world stuffed with them, you gave your girl a chance for a longer life by spaying her young. Did you know the chances for mammary cancer in bitches doubles if they have one heat season before spaying? And if they have 2 or 3, it goes up exponentially, skyrockets, & stays there even if they're spayed after that.

So she'll stay healthier -- besides avoiding the risks of dying while whelping. I showed dogs for years & know many responsible loving show breeders who have lost their females & sometimes puppies too, during puppybirth. Totally breaks their hearts.

In a couple days she'll be romping around happily and you will not need to worry about her coming into heat & attracting a zillion suitors!

--- Laurie

 

[oranges]

I'm sorry but I don't agree with a lot of responses in this thread. The only thing I would do and I would not consider doing anything else is acting with empathy. It's that simple for me. If you took a loved one for surgery and they were sick and freaked out you wouldn't ignore them to 'not reinforce bad behavior.' That's simply judgmental and in my opinion not the right way to go even if you are talking about a dog or a cat.

Dogs and cats have four limbs like you do, two nostrils, lungs, a heart, two ears, I could go on. They have emotions just like you have emotions even if they don't express their emotions exactly the way you would.

Give the dog a break and be nice and comforting to her. My 2 cents.

Huge ditto to this.
I hope that your pup is feeling better! Keep us updated.

 

[soocool]

Even when I take my dog to the vet for shots he gets a new toy or a bully stick. His reward for being brave! I don't like to see my baby suffer, but I don't overdo it either. Just him snuggling up next to me makes him feel better when he is under the weather.

 

[dragonfly411]

I hope your pup is feeling better today!

 

[Haven]

I'm sorry but I don't agree with a lot of responses in this thread. The only thing I would do and I would not consider doing anything else is acting with empathy. It's that simple for me. If you took a loved one for surgery and they were sick and freaked out you wouldn't ignore them to 'not reinforce bad behavior.' That's simply judgmental and in my opinion not the right way to go even if you are talking about a dog or a cat.

Dogs and cats have four limbs like you do, two nostrils, lungs, a heart, two ears, I could go on. They have emotions just like you have emotions even if they don't express their emotions exactly the way you would.

Give the dog a break and be nice and comforting to her. My 2 cents.

Imdanny--It isn't about being judgmental, it's about being INFORMED. You are NOT comforting your dog when you cuddle up to her and make soothing sounds while she is in a fearful/pain state. Facts are facts, dogs are not humans, and we do them a disservice when we treat them as if they are.

If people really loved their dogs, they would give them what THEY (the dogs) need, and not what the humans need, to feel better.

Humans like to be comforted, but dogs see that "comforting" as reinforcement of their current state. SO, if a dog is fearful or feeling pain, the human behavior of "comforting" is telling them that they should continue to feel that pain. It is really much more inhumane to reinforce these things than it is to respect your dog's needs by providing what she really needs.

ANYWAY, I know how hard it is to not treat our pups like humans, trust me. I grew up in a home that coddled the pups when they were cowering out of fear from thunder, and only as an adult did I learn about what my pups REALLY need in order to overcome that fear. My poor childhood pups never overcame their fear of thunder because we spent a lifetime reinforcing it, and I feel AWFUL about that. I will never make that mistake again.

FutureMrs.W--Betsy is a beauty, and I love that name. It totally fits her. I hope she's feeling better already! I do agree that it sounds crazy that she wouldn't need pain meds after her surgery, I know I would! Is she eating yet?

 

[JewelFreak]

How's your babe doing today? She is a pretty girl & looks very sweet!

Haven's right about not reinforcing behavior you want to discourage, as in fear of noises or whining or being shy. Our natural impulse is to comfort & say, "It's ok, honey, don't be afraid." The dog does not understand our words, though. She hears a tone similar to praise & figures she's doing a good thing, which she will repeat as long as she gets a positive reaction. Best thing is to completely ignore her totally -- no scolding, but nothing she can interpret as praise. If she comes out from under a chair during a thunderstorm, THEN praise & reward. In training, it's called "inadvertantly encouraging behavior you want to stop."

However, in the case of surgery pain, giving comfort is understandable & positive. (I'm surprised the vet didn't at least give some Rimadyl if not a few pain pills, geeze!) The dog hurts. Some reassurance helps dogs as well as people. You don't need to slobber over her for days, but sympathy at first is great. You'll know when the pain is better -- she'll be bouncing around again. If she tries the behavior then, whining & trying to look sad & sick, that's when you ignore it.

While Danny's right that dogs see us as their pack leaders, they also have many emotions similar to ours. (Even science has gotten around to figuring out what animal lovers have known for centuries!) We have bred that into them -- the ones who show (& therefore feel) emotions we recognize are bred; the others not. They do feel love, shame, grief, gratitude, loneliness....though mostly for shorter time than we do. Once it's over, it's over; they don't blush remembering something 2 years ago as we do.

--- Laurie

P.S. I'm Williamson too -- hi, cuz!