Postoperative Confinement
If your pet had orthopedic surgery it will be necessary to keep your pet strictly confined for 4 to 8 weeks.
If your pet had soft tissue surgery it will be necessary to provide strict confinement for 10 to 21 days.
If your dog or cat has had joint surgery they should not be allowed to use steps or jump after surgery.
Surgery patients are NOT allowed to run. Dogs are to be taken outside only for bathroom purposes on a leash until cleared for more activity by the surgeon.
Strict confinement for cats is achieved by providing a confined space such as a crate with a small litter pan. It is okay to hold your cat for 10 to 15 minutes a few times a day but your cat should not be allowed to walk around the house at any time.
Strict confinement for dogs is provided by means of a small confined space such as a crate, exercise pen or, if necessary, a very small room for 24 hours per day. Your dog should remain in the confined space unless put on a leash and carried or walked outside for five minutes for bathroom purposes. Crates or exercise pens are ideal because they are of sufficient size to allow your dog to stand up, turn around, and lay down comfortably but are not large enough to walk around in. Please put your dog’s food and water in the small space with them, as well as something to keep them happy such as a favorite toy or safe chew toy. If necessary, sedatives to ease the stress of confinement can be provided. If your dog is too large to easily be carried, it may be prudent to either build or purchase a ramp. Use the ramp to assist in getting your dog in and out of your car and up or down instead of using steps.
Crates, exercise pens and ramps may be purchased at your local Petco or Petsmart stores or online through companies such as: