Neutering is a major surgery that a dog goes through throughout its life. And thereafter the surgery, you are most likely to notice your beloved furry friend is making mistakes/accidents around your home that you have not witnessed previously for months or weeks.
So it may lead you to think about why the dog is having accidents after being neutered or spayed. Therefore, let’s read further to find out the explanations behind sudden accidents caused by a newly neutered dog.
Why Is A Dog Having Accidents After Being Neutered Or Spayed?
A newly neutered/spayed dog is having accidents is a reaction to the neutering/spaying. After neutering/spaying, the hormone levels of a dog radically shifts in an unexpected way which throws off a dog’s system, so suddenly a dog starts to have accidents that it doesn’t deliberately mean to cause.
Table of Contents
Why Is My Recently Spayed/Neutered Dog Urinating More?
When your pretty well potty-trained dog that recently got spayed/neutered has started to urinate uncontrollably and more than usual, it’s an alarming matter.
And to make you understand the reasons, the most potential causes behind such an unusual behavior have been explained in detail below.
Urinary Incontinence:
Urinary incontinence is the most prevalent reason that can make your dog’s urine more after neutering or spaying.
Because the hormones of a dog (female dogs especially) face an immediate change which imbalances the hormones and loosen up the muscles which causes the urine to seep out.
Simply say, the proper functioning of the urinary tract tissue of every dog depends on a sufficient frontage to estrogen hormone. But when the ovaries of your dog or any dog are removed, the estrogen level drops.
As a result, the scarcity of estrogen makes the urethral sphincter (a muscle that controls the vent of urine) relax and discharge urine frequently.
Your Dog Is Groggy:
Spaying or neutering is major surgery for dogs that can make them groggy. So if your dog is just neutered or spayed, perhaps it is groggy too as it was sent home immediately after surgery.
Therefore, it can have difficulties while walking or go to the toilet on its own which can make your dog urinate more.
Your Dog Is In Pain:
Spaying or neutering can cause your dog pain, so it will not feel good enough to attend to its bladder and bowel requirements as it does usually. As a result, after neutering or spaying, your dog is most likely to urinate more.
Your Dog Drank Lots Of Water:
It’s commonly seen in dogs to drink lots of water as soon as they go back home after the surgery. It can happen if the dog is in pain, is groggy, or is very excited to get back home.
If a similar scenario has happened with your dog as well, it can be a possible reason why your dog is urinating more.
UTI (Urinary Tract Infection):
After neutering or spaying your dog is still in pain and recovering, so there are chances that it perhaps will hold urine for a longer time than usual and it can cause her UTI. And UTI creates an ideal habitat for bacteria to live on.
This will result in your dog’s frequent urinating.
Is It Normal For Dogs To Have Accidents After Getting Spayed/Neutered?
It’s common for dogs to have accidents (urinating more frequently) after getting spayed or neutered. Because it becomes difficult for dogs to hold their urine after getting spayed due to hormonal imbalance and loosen up the urethral sphincter.
This accident of urinating more is called “urinary sphincter mechanism incontinence” which is the general form of urinary incontinence problem of dogs. And a study has shown that 5%-20% of neutered/spayed dogs are more like to develop USMI and urine leakage.
Also, the bigger the pooch, the more feasible it is to get affected by urinary incontinence. Accidents become more apparent in bigger dogs that weigh 45 pounds or even more, about 12%-31% of bigger and adult dogs are being affected after neutering/spaying.
Do Dogs Lose Bladder Control After Neutering/Spaying?
Dogs especially female dogs lose bladder control after neutering/spaying. Because during this surgery the ovaries are removed from their body, therefore, the estrogen level becomes low, and urinary tract tissues can’t function properly.
Therefore, female dogs lose control over the bladder as estrogen helps to control their urinary sphincter which mainly helps female dogs to have control over their bladder.
Not only female dogs but also many male dogs can also lose their control over their bladder after neutering or spaying. Because during spaying or neutering male dogs, their testicles are removed and it causes declination of their testosterone hormone.
Thence, similarly to female dogs, male dogs lose control over the bladder.
How Long Does It Take For A Dog’s Hormones To Balance After Being Spayed?
Maximum it will take about three weeks for a female canine’s hormones to get balanced after being spayed or neutered. But still, during this time a female canine possibly can maintain the capability of attracting a male canine by her scent.
However, within or after three weeks a female dog’s hormones will diminish.
And as far as it’s concerned about male dogs, it will take up to 6 weeks for a male dog’s hormones to get balanced after being neutered or spayed. And they also can retain their full-testosterone male canine behavior during this period.
What To Expect After Neutering/Spaying Your Dog?
Since you are considering to neuter or spay or already have spayed or neutered your dog, you must know what you are going to expect afterward the surgery.
The following are the situations, you will be expecting after spaying or neutering your dog.
Stay With Your Dog:
If your dog is not staying at the vet’s place after the surgery, you are expected to stay with your dog overnight to monitor its condition closely.
Shaking/drooling/Hiding/Screaming:
Neutering/spaying can cause your dog pain and out of a painful experience, it is most likely to scream, drool, hide, or shake. It is expected anyway on the first day after neutering/spaying.
Skipping A Meal:
After neutering or spaying, your dog might not want to eat as much as before. Even it can skip meals or don’t want to drink water. It’s also expected, don’t force it to eat too much as a light meal is suggested to feed dogs after neutering/spaying.
Grogginess:
It’s absolutely common for dogs to be groggy after neutering or spaying. Because it will become really tired after the surgery. However, if your pet seems really sleepy or doesn’t respond to your callings or touch, you should call a vet immediately.
Licking:
Your dog will want to lick the spot where the surgery took place and licking can greatly harm the incision site and the area can be infected due to the opening of the wound. So to prevent it, keep it in an Elizabeth collar.
Urinate More Often:
Your dog can discharge urine more than usual. It happens to every 1 out of 5 dogs. So expect this as well.
Discharge/Bleeding/Swelling:
A little bleeding while urinating or discharge from the incision is common as within two weeks it will disappear.
But a continued swelling around the area, excessive bleeding, or discharging from that neutered or stated area is abnormal, if you notice so call the vet instantly because it’s a concerning issue.
A Longer Recovery Period:
If your dog is a large-sized one that is over six years old, expect a longer recovery period. In this case, after one week after your dog will feel better.
However, if you have a smaller and young dog, it will recover soon. Within two days it will start to feel good and will return to its own self again.
Why Is My Dog More Aggressive After Being Neutered?
Your dog is more aggressive after being neutered due to going through a painful traumatic surgery which made it stressed and disoriented in discomfort. Such aggressive behavior will disappear within a couple of days as it will be recovering and improving.
Why Is My Dog Whining After Being Neutered?
The whining of your dog after being neutered is a result of anesthetic drugs the vet had given to it during the surgery. These anesthetic drugs make a dog bewildered and dysphoric due to pain. So your dog can become frustrated and whine.
Why Is My Dog Shaking After Being Neutered?
After being neutered your dog can shake due to side effects of the anesthetic drugs it was given during surgery. So when the anesthetic effect is wearing off, he shakes. Sometimes, he can shake because of anxiety after being neutered.
Final Thoughts:
A dog can have accidents after neutering or spaying because its estrogen or testosterone level drops down as the ovaries or testicles are removed. So the muscles loosen up and the dog loses control over its bladder. Besides, grogginess, UTI, drinking too much water are the other reasons.