Why is my dog acting strange and lethargic after neuter surgery?

He may still be experiencing some pain and probably does not like the E-collar. You could call your vet and see if he/she could add an additional pain medication or change medications to see if it helps at all. Hopefully, he will be back to normal within a few days.

Hi. Yes this can be normal after surgery. It would be abnormal though if he literally can't walk. I am assuming he just doesn't want to. Lol. I would monitor a bit longer tonight. Make sure he is nice and pink in his gums, and that the incisions look ok. Call your local ER if anything else seems off.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Buster, it can be exhausting on surgery day. It can be considered a "normal" occurrence for pets to be tired the day of surgery due to the anesthesia and analgesics (pain control medications) administered for the surgery itself. On occasion they may also experience some mild vomiting (i.e. once following a car ride, after eating supper/drinking water). Buster should want to sleep tonight and we do not want him running around/playing until the surgery site is healed (minimum 2 weeks). If he is too mobile/active this could result in hemorrhaging at the surgery site or failure of the incision. If he continues to vomit, seems painful/agitated, or excessively tired/lethargic then he should be evaluated by his veterinarian or an emergency veterinarian. I instruct my clients to always monitor there mucous membrane (oral gum) color at home the night following surgery to make sure it stays pink (normal color).

Poor Douglas! This sounds like a difficult surgical recovery. It sounds as though Douglas had not fully recovered from anesthesia at the time of his discharge. It is possible that the reaction that you saw was an excitement reaction from some of the sedative or pain medications he was given at the time of surgery. While this is not a normal reaction, it is also not uncommon to see a brief period of excitement after certain medications. Confirm that Douglas was sent home with some anti-inflammatory pain medications and be sure to find out when his next dose of pain medication is due, as he could be whimpering as a sign of pain. Otherwise, continue to keep him in the crate until he is able to stand and walk normally, and generally restrict his activity until his sutures are removed. Make sure that he is wearing an e-collar (cone) for the next 10-14 days to prevent him from licking at the incision. I hope that the rest of his recovery is uneventful!

The licking/itching I would say is normal - usually it is from "clipper burn" which can't always be avoided when we shave that sensitive area for surgery. I would not say the not eating well/drinking well is normal this many days post-operatively. This could be a side effect of the medication(s) but it is difficult for me to say for sure. I suggest you call your vet and ask their opinion since they have all the surgical notes and medical history for him.

Great question! I would take him into the Humane Society to have his incision examined. Call first to make sure the vet is available. While some irritation can be normal, it's not normal for him to feel warm and be more lethargic than usual. Drooling excessively isn't normal either, than could be due to nausea. I wouldn't expect to see these signs a week after being neutered, so a check with the vet is best. I hope this help!

Good morning! It is concerning that Bongo is able to reach his stitches to lick them. I recommend purchasing an Elizabethan collar (soft or hard cone shaped collar) or inflatable donut shaped collar immediately to prevent him from being able to lick his incision site. It is recommended to bring him back to your veterinarian to have his incision checked to make sure he has not removed any of his sutures and that his incision has not become inflamed/infected from him licking. Another potential complication includes Bongo developing a scrotal hematoma if he is too active during recovery. It sounds as though your veterinarian can revisit the need for pain medication/additional pain medication +/- a mild sedative during recovery +/- antibiotics during recovery pending the appearance of his incision. The only acceptable table food for dogs (that won't inadvertently cause pancreatitis) is plain unseasoned boiled rice and chicken which can be given during recovery from surgery (or firings recovery from episodes of vomiting/diarrhea). I would recommend placing an e-collar on Bongo, offering plain boiled rice and chicken and calling your veterinarian to schedule a consult to be sure that the incision looks clean/dry and does not need repair. Definitely be cautious and exert necessary precautions to avoid anyone getting bit! Best of luck!