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The strict rest period that most surgeries require can be challenging for pets and the people who love them. Lack of physical exercise combined with the inherent change in routine that follows a big surgery, for most pets, results in pent up energy which can lead to increased frustration and challenging behaviors such as excessive barking and destructive chewing.
So what can be done to help energetic pets recovering from surgery stay calm during post-op care? The key to helping an active pet have a harmonious recovery period is to provide them with plenty of enrichment throughout the many areas of their daily life, outside the physical exercise arena. To learn more about enrichment, including what it means and how it relates to your pet, click here.
In this article we outline five unique ways you can provide your pet with enrichment during a period of strict rest that will improve their quality of life and aid in keeping them calm and content.
Tip 1: Explore Different Confinement Spaces
It can be tempting to stick to using only the standard crate in order to limit your pet's physical movement during recovery - after all, crates are convenient and they easily accomplish the goal of restricting activity. Despite these positives though, crates have several downsides that need to be considered:
Limiting: crates typically do not allow for any sort of movement, which is overkill in most recovery situations and can be unnecessarily uncomfortable for your pet. Even post-op care that calls for extreme physical restriction typically allows for minimal movements such as repositioning or stretching out, and it's important that your pet is able to engage in this kind of basic physical movement.
Anxiety Provoking: some pets equate the crate to periods of alone time, which can be distressing.
Under-stimulating: spending inordinate amounts of time in the same minimalist environment is, well, boring! Excessive time in the crate with little to do or think about is likely to lead to challenging behaviors secondary to frustration and boredom.
Because of its limitations, we don't recommend that the crate be your pet's only confinement space during a period of strict rest. We suggest creating several different confinement spaces and rotating your pet's time between them. This keeps their surroundings interesting and ensures they have adequate opportunities to feel physical comfort while recovering.
Components of a quality confinement space include:
Enough space for your pet to engage in basic, minimal physical movement such as stretching out, repositioning, turning around, taking one or two steps, etc. Should not be a large enough area where your pet is able to become physically rambunctious.
Walls high enough that don't allow or encourage your pet to jump over
Is one level - does not contain any furniture, steps or other things that would allow your pet to jump up or down
Contains plush, cozy bedding that is changed frequently
Contains accessible food and water
Located in an area of your home that minimizes frustration for your pet while confined. The specifics of this will depend on your pet's preferences - some pets prefer to have their confinement spaces in high traffic areas where they're able to see their humans, while other pets would be very frustrated in that environment and prefer to be confined in an area that's fully secluded from the hustle and bustle of home activities.
Filled with mental stimulation toys for entertainment and decompression. For more details, jump to section on mental stimulation.
Recommended products for creating confinement spaces:
Note: it's important to supervise your pet anytime you're putting them into a new confinement space to observe how they interact with the setup. Every pet is different so not every one of these products will be appropriate for every pet.
Metal exercise pen/gate hybrid - commonly referred to as an 'x pen': This pen is particularly useful because of its ability to be contorted into many different shapes. It can be made into a straight line to block off a doorway, shaped into itself to form a square or circle pen, etc.
Soft sided play pen with roof - especially helpful for cats
Oversized dog crate - especially helpful for cats
Tip 2: Enhance Their Environment
If you've ever spent time in a barren environment you can relate to how boring, and subsequently frustrating, it can feel to be stuck in surroundings that are under-stimulating. For reference, think back to that memorable plane ride when you forgot your book and there were no TVs!
Making sure to provide your pet with rich, soothing surroundings throughout their recovery is an important part of keeping them calm and comfortable.
Examples of environment enhancements with product recommendations:
Play calming music - there are several pet-specific music sources and devices available. Here are a few examples: Through a Dog's Ear, iCalmPet player, PetMedics Player
Put on background noise such as the TV or a sound machine
Rotate the toys your pet has access to so they aren't interacting with the same items over and over again
Temperature enrichment - put bedding through the dryer for a warm, cozy sleeping area or provide a cooling mat for a refreshing place to lay
Offer visual input - for some pets, cats especially, having access to an exciting visual is very enriching. Consider setting one of your pet's confinement spaces up in front of a sliding glass door or a floor length window for some natural, outdoor entertainment
Visual barriers - for some pets, sometimes enhancing means removing. If your pet becomes reactive to or overwhelmed by visual input, implement visual barriers within their confinement space to limit what they can see
Tip 3 - Provide mental stimulation
Physical exercise is not the only way to tire your pet! Challenging your pet's brain through mental enrichment activities is a great way to drain excess energy and help them to access decompression and relaxation. Mental enrichment activities work by drawing on your pet's natural instincts to problem solve in order to access something valuable to them such as a treat. Providing your pet with adequate mental enrichment throughout their period of strict rest is crucial in keeping them happy, content and relaxed.
