Bitch spay question info/advice please

[brighteyes]

I did it again - I got another rescue from my local shelter Wolfwood in Lancaster and this time I had the spay to organise. The terrier, an unclaimed stray, was picked up by the warden and is less than seven months we think. Anyway, her toilet training is in progress from an undetermined start point so we went back to zero. As long as she's out and about, there are no 'hiccups' and the ones which do occur are dealt with and the 'pup' simply taken out and returned to a clean place. The spay op seems to have set her back combined with a wound (and site) which has had a check up and requires more or less total box rest due to a slightly irregular swelling ( ) She hasn't licked or scratched it but the area is slightly herniated-looking.

Am I right in thinking the op and slight toilet-training regression are linked to post op trauma, discomfort and routine? I am unsure of her completeness of training which was messed up in kennels and now by this. Do I carry on as best I can and not be in despair yet?

She is very sweet and a tad submissive but that could be puppyness as she is very juvenile in her interactive behavior. She is an otherwise very bright little thing

 

[FinnishLapphund]

I've heard about young dogs/bitches regressing in the housebreaking training after being castrated/spayed more than once before, so since it sounds like the spaying happened relatively recently, and since you've had her irregular swelling checked up, I would probably try to wait until maybe a month had passed/a while after that the swelling had gone down, before I began to worry about the risk for incontinence or similar things. So I think that you should just continue the way you are.

I hope the swelling goes down and that the housebreaking training is soon back on track.