Dog behaving very oddly after spaying

iam in desperate need of some advice....i have a 14 month old jack russel bitch who was spayed on wednesday 17th. lady had her 1st season at 11 months and was in season for 9 weeks, afterwards she kept spotting and swelling every few days, and began to swell around the teat area. after many trips to the vet she was found to be having a phantom pregnancy and had cystic overies, her overies were also very enlarged due to the fact that although she had a season she did not ovulate. it was decided that getting her spayed straight the way was best for her. after her spayng on wednesday she had a small amount of food and drink and by thursday seemed her normal self, however by that night she was refusing to eat and drink was constantly whimpering and unable to settle, she also developed a large swelling on the back of her neck which the vet put down to the anti-biotic jab she had. after another trip to the vets they said that by today she should be fine and in no discomfort, however she is behaving very oddly, she will not eat and drink , wont settle, she wonders around the house whimpering, and she has now took all of her toys to where she is sleeping on the settee and lying with them, she will not have anything to do with anyone either which most unlike her. someone has suggested that maybe because before she was spayed she was having a phantom and now she may think she has pups somewhere and is looking for them!! do you think is possible and can some one offer me any advice please??? i hate to see my little girly so miserable

Hi Mandy, I would guess your little dogs hormones levels are all over the place. As she was only spayed on Wednesday with her medical history it may take some time for things to settle down.

What did your vet say, if you are at all concerned I would speak to your vet . Remember you are the paying customer so don't hesitate to contact your vet for advice.

If your little dog has just been spayed she shouldn't be jumping up on things so I would not allow her on the sofa.

It sounds like she is still having a phantom pregnancy. Just because she was spayed a few days ago doesnt mean that all her hormones have gone away, they are still there and will take time to fade away.

For example, my Delyth had to be spayed as a result of complications whelping a litter. She was still able to give milk and care beautifully for her litter in spite of this.

Just before a bitch whelps she stops eating and drinking to purge her body ready to give birth to the pups.

It is possible to give medication to help this to pass. In the mean time just give her peace and quiet and a private place. Try and get her to drink something - electrolyte is best - a pharmacy will have this and speak to your vet on Monday.

I would also take her temperature if it is normal or below normal them things are OK (A bitches temperature drops significantly prior to whelping). If it is high then she has an infection and this needs to be treated as a matter of urgency.

Its upsetting to see her like this but I dont think she will come to any harm.

Thalice's Mum

thank you for your reply. she went back to the vet last night and they said it was probably nothing to worry about. but iam very concerned about her behaviour and not her not eating and drinking, i have seen the vet 3 times since her spaying, i expect her to be a little off but her behaviour has changed dramatically since thursday night. i will be going back monday though. although i know she isn't allowed to be jumping around her vet assured me that providing she wasn't leaping around like the nut job she normally is getting up and down on the settee shouldn't be a problem and would cause her no harm.

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I would treat her much like a bitch with a false pregnancy trying not to encourage the odd behaviour. This means adopting a bright and cheerful attitude rather than being sympathetic and removing most of her toys just leaving one chew toy (a good time to remove them is when she goes out to the loo).

I would also make sure she has water available nearby all the time and offer her small light meals of chicken or fish leaving it down for ten minutes then removing it and doing so without any fuss.

Poor little dog,it may take some time for her to return to normal.

If you`d just had a major operation with a GA and had stitches holding your innards in, I doubt you`d feel like eating, so I would expect your girl to be pretty sensitive for a while.
Some dogs are more stoical than others, but they all experience pain when the painkilling medication wears off about 24 hours after the op.
Regarding her climbing on the sofa. Try to imagine you with stitches in, climbing 10 feet up to your bed. That`s about the same ratio of height. Not a good idea. If the stitches burst (and she`ll be using her tummy muscles to jump or climb) then the wound will have to be abraded and re-stitched.
I would keep her quiet and tempt her with easily digested food. And don`t let her climb stairs etc. until the wound is closed properly.

hi thalice's mum, i did ask the vet about the phantom and she suggested that she would have no more problems, iam new to this sort of problem as in the past i have always had rescue dogs that have already have already been spayed. unfortunately they decided against taking her temperature yesterday has due to a bad experiance while being microchipped as soon as we walk into the vets she turns into a nasty little madam and has to be muzzled, and gets herself in a right state. iam so worried about her and i just want to get her sorted, she was such a happy (and very naughty) dog before this and now the poor girl looks miserable and now i just don't know what to do. although the vet says she will be fine i just can't relax

she has had a constant supply of fresh water a couple of feet away from her since wednesday but wont touch it, i have tried her with all her fave things including fresh chicken, tuna and tea but just turns away from them. any treat i have offered has been buried where she sleeps along with her toys. i have tried to talk to her as i normally do but she completely ignores me. she is even begining to not want to go out for a wee

Hi Mandy if you are getting agitated your little dog will pick up on this and it may make her worse.

Try to be calm and cheerfully. In spite of what your vet says I would not let a bitch with stitches jump up on the sofa, as Clare says she could burst open her stitches.

I would take her for short walks then put her in a comfy warm bed with a blanket and one chew toy and leave her to quietly recover.

iam trying to be as normal as possible around her, although she is on the settee i have not been away from her and every time she has wanted to come off or get back on i have lited her off carefully. i have just managed to get her to eat a bit of ham but still wont drink. she is now biting at her blanket trying to get comfy and nibbling at her teddy every now and again, she has been for a wee but seems to be struggling to squat sometimes. her belly around her stitches seem to be abit more swollen than what they were earlier now though.