Recovery after an operation often requires crate/pen rest with toilet breaks only. Whilst the plan for recovery from a medical point of view needs to be discussed in detail with the vet, at home we need to ensure that our dogs have adequate mental stimulation. This can be:
- Kongs and LickiMats stuffed with peanut butter, yoghurt, cream cheese or soaked up kibble
- Snuffelmats or knotted tea towels with hidden kibble, shop bought treats, cut up cheese/turkey/chicken slices, (anything that can be easily hidden)
- Puzzle Games (shop bought or stuffed cardboard boxes)
- Chews of any kind which can be shop bought or frozen vegetables / fruits
These are only a few examples which hopefully shouldn’t cause too much arousal. Please note that all food related items need to be tolerated by your dog and be aware that some of the foods have a high fat and sugar content!
You might want to consider digging out some of your puppy class ideas for training or look up some Youtube channels which provide ideas for training tasks for dogs in recovery. Again, please ensure that all the tasks are adequate for your dog’s recovery and some of the tasks need to be adjusted so that your dog can learn these whilst lying down.
Note: If you feel your dog is in discomfort with a certain exercise (i.e. slow, hesitant, avoiding, head turns, lip licks, change in breathing, whining, suddenly hyper/jumping up, etc) – STOP!!! This exercise might not be suitable for your dog. And if you feel your dog is generally in pain, discuss this immediately with your vet.
If you feel your dog is more anxious during recovery and/or after recovery, then please discuss this with your vet and/or contact a qualified behaviourist.