Rest and Recovery Following Medical Issues

by Heidi Atwood

I hope that you never have to experience the situation of helping your dog recover from injuries, surgery, or illness, but being prepared for the unexpected is well worth it. This is one of the most important reasons I can think of for keeping your dog acclimated to their crate and being happy and comfortable in this space for the lifetime of your dog. 

Neutering/spaying is a very common surgery, and it is essential to follow your vet’s advice and restrictions completely to ensure proper healing. Many puppies will seem like they are feeling well and are back to normal, but allow your veterinarian to determine when they can return to their normal activities. Young, energetic puppies don’t understand that they may suffer setbacks from running, jumping, and playing, and often won’t choose to rest on their own, so we have to ensure that they get the downtime they need for the period of time that your vet recommends. It can be hard to prevent a puppy from overdoing it if they have the freedom to run around, jump on furniture, and so on. This is why using a crate and a leash during this period of time will ensure that you are helping your puppy recover fully without setbacks or further injury. You may need to drop your dog off at your veterinarian’s facility for medical care or an overnight stay at some point. Being acclimated to a crate will help them get through this more easily. 

Over the years, while our family was raising occasional litters of Labs, we had a few unexpected medical emergencies, including a deep cut from a bolt on a fence, an ACL tear, and even a bout of botulism. The cut on the leg required a trip to the emergency vet, and for some reason, the vet didn’t suggest using an Elizabethan cone. By the time the dog got home, he had ripped his stitches completely out, requiring another surgery and even a skin graft the next day.  After this, we had to use the cone for 8 weeks because the injury was much worse. We learned a lot from that episode! Even if you think your dog will be fine without the “cone of shame”, blow up collar, surgical suit, or similar protective item, being proactive will help prevent setbacks in healing. When possible, you can try to get your puppy acclimated to these items ahead of time, by giving them short positive experiences with them when they are distracted by other activities such as mealtimes, play sessions, body handling, and training. Learning to eat and drink with a cone is a new and sometimes tricky experience as well. 

Rest and limiting excessive activity are important for promoting healing. Giving regular positive crate sessions, even if you don’t necessarily need to confine your dog, will help them see the crate as a great place to relax, regardless of their age. We want our dogs to consider their crate a wonderful place to relax anytime we need them to be safely contained. Try to prevent other animals from pestering your dog and getting them overly excited. Playing calming music or using white noise nearby, and covering the crate, can help encourage calmness while also blocking some distractions. 

During the recovery and rest period, you can keep your dog occupied with positive activities that will also help encourage calmness and rest. Mentally challenging stuffed kongs, lick mats, snuffle mats, Freezbones, Toppl’s, and other food puzzles can help keep a puppy busy, while the mental stimulation will help them get the rest they need to heal. You can also work on “calm” training, with cues such as “settle”, “stay”, “wait”, and so on, to help keep your puppy learning and focused on training in less active ways. 

My dog is now 14, and although I haven’t needed to use a crate for many years, I have one available, just in case. Leaving her alone may become risky due to her unsteady back legs, so I am considering using a crate again when I am not at home and at night. No problem…Libby has always accepted and even enjoyed being in a crate, because we made it a very normal and positive experience right from the start. I consider this a preventative use of the crate to keep my girl safe. 

Before you know it, your dog’s surgery or injury will be a thing of the past, and they will be able to fully enjoy the level of activity that they love. Happy Healing!