Why is my dog disoriented after anesthesia and dental cleaning?

It depends quite a bit on what drugs and doses were used for anesthesia, so unfortunately it's difficult to give a good answer to this question without being able to look at his medical record. But in general, for most anesthetic procedures, it's not uncommon for many dogs to remain somewhat groggy or drowsy for up to 12 hours or so afterwards - my rule of thumb for owners at our clinic is that their pet should be acting normal again by the following morning, but not to worry overly much if they are a bit sleepy or "off" for the rest of the afternoon or evening after going home. However, the pet should be able to get up and walk around, eat and drink without problems, etc. - if they are groggy to the point of being unresponsive or unable to stand, this is not normal. If you are concerned about Falkor, the safest course of action would be to call your vet's office and describe how he is currently acting - they should be able to tell you if this is reasonable, based on their anesthesia protocol. If he is unresponsive, having difficulty swallowing, or seems to be getting worse over time, I would take him back to your vet or your nearest emergency clinic to be checked.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Loki. Anesthesia can make a dog a bit off balance for a bit, and it take a bit for a dog to return to normal. Keep an eye on him tonight, and if he's still acting this way in the morning, give his vet a call. Hopefully, he should be back to normal in the morning. Best of luck.

Older dogs can take longer to completely process the anesthesia medications and return fully to normal. If she's on any pain medications after the cleaning (for example if she had dental extractions), that could also be causing some sedation. If she's eating, drinking, going to the bathroom, and appears comfortable, there's nothing you need to do right now and can give her another day or two to be totally normal. If she's not back to normal tomorrow evening, it might be wise to take her in for an appointment Friday before the weekend to make sure nothing else is going on.

IT is a possibility, although usually there is no long term effect and the symptoms seems to disappear within a few days to a few weeks. if it happens just with food and doesn't seem to bother him otherwise, i would not worry too much about it at the moment.

I'm sorry that Bubba had a tough time coming out of anesthesia! Please know that without seeing his records, and knowing what drugs he received as well as the doses of them, there is no way I can say if he got the wrong drug amount. I can tell you for sure that different dogs react differently to anesthesia that other dogs, just like in humans. Some recover quickly while others take a longer time to recover and may have some after effects. It truly does vary from dog to dog, and I wouldn't base your concern about Bubba on the fact your other dog recovered quickly because of how anesthesia affects other dogs differently. Also keep in mind that drugs have a wide range of doses, and it could be safe that both dogs got the same amount of drugs. Again, without seeing the records in person, I can't say for certain. You do sound worried, and you can ask for the records to take to another vet in person to review them and give their opinion. I'm sorry I couldn't be more specific, but I hope this helps you somewhat.

Dogs are often not themselves 100% after recovering from anesthesia, this can last up to 24 hours at a certain degree, i wouldn't be worried as long as he isn't too lethargic, appetite can also be affected. if you are concerned please contact the vet responsible for the anesthesia for further instructions.

Joey would have been put under anesthetic for his dental treatment and that could be causing his symptoms. Dogs can act out of sort after anesthesia. This should pass and I'd keep an eye on him tonight. If he's still acting this way in the morning, then I would take him back into his vet. Best of luck.