dog neutering question

[TorchTheWitch]

For some reason I can't remember when I had my dogs go in to the vet for the ritual sacrifice of the dingle-dangles to the Testosterone God if they stayed overnight after the surgery. Does anyone know off the top of their head? It's been a quite a number of years since the last time I had to take a dog in to be neutered, and I just don't recall. I do remember that the empty bag they're left with swells up like a giant grapefruit for a few days after the surgery that they seem especially proud of though.

I'm hoping Yoshi won't have to stay overnight... I'll miss him. :(

[Denninmi]

1. When I had mine done, one did and one didn't.

Maybe it depends on the vet. The first dog stayed the night, and then we changed vets when the first vet retired and was replaced by his extremely young, extremely rude, and extremely arrogant nephew.e

The second dog was dropped off at 7:30 in the morning and picked up 6:00 the same evening.

Personally, I prefer having them home. The vet locks them in a cage, and to my knowledge, no one stays there and watches them all night, maybe just checks in a couple of times. I can watch them closely.

FWIW, the second dog didn't seem to even notice that anything had happened. He was five months old, and we were instructed to keep him calm and quiet. Well, good luck with that, he was perfectly normal, wanted to play, and kept bumping into things with the stupid cone, which we promptly removed.

[TorchTheWitch]

2. I had to take off the Lampshade of Destruction

before I even got out of the vet's parking lot. He was crashing into everything, and it was more of a danger for him to wear it than not. He didn't even seem to realize he had any stitches. And the keeping them calm bit... pffffttt. There's no such thing as "calm" with a six month old pup.

I have a saintly vet, so I'm guessing they'll probably keep him overnight. Poop. I've only had him a month, and he won't be old enough for the surgery for another month yet, but I'm already so attached to him and dreading having to spend the night without him.

[livetohike]

3. Our current dogs were shelter dogs and we weren't permitted

to bring them home until they were spayed/neutered (in 2003). We picked them up at the vet's office in the morning, so I was under the impression they had the surgery the day before.

[undeterred]

4. Mine was neutered in the morning and I brought him home at noon.

They offered to keep him the rest of the day, but I had taken the day off to be with them. The thing is, the anesthesia can make them kind of whiny, and he was howling like he was mourning the loss of his balls in the afternoon. If I had it to do over I might have left him at the vet all day.

[Major Nikon]

5. I've had vets that did it both ways

Certainly there's reasons for going either way. If the dog stays at the vet, they can keep him sedated longer with stronger drugs. If he goes home, he'll probably feel the most secure. I usually just go with what the vet recommends.

[FloridaJudy]

6. They sent my Smudge home in the afternoon

After she was spayed, and a hysterectomy is a helluvalot more invasive than removing testicles. She seemed perfectly fine, and not in the bit distressed, though she did gnaw her stitches out by the third day.

I wish I'd been that chipper after mine!

[TorchTheWitch]

8. animals recover from surgery soooo much faster than us humans

I'm so envious.

[Shagbark Hickory]

7. Some vets insist on the dogs staying overnight. Others let you take your dog home.

I would find one that lets you take your dog home. It's actually how I ended up finding our current vet.

When I asked why they must stay overnight, it's because of bullshit reasons like "oh we start late in the day" or some BS just to charge you for the boarding.

[TorchTheWitch]

9. Nah, I won't use anyone but my saintly vet

Who never rips off their clients, and in fact, has done incredible bargains for me.

[riderinthestorm]

10. I've only done the low cost spay/neuter programs and you take them home the same day

with those kinds of programs. My usual small animal vet sends them home the same day as well (but for 3 times the cost!)

I'd rather have them home. I am going to be far more attentive than anyone and know my pets better than anyone in case there's trouble. If you know your vet well, just tell them you want your puppy home with you for the night. I have a great relationship with all of my vets though, and they know me and the level of care so if I said I wanted them home, I know they'd do it regardless of the "official" policy.

I have 2 18 month old dogs now - a male and female sibling pair and neither of them were laid low after the surgery. They are extremely boisterous anyway and wanted to play as soon as they got back in the car. Its as though they didn't even have the surgery so I knew that bringing them home was the right thing to do. Keeping them in overnight would have been far more traumatic for them being separated from me and each other. Also being in a cage overnight would have meant an even MORE intense play session when they got home from the pent-up energy of being cooped up overnight.

[Kali]

11. hell, my female didn't say overnight - way more major of a proceedure

snipping testicles is pretty minor }(

[Flaxbee]

12. Our vet used a laser procedure, even quicker than the standard snip-snip, and

a quicker healing time, too.

So in all likelihood, your Yoshi will be sent home the same day.

(The laser procedure was used on a cat, though - not sure what they do with male doggie equipment).

[InvisibleTouch]

13. All my spays came home the same day...

...and neutering is less invasive even than that. Barring complications, you should be able to bring him home the same day. Recovery time will probably be shorter, too.

[Rhiannon12866]

14. In my experience, the males did not have to stay overnight.

:hi:

On edit: And that includes, for my little Jack, additional surgery to repair a hernia that he was born with. He came home later that day, but he had to take it easy and I had to use one of those collars the first night. :(