post-op bathing

[yankeechick]

ok, ok... i know the entire song and dance, after surgery no bathing until the stitches/staples come out... BUT...

we just had our new pup's umbilical hernia repaired on friday. we get to pick him up on monday. since he has been in a kennel at the vet's since the surgery, he has, of course, decided to cover himself in urine and poo (and i DO mean COVERED in it!!)... so bad, in fact, that you can smell him coming and you don't really want to touch him (poor thing's so cuddly too... just kills you to not be able to just let him cuddle up against you!)...

how horrible would it be to bathe him?? not only is it gross and unfortunate for my household (i don't even think i can imagine what my cats would think!!), but i'd imagine it's pretty unsanitary for an animal with an incision wound to be completely covered in its own mess.

does anyone have any experience in this situation? will it be really really bad for me to bathe him with his staples only being 3 days old?? he's so filthy that waterless shampoo would be a lost cause on him... :confused:

what should i do??

[Hanajunsmom]

Hi there. What a predicament you are in! I know that it would be a really bad thing to get the incision sight wet. Maybe you could very carefully give your puppy a sponge bath with a warm soapy wash cloth be especially careful not to get that area wet. Otherwise, I think you just have to grin and bear it for a few more days. I know that is stinky, no pun intended, but . . .

I am really surprised the vet would release him/her in that condition.

By the way, what kind of puppy do you have? What is his/her name?

[yankeechick]

this is my new baby... he's a 5 months old standard poodle i adopted from the shelter i work at, and his name is clarence. he is the silliest most well mannered puppy i've ever met.
if only sponge bathing was an option - his fur is shaggy so i won't be able to really clean him up!!
i was surprised that the vet was letting him sit in that condition as well... i mean, surely they have ways of cleaning up these critters, this IS what puppies do!!
i'm thinking i may try to cover up the incision site and toss him in the shower with me, that way he won't be submerged (plus this is the only acceptable way of cleaning a pup as big as he is)... the staples will be about three days old at that point, so the healing would have already started, i believe... do you think this would be safe??

[NathanMc]

I would call the vet that did the surgery on him, and ask them what they could do or recommend. I think it's kind of shady that they left the puppy in that state, and they must have a way to clean him, or an acceptable method to inform you of.

[yankeechick]

oh i don't want everyone to think this is some rotten vet... we haven't picked him up yet, we get to tomorrow, we just got to visit him yesterday and he was a stinky filthy mess... i'm just over-worried i guess... i'm still crossing my fingers that they will clean him up before we pick him up - if they don't that would be one sure-fire way of not keeping clients, it would seem...
i guess i just refuse to accept the "do not bathe" dogma since it seems so unsanitary for the healing incision... yet i'm terrified that i will somehow endanger my little beast!
thank goodness all my other furry children haven't had any major medical issues, i'd have been checked into an asylum for a breakdown by now :p !!