Kitten is acting strange after surgery and anesthesia. Is it normal?

I am so sorry for the delay in answering your question. I hope that HIro is feeling better now. It can take a few days for them to be back to normal following anesthesia. Since he is eating now, I suspect he may be coming around back to normal in the next few days. If you are still concerned about him, take him back to your vet to discuss your concerns. Regarding your specific question "Can anesthesia though muscle cause problems or death days after?" Whether anesthesia is given in the muscle, in the vein, or via inhalant (gas), it can cause cardiovascular changes that may manifest in illness days after; for instance if they had some pre-existing kidney insufficiency, its possible that deceased blood pressure while under anesthesia may further damage the kidneys to cause kidney failure. While I suppose it is possible that there could be decreased blood flow to the brain that could cause a change in their personality, this certainly isn't something we recognize occurring, I think in terms of frequency of that happening I would say its very rare. If Hiro is still not acting normally, please take him back to your vet for a recheck. I hope he is back to himself. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes it can take some time for cats to recover from anesthesia and administration of these medications together so that could be a reason why it has been taking him longer than expected to recover. If he is eating and otherwise doing well, it may be ok to monitor him for a bit longer. However, if he worsens or by tomorrow he has not improved, he should be evaluated by his veterinarian for reevaluation. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While sedation or anesthesia can result in gastrointestinal upset and inappetence, it usually does not last 5 days so I am worried that there may be something else going on. Loss of appetite can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Button evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! He may still be having some of the possible post-anesthesia side effects such as tiredness. This can sometimes last 24-36 hours. If no improvement is observed in the next day or so then have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment to make sure that nothing more serious is going on. Good luck and have a good night!

Poor kitty! It takes a good 24 hours for anesthesia to completely wear off, and if he's on heavy pain meds that can also affect his ability to get around and know when he needs to go potty. I would keep him in a sort of recovery area nearby his litter box that is easy to clean as he is likely not intentionally having the accidents. If after 24 hours he is still seeming to be very disoriented, can't hold his urine properly at all, or new symptoms are appearing, I'd let your vet know ASAP to make sure he isn't having an adverse reaction to the pain meds or anesthesia.

It may not be anything to worry about but I do recommend to call your veterinarian and them know. Pets are commonly very tired for about 24 hours and every pet responds differently. It is important to make sure Kipsico is eating and drinking. If she is not, she may need to go back in today for subcutaneous fluids. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Occasionally they will act "off" for a day or 2 following anesthesia, and a lot of cats really hate wearing a cone. (though you should keep in on her!) The combination of everything you mention could lead to her being a bit cranky. And the walking backwards and falling over is probably from the cone. Take it off for a few minutes and watch her move around to ensure she walks normally without it. If she continues to be stumbling/clumsy/abnormal gait with the cone off, then take her to your vet for an exam. But If she is eating some (even if its less than normal), give her some space. Let her have her own isolated area... a small bathroom, laundry room, etc, with food, water, litter box, and some comfy beds and or boxes she might like. She should be acting more like herself over the next few days. If at any point she is becoming increasingly lethargic, she starts vomiting, she is completely anorexic (not eating anything at all for more than 24 hours), then take her to your vet right away. Thank you for asking PetCoach1