After being spayed, dogs typically need some time to recover before getting back a normal energy level. Before you take your dog in for surgery, you should be aware of what you can do at home to speed up recovery time and keep your dog as comfortable a possible after the surgery.

The following are five things you can due to speed up the recovery process for your dog after spaying:

Keep your dog away from the surgery wound site

Dogs instinctively tend to lick at wound sites. Unfortunately, this can interfere with proper healing after spaying. You should make some effort to keep your pet away from the wound. 

You might consider using a conical collar that's designed to prevent a dog from chewing or biting at the wound site by temporarily restricting movement. If you're at home most of the time to observe your dog during recovery, it might be good enough to simply keep a bandage around the wound site and keep an eye on your dog until the surgical wound has healed up. 

Hold off on feeding until anesthesia has worn off

Dogs are given anesthesia when spaying is performed on them, and this anesthesia can cause them to feel grogginess and nausea after the procedure. It's a good idea to hold off on feeding your dog after surgery until your dog is fully alert and has developed an appetite. 

Eating too soon after surgery can cause vomiting or other problems that can weaken a dog and delay full recovery. 

Don't bathe your dog for a week or two

Vets tend to discourage dog owners from bathing their pet right after surgery because submerging your pet in water can expose the surgical wound site to bacteria. This can raise the chances that your dog will develop an infection around the wound site. 

Hold off on bathing your dog until you see that the surgical wound has healed up and there is no remaining swelling or redness around it. 

Inspect the surgery site occasionally to check for signs of infection

The biggest potential problem after spaying surgery is an infection. You need to keep an eye on the surgery site to look out for signs of infection like discharge from the wound or abnormal swelling.

Ask your vet about what warning signs you should look out for to get your dog the necessary treatment right away should an infection start to develop. 

Avoid strenuous exercise

Your dog might enjoy long walks and physical exertion, but it's a good idea to discourage your dog from engaging in strenuous activity while he is healing. Physical exertion can put pressure on the healing wound site and increase the chances of infection or complications. 

Contact a vet office near you for more information on why you should spay and neuter your pets.