Following injury or surgery your animal will require a period of convalescence and restricted activity. This necessitates the setting up of a crate, playpen or combination of both. Planning ahead and being prepared will significantly reduce the stress involved with creating a safe place within the home for your animal to rest and rehabilitate optimally.
The purpose of confinement is to prevent exuberant activity that would impede your animal’s recovery. A period of six weeks is typically allocated to the convalescence period as this aligns with known universally accepted tissue healing time for animals. Running, accessing stairs, jumping, walking on slippery floors, and playing with other animals is generally NOT recommended during the period of convalescence.
Your veterinary surgeon may stipulate a specific period of convalescence and activity restrictions for your animal following their particular injury or surgery. Please ensure you are well versed with these prior to your animal being discharged from hospital.
Crate/play pen general requirements
General set-up: The crate must be large enough for your animal to have sufficient space for standing, sitting, to lie fully out-stretched, and for grooming themselves
Total space allocation: Measure your animal in a fully lying, outstretched position. Allow for this measurement both in length and width of the selected crate, so they have the option to lie fully outstretched facing different directions
Changing positions: It is important that your animal can change positions, roll from side-side, and relieve the injured area of a body. If they require assistance with this, it is important that you have sufficient room to be able to safely assist and maneouvre them to turn
Location: Animals will require more sleep during the recovery period. Ensuring the crate is in a location of the house that will provide your animal with sufficient rest is important – a quiet area of the main lounge during the day, and perhaps your bedroom at night
Set- up of your crate/play pen
Firstly, divide the crate or enclosure area into different spaces:
Sleeping and Standing areas: These areas should have different types of
bedding. Ideally, provide two bedding options so your animal has choice between a deeply padded mattress or a soft bed
Covered sleeping or ‘hiding’ zones: Setting up a ‘hiding’ zone provides your animal with the opportunity to retreat to a ‘safe’ place when they are tired, or feeling the need to withdraw from activities during their recovery period.
Warmer and Cooler zones: In your set-up, please ensure that one end of the crate is positioned near a heat source so your animal has sufficient warmth, especially as they will not be as active during the convalescence period. Have additional blankets available if needed
Eating and Drinking areas: A specific area should be allocated for eating and drinking, and checked regularly for re-fueling. Food and water bowls may need to be raised to make it easier for your animal to access food, or to encourage them to stand
Please note: Sometimes due to the size of your animal (or other factors), it may be more appropriate to provide “room” rest, where one particular room of the house is set-up for your animal during the convalesence period. We highly recommend you discuss this in detail with your Animal Physiotherapist or Veterinarian.
