Neuter for Chad

emma · Guru

Neuter for Chad

MojoTilly · Master

When Tilly was spayed she was a bit bruised and uncomfortable for a few days after her op but after that you would never know apart from the shaved belly. We had to keep her on a lead and only short walks for a couple of weeks while her wound healed but after that she was absolutely fine.

As to whether it will change him it's difficult to say as all dogs are different and depending on their age etc.

Hope this helps.

Gail · Big Cheese

Sorry Em, can't really say that much about the recovery from the op itself but in my experience if Chad follows you around now i can't see him being any different. Neo was neutered when i homed him and he loves his cuddles as much as the next dog, he follows me everywhere, including waiting outside the bathroom door for me, although he will happily go and lie down when left at home while i go shopping.

Hope it all goes well and he doesn't miss his bits too much!!

Valerie · Guru

Biscuit was aged 7 months when we got him, and the vet said to wait until he had settled in our home, so he was around 9 months when he was neutered. I cried when I put him in !!! Needn't have worried, as the op was no bother. Groggy that afternoon, so he slept, fine the next day. We didn't need a lampshade as he was so good with his stitches. Lead exercise for a whole week until stitches came out. Can't honestly say whether it changed him, as he was and still is very much "work in progress".

We had his microchip put in at the same time, just to save another trip to the vets. We do suspect the microchip is what picks up the "naughty voices" that come into his head!!

Teresa · Enlightened One

Em,

Dave is no different now to before he was done. He was really good - jumped into the back of the car to come home like nothing had happened!!! He was a bit dopey for a few hours but, apart from that, you'd never have known he had anything done at all.

His whole op site reacted a bit to the stitches and he needed antibiotics but it was no problem at all. He never even licked the stitches, never mind trying to pull them out.

I'm sure Chad will be fine and I, for one, think you're doing the right thing

Dave · Enlightened One

Hi Em, just to reiterate whats been said, the op is very routine for the boys, depending on what time he gets done when you get him back he may be a bit groggy and sleepy for a couple of hours but other than that he'll be fine If he's got a habit of 'marking' you may find this stops a bit and if he's a total nutter (which I don't think he is) it may slow him down slightly and if he's got a bit of an eye for the ladies when out walking this will diminish over the 2 or 3 months after his op.

He'll also look even more attractive without those unsightly dangly bits..

Edited just to answer the rest of your questions...your vet will advise on excersize post op but it's usually a case of a couple of days less taxing lead walks then back in 7 - 10 days for a post op check and stiches out (if your vets hasn't used the disolving variety)..

Edited again just to answer your final question! most of the dogs I've had neutered really weren't bothered about their stiches but if Chad starts to pick at them then a muzzle is the easiest way to prevent him doing it, the buster collars are next to useless, especially for the skinnies.

-- Edited by Dave at 00:00, 2006-08-18

-- Edited by Dave at 00:02, 2006-08-18

emma · Guru

Thank you guys,

I know deep down that I am doing the right thing, it is just the worry of anything happening to him or him losing his lovely temprement (my husband calls him 'the boyfriend' and says I love Chad more than him, yes he is green just like the incredible hulk!) Well its not difficult to love Chad - he follows me everywhere and licks me at every chance.He cannot see me if I go into the kitchen, from his bed, so the little poppet moves to where he has a good view of me. Once I come out he goes back on his bed!

Em and Chad xx

emma · Guru

I have just dropped chad off at the vet hospital for his neuter!

He was weighed and kept stepping off the scales he obviously has weight issues! To my horror he trotted off at his normal fast trot with the nurse without even looking back at us. I felt like he doesn't love us at all!

Will be paceing about now until we collect him later I can ring at 2.00pm to see how he is! It is lovely and sunny here today and I am missing the fact that we would have had a long walk round the lake. We went yesturday but it was a bit damp and horrible but we did see the king fisher from the top bridge which always brightens it up!

Will let you all know how my lovely boy is later.

Em xx

Siouxsie · Enlightened One

Thinking of you all.

Chad will be doing just fine. Its always worse for us worrrying. You will be able to spoil him (a bit more than you usually do

) like mad over the next few days.

Siouxsie x

-- Edited by Siouxsie at 16:49, 2006-08-22

Gail · Big Cheese

Emma, have you worn a whole in the carpet with all that pacing yet? I'm sure Chad will be fine and looking for extra cuddles and treats when he gets home

Let us know how he gets on.x

Teresa · Enlightened One

Em, thinking of you and Chad and looking forward to an update on him

emma · Guru

Hi again,

Chad is home!

