Bathing dog after neutering

Question
I know you're not supposed to bathe a dog right after surgery, but the dog we adopted from the Animal Shelter is coming home tomorrow after being neutered the same day and he is going to smell AWFUL because he already smelled horrible in the shelter and they couldn't bathe him before his surgery!

I can't imagine waiting to bathe this dog and having that smell permeate my house for 7-10 days!

Help!  Can I cover the incision site and carefully bathe without getting it wet?  Or just bathe his tail, feet, legs etc?  I believe they use surgical glue to close the skin.

He is a border collie mix with lots of fur, and also has dread locks in need of shaving...:)

Suggestions?  

Answer

Hi Marie,

Congratulations on getting a dog!

You are correct, a dog shouldn't be bathed 7-10 days after his neuter surgery.

You can give your dog a dry bath by sprinkling him with baking soda. Rub it in, then brush the baking soda from his coat with a pet brush or comb. Keep brushing until the baking soda looks as though it has disappeared.

There are also dry bath products for dogs, such as Dry Dog Instant Clean, DermaPet Malacetic Wet Wipe Dry Bath, and Veterinarian Best Quick Clean Waterless Dog Bath, to name a few.

Best of luck,

Patti