The care of post-operation cases will depend to a large extent on the nature and severity of the operation, and whether surgical measures have been carried out as the culmination of a long, serious illness or in a dog whose general condition is excellent. Constitutional disturbance is either absent or very slight where a minor operation is performed (i.e., to correct inverted eyelids) but may be very great in a serious abdominal condition.
If the dog needs much in the way of skilled attention—difficult dressings, stimulants, and so on—he will probably be kept at the veterinary hospital or clinic as long as these are required. Similarly, if the dog’s post-operative condition is such that removal would be dangerous he will be kept until it is safe for him to return to his owner. Dogs, particularly pet dogs, usually recover more quickly at home, and veterinary surgeons for this reason try to return an animal as speedily as possible. The anxious amateur nurse may have the dog’s care on her hands sooner than she imagined!
If feasible, she should try to find out at the hospital whether the dog has to be kept as much at rest as possible, and what his general condition is. Dogs, unlike human patients, are not confined to bed as a rule after an operation unless they are so weak or shocked that rest and quiet are essential, in which case they will be kept in the hospital. Movement within reason is beneficial, and recent research has shown that human patients, too, are often better if exercise is encouraged from the start.
The bedding for a post-operative case should be freshly laundered—a light-coloured or white blanket is useful.
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