Why is my spayed dog having diarrhea and gagging after surgery?

Anaesthetic can definitely cause gastrointestinal upset such as you describe, mild vomiting and diarrhea is also common. A probiotic such as canikur or fortiflora can be very helpful to rebalance the bowel and settle the system

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Luna. I do recommend that she sees a veterinarian today. Her incision appears to be healing well. I do not see redness, swelling or discharge draining out. However, pictures can be deceiving. I am more worried that she is not eating. The diarrhea needs to be addressed as well. The veterinarian will examine her and take her temperature. A fever, for example, can indicate an infection. If you stopped her medications, which is reasonable given the diarrhea, she may be very painful now though. This too can affect appetite. The veterinarian will guide you on any testing or treatment options. In the meantime, keep her quiet, encourage her to drink so she doesn't become dehydrated and do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

It can be normal to vomit once or twice in the 24 hours following anesthesia but I wouldn't expect Sadie to be experiencing side effects from anesthesia at this point. I would recommend having your veterinarian examine her if the vomiting and decreased appetite continue: it may or may not be related to her recent surgery. If she is on a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain medication like carprofen or meloxicam it would be best to discontinue the medication since these can sometimes cause stomach upset - your vet can prescribe a different pain medication if necessary.

This may be a sequel to the medications given. I suggest you fast Maggie for 24 hours and then put the dog on bland food for two days, such as boiled white rice and boiled white boneless chicken meat, fed in small quantities over several feeds and then transition back to regular food slowly over a few days. If this does not clear up problem, or if your dog gets lethargic, it needs to see a veterinarian for an exam as there may be something more serious such as an infection going on.

Occasionally after spaying, dogs will have no appetite for the first 12-24 hours. This may be due to the lingering effects of [anesthesia](https://www.petcoach.co/article/pets-and-anesthesia-everything-you-need-to-know) and/or some post operative discomfort. If she still has no appetite two days after spaying, I would be concerned that she may be in [pain](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-measure-your-dogs-pain) or there may be another underlying concern affecting her[ recovery](https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-ways-to-rest-your-pet-after-surgery-or-injury). Call your veterinarian to discuss your concerns. He or she may recommend a recheck, and some more [pain medication](https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-pain-relief-solutions-for-dogs). In the meantime, take a look at her incision site. If it is red, swollen and hot to the touch, she needs to see your veterinarian right away as these symptoms may indicate infection. You can also try offering her a bland diet of boiled chicken and white rice or some treats to stimulate her appetite.

I am sorry to hear that Rosie is not well. This is very uncommon to see a dog being so unwell 5 days after neutering. I would strongly recommend you to take Rosie back to your vet and ask to perform some investigation to make sure that she is ok. Vomiting could be a side-effect of general anaesthesia or morphine injections but in some cases vomiting in post-operative period may be due to kidney malfunction. Also, infection within the abdominal cavity causing vomiting and lethargy is possible. To be on a safe side, Rosie should have a blood test and abdominal scan done as soon as possible.

As long as Coco is feeling well, this is likely a change in the stool from the antibiotics and maybe from anesthesia. I would recommend starting a bland diet and adding in a probiotic such as Purina Fortiflora, which can be found online or at your local Petco. For the bland diet, please see below. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm. TRANSITION BACK TO A NORMAL DIET Never transition back to a regular diet rapidly. Transition back to the regular diet over a 1 week period. Start by adding 25% of the regular diet to 75% of the bland diet and feed that combination for 2 days. If stools continue to be firm then continue substituting the regular diet in 25% increments and feeding the combination in 2 day time intervals until the diet is 100% regular diet. Minimize treats for 1 week after moving the diet back to 100% regular diet.