Friday, May 21, 2010

My pup is very lethargic after spaying?

She was spayed this morning, and the doc said let her do whatever she feels like doing - going up and down stairs is okay. But after I brought her home she won't even get out of bed. I had to take her out to PP and she did, but was very wobbly and laid down in the grass afterwards. She won't eat - only take water. Is this normal? She feels cold so she's not running a fever.
Answers:
The dog just had surgery this morning..it is pretty much expected for her to be quiet, sleepy, not feel doing anything for a day or two.It is also very normal for her not to feel like eating.
Good grief! Your dog just had a hystorectomy! Your vet is insane!

Your dog should be restricted from food and water tonight. She should also be restricted from stairs and jumping for at LEAST a week if not two.

Her anesthetic has not warn off. She will be feeling better tomorrow, but I would really wonder about any vet that gave you the ok for your newly spayed dog to climb stairs.

Keep her settled for the next two weeks as her stitches inside and out heal.
It's normal for a dog to be lethargic after any surgery, but if you are concerned about anything at any time, call the vet. Don't ever feel as if you're bothering them because they are doing their job. Good Luck! and give your dog a big hug from me.
She's tired and she's sore. Let her rest and carry her out to go potty. No stairs or jumping for a while.

I'd keep her quiet for at least a few days.

Call your vet and double check your after care instructions.
The fist 2 answers are very correct. I also hope your vet gave you an e-collar for your girl. If not please go and get one to fit her. This will help her heal faster so she cant lick or chew her stiches.
Totally normal. However I think its odd that the vet said she should do what she feels like.

When my dog was spayed they kept her over night. They did stitches on the inside and outside because they knew she was a very active dog even when injured or ill.
We restricted her to the floor with a blanket (usually we let her sit on out laps and what not, able to jump on and off the sofa). At night (for about 2 weeks) we kept her in her cage with a blanket.

The only thing that would concern me is how cold she is. Wrap her in a blanket, hold her if she is small enough unless she wants to be left alone. Be careful of any stitches or bumping the area.
Check her incision to be sure that there is no pus or a break in the incision that is bleeding. She is likely cold from blood loss during the surgery and needs some food .

If she is a toy breed, you can buy baby onesy for her to wear so she does not chew at the stitches. The snaps on the baby outfit work perfectly to keep her clean and distracted from the stitches and just needs a hole poked for her tail. She will look adorable.

Most females are quite lethargic and whiney for a day or so after a spay surgery because this surgery is so invasive to the body. They are very sore. Most vets will give the option to take home a liquid pain med in case you need it. Expect her to be somewhat lethargic for a few days. Some girls even scream at night as they turn in their bed becuase of the pain.

The fact that you say she is cold is the thing to watch. You do not want her to go into hypoglycemic shock from failing to eat. Since she went under anesthesia on an empty stomach, you need to get some food in her--and likely make it more tempting because she does not feel good. Try scrambling a few eggs in a small amount of butter--even add a few bites of cheese or even crispy bacon as an extra temptation. She will likely scarf up the eggs without a problem.

If you see no sign of improvement by the morning, call your vet.
Considering she just had surgery this morning, she probably isn't 100% out of the anesthetic fog. She should be left to sleep %26 being recooperating. Food %26 water should be withheld until the morning. Activity should be restricted for 10-14 days, and the incision checked several times daily.
The best way to get an acurate core temperature is to take it rectally. Normal temperature is between 101 degrees and 102.5 degrees.

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