Violent spinning or tail chasing can signify distress and anxiety in your dog. Spinning, unlike digging, chasing and chewing, is not a natural dog behavior and has no root in the animal’s behavioral evolution. Often, spinning behavior is compulsive; it appears as if the pooch is unable to resist doing it. Training a dog not to act compulsively requires a different approach than traditional obedience training.

Observation and Monitoring

Keep a diary of your dog’s behavior and note trends that may point to a cause for the violent spinning. You may notice that certain stimuli, such as visitors to the house, the presence of other dogs or even just the arrival home of a family member, causes your dog to compulsively spin. By knowing the precursors to the behavior, you can anticipate and act promptly when it occurs.

Distraction and Redirection

Using your understanding of your dog’s behavior from the behavior diary, be ready to interrupt your dog before he begins to spin. Call his name, clap your hands or stomp your feet. Whatever gets his attention is good, provided you don’t startle him. By distracting him, you draw his focus away from the spinning behavior. Once you have his attention, redirect it to a positive outlet, such as a toy or activity, such as play.

Normalizing the Stimuli

Distraction and redirection are useful for stopping your dog when he wants to spin, but desensitization and counter-conditioning are essential in removing that desire. Using your knowledge of the trigger stimuli that cause your dog to spin, set up a situation in which your dog would be likely to react by spinning. For example, have a friend ring the doorbell or get a family member to leave and then return home.

Desensitization and Counter-Conditioning

Repeat these scenarios with as much frequency as is convenient. It’s essential to act as normally and calmly as possible while your dog is exposed to these trigger stimuli. By repeatedly exposing him to the stimuli, you are desensitizing him to them. Over time, the effect of the stimuli will diminish. Many dog owners make the mistake of pandering to their pets when they’re exposed to stimuli. A good example of this is the well-meaning owner who fusses over their pet when fireworks are going off. The dog notices that the owner is behaving unusually and therefore becomes agitated. By behaving normally when a trigger stimulus is present, you slowly counter-condition your dog.

Operant Conditioning

Each time he reacts calmly or indifferently to a stimuli that previously caused him to spin, give the dog a reward. This teaches him that calmness and passiveness have a positive outcome; it’s called operant conditioning and is the basis of reward-based training. Once your dog learns that his calm behavior results in a reward or treat, he’ll instinctively repeat the calm behavior.

Spaying is the most common abdominal surgery performed on dogs, with most recovering just fine. However, the operation still is major surgery and complications can arise. In a rare worst-case scenario, the dog succumbs during the surgery, due to a reaction to anesthesia or other issue. While there’s nothing you can do about that dire situation, you can keep a careful eye on your dog while she recuperates and seek immediate veterinary attention if needed.

Loose Sutures

Among the most common problems occurring in the recently spayed dog concerns loose sutures or stitches. That’s why your vet recommends using an Elizabethan collar on your dog for about a week, until her incision heals. Yes, your dog hates this “cone of shame,” but it prevents her from licking or chewing the incision. After you bring her home, check the incision a few times daily. If it appears inflamed or swollen, or any pus is seeping out, contact your vet immediately. While slight bleeding for a day or two after surgery is normal, call your vet if there’s significant bleeding. In a worst-case scenario, the incision opens and your dog’s intestines protrude. If that happens, get her to an emergency veterinary hospital at once.

Seromas and Abscesses

Dogs might develop lumps or swelling at the site of the incision. It’s important that your vet examine your dog and make a diagnosis, because these lumps have varying causes. A seroma may form underneath the sutures, filled with watery, reddish fluid. Keeping your dog quiet, as the vet recommends, lessens the odds of seroma formation. Your vet makes a diagnosis by taking a fluid sample. If pus rather than liquid emerges, your dog has an abscess, which means infection-causing bacteria have invaded the incision. Dogs with abscesses often are in pain, compared to those with the normally pain-free seromas. While a seroma might resolve on its own, abscesses require drainage and your vet will prescribe an antibiotic regimen.

Canine Hernias

Hernias occur when the sutures in your dog’s abdominal wall collapse. This can result in fat, intestines and even internal organs falling out of the abdomen and protruding beneath the skin. If the hernia consists only of fat, it shouldn’t cause your dog pain or serious consequences. If your dog appears in pain from the lump, suspect that the protrusion consists of intestinal parts or even organs (commonly the bladder) and get her to the vet immediately. Your pet might require emergency surgery to save her life.

Other Post-Spay Complications

It’s not unusual for dogs to suffer from constipation after spaying. If she doesn’t move her bowels by the fifth day post-surgery, ask your vet whether you might give your dog a stool softener. Your vet can recommend a specific brand and dosage. If she doesn’t have a bowel movement with a few days after consuming the stool softener, take her to the vet. Some female dogs develop urinary incontinence problems after spaying. If dribbling or more serious incontinence doesn’t resolve itself within a few days after the surgery, contact your vet.