Bonita of Bwana
Posted : 4/8/2012 10:07:52 PM
First to let you know my qualifications in responding... I'm a retired RN, we have been in our breed of dogs for over 30 years. We do Breed but very rarely, for Show and Companions , producing amazing AKC Conformation Champions, Performance Event Champions, and Amazing Therapy Dogs. We train and teach.
Now to your Important question. After surgery Bruising , yes, even Bad Bruising is to be expected. I would actually be far more worried if the puppy did not bruise after having surgery. It can take from 1 day to 3 or 4, for the full amount of bruising to show up. When it does take a few days by the time the last of the bruising appears , the initial bruises are already starting to turn yellow and green. In order to spay they must use clamps to hold the bitch's abdominal and uterine area opened and exposed or available to work on. Even the fastest and most careful vets will have a good bit of bruising on tiny dogs. It is often shocking to their owners who are expecting at tiny incision and at worst a minor amount of color post spay. Our breed is pretty big. The small girls are around 60 pounds. And since our breed has very short hair when there is any kind of surgery we will see a pretty substantial amount of bruising. So, honestly , you are not alone in how shocking it can feel when you see the many colors of a post surgical belly! :0)
You mentioned her gums being pink and of course that is good, however knowing what you are actually looking for helps, (IF you already know forgive me, but if any one else reads this and doesn't then we both did a good thing by covering the info). Post surgery, ( or, after any trauma from an accident to a dog fight, you want to check for possible shock. It's really easy. Holding your dog tucked under one arm, you'll pull her head upwards, against your chest then open her mouth. Once open, slide your thumb inside and press firmly on the gum for about 10 seconds. Remove your thumb, but keep the dog's mouth open and the lips drawn back to allow you a clear and easy view of the area you just put pressure on. A Healthy dog's gums will rebound from that pressure from the pale , ghostly white right after you'd put the pressure on them , to a lovely baby pink. You might want to do this 1-3 times, on different parts of her gums. The upper gums are most easy to work with, but top or bottom, sides or front, you want the same response. From that grey ghostly white..... to pink again, in a matter of seconds. If your dog's gums ever do NOT respond in the desired manner, pause... breathe.... give it a few minutes and then, check again. If , on the recheck, they stay white or grey.... you need to call your vet, or take pup to the ER vet. White and Grey gums post pressure check are serious. It's a strong indicator that dog is in shock and needs to have a vet checking on why?
She is lucky to have a Dog Mom who is smart enough to ask questions when worried. ANY time you have concerns , please feel free to give a shout out to the list, or to any of us personally. There is a ton of intelligence available on this and other Dogs Lists.
The very Best of Luck to you and your Girl! Hopefully we will all get to see photos of her soon. We have a new girl at our home, she is just over 4 months old. However oour Puppy , Karma weighs nearly 40 pounds! Her Momma, Dreamer, weighs in about 76 pounds and Daddy, Zion is pushing 90 pounds with a big smile on his face. There are photos of them and the rest of our pack on our website. bwanakennel.com . Our website is not a puppy pushing site. While we do breed once in a blue moon, we have the site up for breed information and to answer as many questions as we can.