A new crate question - please read

Minnie is going in to be spayed on Monday and I was thinking, we are getting her a new bigger crate tomorrow and I wondered if it would be a good idea to bring it along to the Vets and ask that she be placed in it after her op? I was thinking that if I put a T-shirt of mine in there then she will feel less vulnerable and abandoned :? Or, will it terrify her so much that I'll never be able to get her into a crate again!!

I only ever want to crate train her for travelling as she has now proved that she is INDEED house- trained and will be sleeping upstairs from tonight onwards - So much for training eh! :lol:

Any thoughts????

:flwr:

I would let the Vets use whatever crates they usually use post-op but it is not a bad idea to bring a blanket or stuffie from home or an article of your clothing so that she smells you. For "girls" it is a more major deal to get "fixed" than for "boys", but she will be fine and will forgive you just because you are you. How happy for Minnie that you were persistent and that as a result you are together. Best of luck. :flwr:

They generally do not have room for spare crates -- they have their own sterilised racks of cages they put dogs into. She will be way too groggy to care where she is -- she'll just sleep non stop afterwards and be very groggy til the day after. I've never sent anything like a cloth in with the dogs -- basically this is introducing germs into sterile areas where there are wounds, remember. You could ask if they allow them but generally I doubt she is going to care (post-op I could have been lying on a bed at a busy intersection and wouldn't have cared -- I just slept for about 24 hours afterwards. ). I'd just let them do the op then collect her and look after her then.

Hear hear. If my naughty Amber settled and never made a peep post op, I'm sure a well behaved ladylike girl like Minnie will be no problem. :lol: :lol: I'm sure though she'll appreciate the crate when she comes home,especially if you darken it. When Amber came back all she wanted to do was crawl into the crate that I'd made sterile and comfy for her.

I agree with the above - maybe just take your blankie with you when you collect her, she can snuggle up to it in the car, and then in the cage at home.

Kyla was spayed on Thurs, she was very unsettled that night, but fine now.

She didn't poo though from Thurs morn until yesterday pm, and that was only after a tsp of liquid paraffin...this is something to watch out for, if Minnie doesn't want to eat at all by the following day and appears ill, rather than just a bit groggy, I'd mention it to your vet.

Offer her a small meal of something bland like chicken and rice Mon night, Kyla had a couple of sm portions and felt better for that. Make sure she's got access to plenty of water - that helps with the constipation too.


When you collect her, please also make sure that they have given her some pain relief - I heard recently of a poor Cavalier who was spayed, when the guardian went to collect her, she was in a dreadful state, shaking and really unhappy. Her guardian asked if she'd had some pain meds, and was told NO - do you want her to have some???? :yikes :yikes



I hope it goes ok Claire, will be thinking of you and Minnie :flwr: :flwr: :flwr:

Claire, fingers crossed that all goes well for Minnie. :flwr: :flwr: :flwr:

Nicki, that's good that you brought up the topic of pain meds.

I have learned to discuss pain meds with the vet before surgery, in fact I discuss this topic when choosing a vet!

I had a vet a long, long time ago who didn't give pain meds to my dog, which I think is cruel.

When I brought Scout home from her spay, she acted as if nothing happened to her. I watched her very carefully, carrying her up and down the outside steps (my house has only one floor). I went into the bedroom and before I could react she had jumped on the bed. :yikes . Although I know she shouldn't have done it, she was fine. I panicked for a moment, then saw she was ok. I did however, begin to monitor her even more closely after that.

Claire,

I hope all goes well tomorrow and that Minnie Moo has a speedy recovery!

So very glad to see your posts about her being trained, being able to sleep upstairs and all. Great, isn't it??!! :flwr: :flwr:

I also don't think the vets would have room for crates from when I've been in there visitng our dogs. And she will be too groggy post op to care about what crate she is in. And by the time she's recovered she'll be coming home to you. Also it might be good for her not to equate her crate which is her safe quiet place, with being at the vets following surgery.

As far as blankets or toys go, depends on what your vets say. We thought about taking one in for Cooper when he stayed overnight for his knee ops, they said we could but it could accidently get lost etc etc. When we visited him he was so groggy I don't think he would have recognised if it was there or not.

I'd let the vet do their thing and then when she gets home, shower her with all the love and care she needs.

Claire, I will thinking of you and Minnie tomorrow! :hug: Keep us posted and I hope that she is at ease as much as possible. :flwr:

P.S. I love your new avatar! Gorgeous!