Is my cat's slow recovery normal after surgery and many medications?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While I am unclear what you are specifically referring to in terms of his behavior, it is fairly common for cats and dogs to feel differently and show signs such as lethargy and sedation for 24-36 hours following anesthesia. The fact that he ate is a good sign. Best of luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Squeak hasn't been feeling well after a tooth extraction. With older cats, it sometimes can take a couple of days for them to recover from anesthesia, depending on the medications that were used. Did Squeak have any bloodwork run before his procedure? If he had an underlying kidney or liver issue, it could explain some of the signs that you are seeing now. If he is still on pain medications for his tooth extraction, it could also be that he is weak if the medication is affecting him strongly. If he hasn't had bloodwork done, I would recommend checking his liver and kidney function, as well as screening for diabetes, all of which could be adversely affecting him. Additionally, there are appetite stimulants for cats that can be given post-surgery to help kickstart them into eating normally again. I would recommend Squeak be re-evaluated by his veterinarian and have any testing done that may be necessary to start treatment to get him back on track. Good luck!

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!

Hello, sorry to hear about Minou. General anesthesia and it’s associated side effects can last up to 72 hours in pets especially older pets. I am not surprised that he seems still a little more quiet after his procedure and would allow him up to 72 hrs to recover from anesthesia. You can offer probiotics but they may not be necessary at this time. If he continues to be under the weather or if he is becoming more lethargic, does not want to eat or has other clinical signs such as vomiting and diarrhea then have you veterinarian examine him again. Otherwise, Minou may just need a little longer to recover from his procedure. Hope this helps and best of luck.

It is very common for elderly cats to take longer to recover form the medications used during anaesthesia. Their liver and kidney function is not as good a cat younger then 7. However, if it has been longer then a week and you are still concerned I would advise mentioning this to the veterinarian who had performed the procedure during Kuzia's postoperative recheck.

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!

Great to hear you are choosing to spay and neuter your kitties! Some cats definitely do recover more quickly than others. This could depend on the choice of anesthetic, recovery time, other health issues, and nutrition. 15 hours is definitely a pretty long time and I would have expected a almost full recovery from any anesthetic at that point. Extremely lethargy and unsteadiness could be an indication of a post-op complication, infection, or something different entirely. If Tortilla appears to be stable to you, this isn't necessarily an emergency. However, if you think she is deteriorating, you may want to go ahead and get the emergency hospital on alert to tell them you might be coming in at some point. I would go ahead and check her gums for good color (pinkish and moist) and try to obtain a rectal temperature (over 102.5-103.0 would be considered a fever). If any of these are troubling to you, get her checked out some time soon. Also, I would flip her over and take a good look at her incision to see if it looks inflammed, red, or painful. Hope this helps!