I was quite alarmed to see him when I picked him up, he was so disorientated and staggery. We put him in the car and brought him home, where initially he lay on his bed cried out a bit with moving and then lay breathing loudly.I do not know whether it was normal to breath like it but he is ok again now.Thank goodness!

He lay staring into nothing until I hung his lead up whereby he walked as quickly as he could to the front door. When he realised we were not going out he went back to bed again. We brought him home at 5.00pm and at 7.00 I asked if he wanted some dinner.He put his head up feably and I went and made chicken and rice which he woolfed down! I then asked if he wanted a wee and opened the door not thinking for a second that he would go out. He ran by me and hobbled back without weeing!To my knowledge he has not toileted since 8.00am!

He is alot better now but still very sleepy.

I have also had a nightmare with the house sale today.The sale of mine and my parents are both ready to exchange contracts. The house I am buying is awaiting my mortgage transfer from my house to the new property and a local search. I rang the solicitors to ask them to hurry things up as my Mum is worried and Dad was also a bit concerned it was lagging on a bit.The solicitor told me my buyers person who is buying theirs has pulled out at the point of contracts exchanging. I asked why and they said this is the second time these people have done this to someone.I cannot believe it unless my buyer gets a sale quickly again it is all going to go wrong again and we are going to lose another house.

I am sure things will get better but just now it seems like a long road we are walking which seems to be going nowhere!

Em and Chad xx

JENNY · Big Cheese

Glad Chad is home and well. He'll be a bit funny for a while due to anaesthetic but by morning he'll be back to normal. I gave Ziggy homeopathic medicine Arnica after his surgery as it helps with bruising and eases the pain a bit. You can get it in boots chemist. I have used it myself post surgery and it really worked.

Ziggy and Vernon send their love.

Teresa · Enlightened One

Em, so pleased to hear that Chad is home - his post-op behaviour sounds quite normal so don't worry about him

As for the house, you really aren't having any luck I can only pray that things get better for you.

Lots of love and licky kisses from Dave and Daisy and love from me (I don't do licky kisses !!!)

Teresa, xxxxxxx

Gail · Big Cheese

Oh Emma i am so sorry to hear about the problems with your house move, it has been one dissapointment after the next for you. Hope it all falls into place soon

So glad to hear you have Chad back home, he will be back to his old self soon enough, in fact maybe you will now have a new improved model!!

Isla · Enlightened One

Bad luck on the house front - it's a nightmare. This whole "offers over" thing and surveys before you put offers in is very expensive.

Poor Chad - give him a hug from me. He'll be enjoying being spoilt (if anything like mine - more spoilt) more than usual. Hope he's back, full of beans, soon.

greyluvver · GAL Membership Co-Ordinator

Hope Chad has had a good day today

Emma, Sorry to hear the house thing has gone wrong. Hope things smoothe out for you all real soon!

emma · Guru

Hi All,

Chad has just had all his stiches removed and has 'healed nicely' I am pleased I can stop worrying about his wound but he is still licking his leg where the canula went in. It is sore (red raw) and the vet said we need to stop him immediately.

Muzzle today if I see him start! I hate to muzzle them it seems so cruel! Can anyone think of a kinder alternative (I am not even going to try putting that lamp shade thing the vet gave us on again!). I told her (not our normal vet) that he went mad and she said 'let him'.

Poor baby - I feel sorry for him we gave him some new biscuits and they made him very poorly (the whole house stank of doo doo!) and he has had to be starved as he was passing liquid all day too!

Em x

Dave · Enlightened One

H Emma, to be honest the muzzle is the best thing for Chad, he'll have been used to wearing one in his earlier racing life and it's much better than the silly lampshades. Another alternative would be to cover the area where Chad is licking, put a sock on his leg and secure it with a bangage or summit, just for a couple of days till the area heals up and Chad forgets about it...

emma · Guru

Thought I 'd let you all know what an annoying little boy Chad can be! He has been in the muzzle all yesturday and today and his leg was looking a bit better. Kevin went out tonight (work) and I was feeling a bit blue so youngest son Luke stuck Notting Hill on and opened some nice crisps and wine for us both. We were quite happy and relaxed until we heard strange noises coming from the floor...

Chad had only managed to wriggle his tongue through the side of the muzzle and start licking again! We are very cross but don't know how to stop the little devil! He has been told to stop it in a very firm voice and we just hope he will get fed up and leave his leg alone! Eventually!

Em and Chad (the bad) xx

JanW · Master

Hi Emma,

To stop Ruby bothering at this kind of thing I use a long sock and use selotape to tape it onto her leg (it sticks but tends not to remove the fur when you remove it)

She hates this, but its for her own good.

