Having an abortion or breeding is an important event for your pet. Find out how a pet tracker can give you peace of mind by helping you monitor their activity and sleep during critical recovery time.
Spaying or neutering is a common surgery for dogs and cats, but the recovery that follows is an important time in their lives. As a pet parent, you want to do everything you can to ensure that they are treated comfortably and safely. While your vet will give you specific instructions for aftercare, technology like the Tractive Pet GPS Tracker can provide you with additional support and reassurance. In this post, find out how you can monitor your pet’s recovery and health after spa or discharge with a smart pet tracker.
30 Second Summary
Yes, the right pet tracker can help you monitor your pet’s health and recovery after a spay or neuter procedure. Trative for example monitors your pet’s location, activity, and sleep 24/7, so it can learn your pet’s basics and send you an alert if something seems amiss – like if your pet is sleeping more or less than usual. It can also provide you with information about your pet’s breathing, heart rate, barking and scratching – all useful in making sure they feel their best after surgery. Most importantly, Tractive can help pet parents catch health problems early, so you can get your pet the treatment they need sooner rather than later.
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What to expect after spay or neuter surgery
After the procedure, your pet will feel dizzy, and may be confused or nauseous for the first 24 hours.1. It is important to provide them with a quiet and safe place in the house to rest. A full recovery period usually takes between 10 to 14 days, during which you will need to limit their activity and monitor them closely.
During this time, your main responsibilities are to make sure your pet is resting, their incision is clean and dry, and they are not licking or scratching where they are being stitched.
How the Tractor pet tracker can help monitor recovery
A GPS tracker with wellness monitoring is more than just a tool to find a lost pet. It can provide you with valuable information on your pet’s well-being, which is especially useful during their recovery after surgery. Here’s how Tractor Dog Tracker and Tractive Cat Tracker help you keep a close eye on your furry friend.
Keep tabs on their activity
The most important instruction from your veterinarian is to keep your pet from running and jumping. The tracker’s activity monitor helps you see if your friend is becoming more active. Most importantly, it can show you if they are unusually tired, which can be a sign of pain or discomfort. A sudden change in their normal activity patterns can be the first indication that you should check in with your vet.
Know exactly how they sleep
Pain and discomfort can easily disrupt sleep. By monitoring your pet’s sleep quality and duration, you can spot restlessness or other abnormalities. If you notice that your pet is not sleeping well, it could be a sign that their pain medication needs to be adjusted or that something else is bothering them.
Monitor heart rate and breathing rate
An elevated heart rate or breathing rate can be the first sign of pain, discomfort, or difficulty breathing. While your pet is resting or sleeping, its tracker can detect changes in these vital signs. The normal breathing rate of a dog or cat at rest is usually less than 40 breaths per minute2. If you notice a consistent increase, it’s a good sign to contact your vet.
Be notified of Health Alerts
Instead of constantly checking stats, you can set up Health Alerts. The Tractive GPS app can alert you if it detects unusual changes in your pet’s activity or sleep patterns. These active alerts mean you can rest easy, knowing you’ll be notified if something unusual is detected.
Check if they are very itchy
Although some scratching is normal, excessive scratching around the incision site can lead to irritation or infection. Scratch monitoring allows you to see if your pet is bothering its stitches more than it should be, even when you are not in the room. This could be an indication to test the e-collar or consider a recovery suit.
Understand what their barking can mean
Is your pet barking more than usual? Although some vocalizations are to be expected after surgery, excessive barking or crying may be their way of telling you that they are in pain. Monitoring barks provides a record of when and how much they utter, giving you another piece of the puzzle to understand how they really feel.
Stay safe with GPS & Escape Alerts
To prevent your pet from working hard, it is best to keep it in a closed, safe place. The Virtual Fence feature of the tracker allows you to set up a safe area, such as your house and yard. If your pet walks out the door, you’ll get an immediate escape alert and you can use LIVE Tracking to get them home safely and quickly.
Update their progress with reports and summaries
Tractive also provides you with weekly reports and AI-powered summaries of your pet’s well-being. This allows you to see their acquisition progress over time. You can see how their activity and sleep patterns are returning to normal, giving you data-driven assurance that they are on the right track to full recovery.
Important signs of problems to look out for
Although most pets recover without problems, it is important to monitor the site of the incision and their general behavior. Dr. Samantha O’Gorman, a certified veterinarian for Fear Free, recommends taking a daily picture of the incision to help you spot subtle changes.3.
Contact your veterinarian if you notice any of the following symptoms:
- Redness, swelling, or discharge from the incision site.
- The incision appears open.
- Bleeding (a small amount of blood in a woman’s urine can be seen in the first 24 hours4).
- Lethargy or weakness after the first day.
- Losing food or refusing to drink water.
- Signs of severe pain, such as crying or hiding.
Tips for a good recovery
Following your veterinarian’s instructions after surgery is the most important part of ensuring a smooth recovery. Here are some general tips to help your furry friend recover:
- Use a collar or rescue suit: Prevent your pet from licking or biting the incision by using a cone or post-surgery suit.
- Restrict work: No running, jumping, or rough play for at least 10-14 days.
- Keep the incision dry: Do not bathe your pet or allow him to swim until the stitches have been removed and the cut has completely healed.
- Provide a comfortable environment: Set up a cozy, quiet resting place in the house where they can recover in peace.
- Follow medication instructions: Take any prescribed pain medication exactly as your doctor tells you.
A pet tracker is a great tool to provide extra peace of mind while your pet is recovering from spay or neuter surgery. By keeping a close eye on their activity and sleep, you can make sure they are getting the rest they need and can quickly spot any potential problems. However, always remember that the tracker is a supportive tool and not a substitute for veterinary advice.
Keep your pets healthy and safe
Get real-time location information, no matter where they are. See how much – or how little – work they get. And get Health Alerts if something might be wrong.
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