There are countless mental enrichment toys and tools available for purchase for both dogs and cats, and there are also endless low cost DIY mental enrichment activities you can create yourself using recycled materials such as leftover paper towel rolls. We've compiled several examples, inclusive of product recommendations, of mental enrichment activities below:
Mental enrichment activities safe for pets recovering from surgery!
Snuffle Mat: There are countless variations of snuffle mats. Here is one example for dogs and for cats
Sniffy Ride: sniffing all the smells that the outside world has to offer is incredibly fulfilling for pets. Because the standard sniffy walk is off limits during restricted activity, we suggest you go for a sniffy car ride instead! Set up a cozy area in the car and use appropriate safety items to restrict movement (seatbelt, car harness, etc). For cats who enjoy car rides, place them in a carrier to restrict movement. Go for a slow drive through back roads with the windows down and watch how much your pet's sniffer is activated! It's important to avoid letting your pet jump into or out of the car!
Lick Based Food Enrichment: Licking is soothing for pets and there are several products that harness the activity of licking, for both dogs and cats. You can fill these items with various spreadable treats such as cream cheese, whipped cream, peanut butter, Churu, wet food, etc. Freeze it for longer lasting fun! Explore our favorite lick enrichment products: Kong, Lickimat for dogs, Lickimat for cats, West Paw Toppl, Outward Hound Three Layer Lick Feeder, Woof Pupsicle, Catstages Multilayered Lick Feeder
Puzzle Feeders: there are countless variations of puzzle feeders. Here is an example for dogs and for cats
Long Lasting Chews: chewing can be extremely soothing to dogs, so offering long lasting chews can help reduce stress and boredom. It's important to note though that long lasting chews can also be dangerous, as they present a choking hazard and pose risk to the GI system. It's important to closely monitor your pet whenever they have a long lasting chew and discontinue feeding if they're interacting with it in an unsafe way.
DIY forage box: learn how to make a forage box by clicking here
Tip 4 - Cone Care
The often dreaded 'cone of shame' is an important part of keeping your pet healthy and safe after surgery. The cone provides vital protection of the surgery site by preventing your pet from licking, scratching or otherwise damaging their incision. Despite this important role in recovery however, the cone is usually one of biggest stumbling blocks of the post-op experience, especially for the energetic pets who seem to crash their way right out of the cone in minutes. To help you and your pet navigate the cone experience more smoothly, we've included several tips below on all things cone care:
Find the right cone! In terms of protection, the best option for a cone remains the classic plastic cone, but for some pets this type of cone is simply not an option due to the level of discomfort (and destruction) it causes. We hear from the parents of our more active patients that their pets will tare through the house leaving a wake of destruction in the cone's path, or conversely, become frozen and will not move a muscle whatsoever once the cone is placed. If this is your pet, consider the other options available: soft-sided, donut, fabric, recovery shirt
Secure it: We hear from the parents of our young, exuberant patients that once a cone is applied, their pets simply turn into houdini and seem to be able to maneuver it off of themselves in mere seconds. For these pets, we recommend feeding a collar with the classic clip fastener through the loops of their cone to secure it - to ensure it's not too tight, be sure you're able to fit two fingers under it! For cats, we still recommend using the usual slip-release collar for this.
Remove for daily routines: Remember that the cone does not have to stay on literally 24/7. It's okay to remove the cone so that your pet is more easily able to engage in their normal daily routines, like mealtime and potty breaks. Giving them supervised breaks from the cone for time to engage in mental enrichment activities or cone-free snuggle time is okay too. Just be sure to remain vigilant while the cone is off to ensure your pet does not access their incision.
Note: it's very important to monitor your pet after applying a new cone device. In order for a traditional cone to be effective, it needs to extend at least a couple inches past your pet's nose. For more unique cones to be effective, such as a donut cone, it needs to impeded your pet's movement enough to eliminate their ability to twist around and access their incision site, wherever that may be. Some cones designed for optimal comfort are unfortunately ineffective, so pay close attention to how well the tool you select works on your pet.
Tip 5 - Talk to Your Vet About Temporary Sedatives
For many pets, especially the young and particularly exuberant, sedatives can be extremely beneficial in helping them remain stress-free and calm throughout strict rest requirements. These medications are very safe, given orally and are short acting - usually active in the system for only 8-12 hours. If you think your pet could benefit from sedatives while recovering from surgery, please contact our office!
Bonus Tip: Remember to snuggle your pet!
Often we forget how enriching it can be for our pets when we simply stop and take a few minutes to sit with them quietly, giving our undivided attention. This can be particularly fulfilling for pets who are spending long periods of time in confinement spaces, segregated away from you and their other humans. Schedule 10-15 minutes each day to sit with your pet and see the benefits for you both! It can be extra nice to integrate brushing into this time together (if your pet enjoys brushing).