Best of luck with Chad, it will heal eventually!

neeroz · Master

If we use a muzzle to stop any o the gang licking, they do exactly the same as Chad (Abbey has a bald patch on her leg to prove it). So silly lamp shades all round in oor hoose..... they hate it but needs must.

emma · Guru

Chad is now the proud owner of two large (fabric) sticking plasters. Last time he cut his leg it took him so long to get the plaster off (we did try but aborted after he squeeled alot) that it had completely healed up.Muzzle at night just in case!

Just hope it works this time!

Em xx

hugahound · Master

What a character Chad is! I'd never have an entire male dog ever again. Lenny is my first castrated male and I tell you it's bliss. He's actaully quite a dominant boy and thinks nothing of telling an English Bull Mastiff where to get off! I dred to think what he'd have been like if he had his bits. He said goodbye to those 6 years ago. The best bit is other dogs attitudes towards a castrated male. They are less likely to be attacked. And of course the ladies don't have the same appeal. Nothing else should really change. Some may put extra weight on in time and the coat can become thicker.

emma · Guru

Kevin bravely removed Chad's big plasters yesturday. Chad cried a little but he was incredibly brave. New fur on both legs one looked a little sore still the other quite healed.

Within an hour the little devil had chewed one of his legs up again!

He is now sticky plastered back up again! I did initially try the muzzle but he just will not behave even with that on! He does also look miserable when you put it on and tends to bump everyone hard with it.

Em and Chad (the bad) boy xx

FAJ · Enlightened One

If our two scrape their legs, we use low-adhesion dressings (can buy them over the counter) which we stick on with some micropore tape. Top it off with some vetwrap and you have a very secure bandage that withstands licking.

Apart from his leggie, glad to chear that Chad is doing well and not missing his plums too much.

max · Enlightened One

Good to hear Chad is doing ok, even if he is being a devil with his wounds. Sure you will work something out.

Nora

emma · Guru

Chad has been poorly since he had his neuter but I don't know if it is connected and think it can't be. I could do with a bit of advice though, he has had bad case of diarrhoea on and off....

This started when we couldn't get his usual food as the store we get it from has stopped stocking it this was because people are going to the local dog track to buy it cheaper. I will not go there on principal and as we were so low on food when we went to the store Kevin had to make a fast decision and got a different brand. It was designed for resting greyhounds so we assumed it would do.

We fed this for a whole week before he got poorly and then he was neutered and it all happened at once. We fed him on chicken and rice for a while - he got better and we put him back on some food but mixed with chicken and rice. As we increased the mix he got ill again. This has been the cycle with the odd day of no food at all in case it is a bug. Finally, yesturday I recieved some of his original food that I ordered off the internet. I immediately fed him with this and still mixed in some chicken and rice.To be fair he had a huge dinner! He was fine and dandy yesturday but while I was at work this morning he had a very nasty diarrhoea accident on the carpet in the dining room (yuck).

I find it strange that he is ok on chicken and rice but poorly again on food especially as now we have his food although maybe I gave him too much....I am thinking of going back to chicken and rice today and introducing his usual food very slowely over the next few days. He is fine in himself but looking very thin! Which is why I wanted him to eat well!

I am reluctant to take him to the vets again but will have to give in I think if it continues past this week. I need my Dad you see, as I don't drive myself and have no one in the day to help me.Everyone is at work! My dad is looking after my invalid Mum at present and I am loath to ask as he is frightened to leave her.

Anyone else got any experience of persistant diarrhoea?

Em and Chad xx

Teresa · Enlightened One

Em, yes. Dave and Daisy both had a very bad bout of the squits a few weeks ago. Again, for no apparent reason.

We did have to take them to the vets twice but eventually whatever the vet gave them cleared it up and their bottoms have been the best ever since then.

Have just phoned my vet to find out what it was - an antibiotic called BAYTRIL. Although the vet took a swab from Daisy, it came back negative for whatever it was they were testing for.

Until that last bout, both dogs had suffered mild recurring forms of runny bottom but, since then, nothing.

Looks like it might be a vet trip but hope the info helps xxxxx

FAJ · Enlightened One

If it is just that Chad's tummy is a bit upset, your plan of feeding him chicken and rice and gradually increasing the amount of his normal food sounds good. Let's face it, if we get a nasty dose of the skits ourselves we wean ourselves back onto proper meals over a few days (or have I just shared too much info there.....?).

Maybe try this for a few days. If he's not better then I'd be inclined to put my mind at rest and take him to the vet for a quick check to rule out a bacterial infection. Pearly had a nasty bug a while ago and had a very, very poorly tummy (involving me cleaning up projectile diarrhoea in front of a gang of bemused Sunday ramblers......) for which the vet gave her an injection. She was fine in a few days.

Hope he perks up very soon.