Post-op care after neutering is compulsory, please

Some news from the grapevine again and it isn’t exactly good news.

We’ve been informed that there are feeders and rescuers who send in rescued animals for neutering to certain places that provide this service, but they do not fast the animals 8 hours prior to the surgery and they also do not give the neutered animals post-op care after the surgery. Instead, they release the animal straight away back to the colony the moment the animal wakes up from anaesthesia.

This is not acceptable.

Animals need to fast for eight hours before surgery to prevent vomiting and aspiration while they are anasthesized, which is fatal. Even eating or drinking small amounts during the fasting period can be dangerous, so it is absolutely essential and imperative that the animals are fasted (no eating and no drinking) before their surgery.

Post-op care is also absolutely essential because the animal may inadvertently bite the suture and cause the incision to open up. The sutured area also might get infected when the animal is in contact with wet places and anywhere that might be contaminated. Therefore, it is important to keep a spayed female animal indoors under observation for at least 5 days and a neutered male for at least 2 days or better still, until full recovery. In some cases if the animal is inclined to bite the sutures, an e-collar might also be necessary. Never let an animal who is wearing an e-collar outdoors.

For more information: https://myanimalcare.org/neuter/

We received news of the horrendous things that has happened to dogs where the incision opens up and the insides fall out. The animals will die a slow death.

This is precisely why we do not give our aid for TNR cases where it is just Trap-Neuter-Release without the M=Manage component.

We didn’t know that some rescuers actually do not even know that they have to fast the animal 8 hours prior to the surgery and give post-op care under shelter for a few days after until the wound fully heals.

We must look after our neutered animals until full recovery before returning them to the colony. We owe them this much if we are the ones who catch them to be neutered.

If we want to do good, then let’s do good all the way.

This is Creamy (male). I kept him indoors for 3 days after he was neutered before releasing him and I monitored his wound daily until full recovery since he comes back to eat.

(A sharing by Kah Yein)