Foreign Body Obstruction “FBO” – Post-Operative Instructions
Following a successful surgery, owner compliance is the most important factor in recovery. Please be careful and patient with your pet during this time. Following these instructions closely will ensure a speedy recovery.
IMPORTANT: If your pet has any combination of the following: DIARRHEA, VOMITING, LETHARGY and/or LACK OF
APPETITE, then your pet will need to be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. During normal business hours this can be
us at VSS, otherwise seek your regular veterinarian or an emergency clinic.
Our medical team is available to answer questions and address concerns:
Monday – Thursday: 7am – 5pm
Friday: schedule varies
1. Feeding — An incision has been made in your pets’ intestines or stomach to retrieve the foreign object that was swallowed. Food needs to be reintroduced very slowly and in small amounts over the coming days to protect the integrity of the incision and promote healing.
Cats:
– Feed small, frequent meals beginning at 6pm tonight.
– For the first 2 days, give no more than 1/8 of the usual amount every 4-6 hours.
– For day 3 and 4, give 1/4 of the usual amount every 4-6 hours.
– Resume regular type of diet on day 5. Use the previous/normal food–this is not a good time to change food type.
– Begin water at 6pm and give no more than a quarter of usual amount at a time.
– IF VOMITING OCCURS/PERSISTS CONTACT THE CLINIC IMMEDIATELY (DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS) or HAVE YOUR PET SEEN ASAP AT AN EMERGENCY HOSPITAL.
Dogs:
– First day after surgery, do not give food. Small amounts of water may be offered 8 hours after surgery. Offer NO MORE than ¼ cup of water at a time, slowly throughout the evening and first couple of days following surgery.
– Day 2 after surgery offer your pet grape-sized, canned food meatballs. Form the canned food into grape sized meatballs and feed 3 meatballs slowly, NOT ALL AT THE SAME TIME over a period of 15 minutes. This may be done 3-4 times a day. Wait at least an hour between feedings.
– Day 3 after surgery if your pet is able to hold down the small meatballs you may offer a gruel diet. Gruel diet is canned food (paté style) watered down to the consistency of soup. Begin feeding small amounts (1/8 of a Hills ID can) of gruel 3-4 times a day, as done with the meatballs above. Your pet should get about ½ can of food on this day. Feed a gruel diet for 7 days following surgery.
– After 7 days you may slowly introduce dry kibble back into the diet. Begin by mixing the kibble with gruel. Phase the gruel out over 2-3 days.
– IF VOMITING OCCURS/PERSISTS CONTACT THE CLINIC IMMEDIATELY (DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS) or HAVE YOUR PET SEEN ASAP AT AN EMERGENCY HOSPITAL.
2. Medication: Post-operative medications for your pet will be sent home to prevent pain, inflammation and infection. In order to prevent post-operative complications it is essential that you give all medications as directed on the labels, and give them until ALL doses of the medications are finished. Failure to administer these medications as prescribed can lead to pain, infection, the need for additional surgery and in some cases irreversible damage to the surgical site.
3. Incision Site Care: An E-collar will be sent home with your pet. An E-collar should not meet the edge of your pet’s nose. The edge of the collar needs to be 1-2 inches past the end of their nose to prevent ability to lick or chew the incision. DO NOT cut the E-collar. The veterinary staff will fit your pet for the appropriate size the day of surgery.
LICKING THE INCISION SITE IS NEVER OKAY!!! The E-collar MUST BE ON AT ALL TIMES, until otherwise advised by the veterinary staff. Failure to keep an E-collar on can result in infection and the need for additional surgery; prolonging recovery time and increasing vet bills.
DO NOT apply topical ointments, salves, creams, sprays, Band-Aids or bandages to the incision site unless advised otherwise by the veterinary staff.
Check the incision site daily for signs of infection which may include but are not limited to: swelling, redness, discharge, foul odor. If you are concerned about the appearance of your pet’s incision, then contact the us immediately for further instruction.
4. Activity Restrictions/Crate Rest: It is imperative that patients are confined to a kennel/crate on strict crate rest for a minimum of 4 days following surgery. Failure to do so can result in the need for additional surgery and costly vet bills. Dogs may be brought outside ON A LEASH for bathroom breaks. DO NOT use a retractable lead or allow your pet to roam freely in the yard following surgery. A potty break should consist of a brief leashed walk to the front or back yard to potty, then back into the house. House confinement with short, leashed potty breaks are permitted after day 5 of surgery. Cats need to be confined to a large dog kennel containing a litter box and food/water bowls.
If your pet is experiencing a medical emergency and you are not able to reach us, then please take your pet to your regular vet or the nearest emergency clinic.