Post-surgery Bath

[cazxxz]

How soon after your dog has had surgery would you resume baths?

Jake had some biopsies on Friday and he needs.. well, I want to give him a bath. Want, not need. I could avoid the biopsy sites and just wash them with salt water.

Also, do you have any advice for getting him to stop scratching? The wounds are on his chin and neck, so he can't lick them, but I have caught him scratching them. I have two e-collars here but I don't like how tight I have to get the collar to make them stay put. They really have to stay in the one place if I use them, otherwise they'll irritate the wounds.

Thanks in advance!

[Gretel]

Does he have stitches?

[cazxxz]

Yes. Four on the neck, two on the chin.

[Gretel]

Yes. Four on the neck, two on the chin.

Best to keep him dry until the stitches are out

[persephone]

wash everywhere but neck/head then

[cazxxz]

Yes. Four on the neck, two on the chin.

Best to keep him dry until the stitches are out

Should I keep his whole body dry, do you think? Or just the area around the stitches?

[becks]

just the area around the stitches dry.

I tend to leave dogs who have had surgery alone for at least a week, give their body a chance to recover fully from the anaesthetic etc before I start messing with them.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

No baths when they have stitches. You could get a facecloth and use that until the stitches are out.

[Erny]

If your dog doesn't need a bath, don't give him one. That'd be my answer whether your dog had stitches or not. I would definitely leave off bathing until stitches were out.

I think we bath our dogs too often.

Edited May 4, 2010 by Erny

[cazxxz]

If your dog doesn't need a bath, don't give him one. That'd be my answer whether your dog had stitches or not. I would definitely leave off bathing until stitches were out.

I think we bath our dogs too often.

I agree. I only bathe Jake once a month - it'd be less often if he wasn't such a filth-magnet. I usually time it with his chiro appointments just as a courtesy, but I underestimated how traumatic the biopsies would be to the tissue on his neck. I will just have to clean him as best as possible, probably without running water, and bake something extra special for his chiropractor

[Erny]

My boy is of the short haired variety, so it is a lot easier to care for (and is more care free). But that aside, the last bath (ie shampoo type) he had was back in March 2009. The only times I have given him a 'bath' (of a different kind - no shampoos or conditioners) was when he's (eg) jumped in the lake for a swim and he has skin lesions (from hives or interdigital 'cysts') and I'm concerned for bacterial issues. In those instances I've used Calendula Tea only. And sometimes I only use that as a 'spot' body wash, with a flannel wetted in it, to address hives, scurf or just that 'yeasty' smell that can develop when the skin PH is imbalanced. The Calendula leaves a nice clean feeling to the coat no different (and possibly even better) than if the dog was shampoo'd and conditioned, and smelling of a natural freshness, as well. Don't know that Calendula should be used for just general purposes though (I think of things such as building up resistance to the antibacterial side of things being a possibility ??? and would prefer to keep it for what I mean it to be for - to help him with his symptomatic skin conditions and a way of being able to avoid the use of antibiotics, cortisone etc.

I like the idea of using something like Rosemary Tea - don't know much about it so I'd like to check to see whether it would have any influence on the dog's skin PH levels or not, but it sounds good to me. Didn't know it helped to discourage fleas either. That's a good tip and was written in another thread by a poster - I'm sorry that I can't recall his/her name and say "thanks" for the suggestion.

Edited May 5, 2010 by Erny