Yesterday morning, Jonnie's litter was at my vets to get their surgeries. As is typical, I am on pins and needles until I get the call that all went well. :+)
A bunch of them had 'cones of shame' on their heads because they were licking the surgical site, but I had them removed as I prefer using a different 'collar'. You will notice them in the pics. I make them from sherpa and they are soft and no one bumps into things. They can also eat and drink without an issue. I keep them here because I use them as necessary but if your pup continues to 'worry' the incision site, you may need to purchase one for a few more days. I may actually have a couple of the plastic ones around here if any of you want one. Just let me know.
When I feed the pups, I then allow them to be outdoors for about 20 minutes using the pup yard and enjoying some playtime. After that, I put them back into the Pup Room Pen to remain more calm - although they wrestle with each other lots. My biggest concern is them running too much to open the wound. As of today, I checked them all and they are nice and tight and dry which is perfect.
To allow the wound to keep healing, please refrain from playing too hard with your pup and keep running to a minimum for 7 more days (no bathing either!). You can play tug gently but the best you can do is encourage them to accept their harness (get comfortable with it on) providing lots of treats and connecting it to a leash. Do this IN THE HOUSE numerous times before taking them outdoors 'for a walk'. By encouraging them to accept both the harness and the leash indoors, you will have a higher success rate for teaching them to walk on a leash outside where there will be lots of environmental stimulation and excitement. This is when having a fenced area comes in really handy for potty time! They can just 'go' outdoors without the leash or harness and be safe. Remember your pups have been raised on turf, stone pavers, tile and washed stones. They have not been on grass.
Expect every one of them to be a bit shy or cautious when they meet strangers or other dogs. This is normal and some may have a big reaction while others may be just fine. It is very dependent on how your pup interprets the stranger or dog. Give them lots of time to acclimate on THEIR terms. A stranger in the house may need to sit on the floor and allow your pet to approach them - providing treats helps with this. A new dog takes longer and they need to figure it out themselves. Give a wide berth on this. No 'forcing'!!
Meeting new people and dogs can be very scary to a new pup that only knows my home! Be patient, provide stellar treats and allow them to 'meet & greet' on their terms. It will all come together in a week or so. :+)
My husband says 'they look like they have on straight jackets'! Bellamy is already at her Guardian Home so is not in the pics. Of course, Gabriel did not have any surgery yet as he is just 3 lbs. and I would like him to be at least 5 lbs. He does love sitting on the top of the slide.
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