Why did my dog have a seizure after anesthesia and surgery?

Wow, I’m so sorry this happened. The seizure was likely nothing related to the surgery itself. It’s possible it was a delayed reaction from the anesthesia but three days later seems suspicious. He most likely had an underlying condition that predisposed him to seizures which nobody could have predicted. I’m very, very sorry this happened. My condolences.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry to hear about Gin. Seizures is a potential side effect of general anesthesia, usually related to blood pressure drop and not adequate oxygen supply to the brain while a patient is asleep. It is often a self-limiting side-effect, so many animals will stop having seizures within a few days after general anesthesia. However, persistent, life-long seizures are also possible. It would be worth to discuss with your local vet using phenobarbital for Gin (this medication prevents seizures while diazepam only stops seizures when they occur). Also, brain MRI should be considered if the seizures are frequent and severe. Good luck. I hope Gin will fully recover soon.

I am sorry to hear about Barney. A seizure shortly after the surgery can be related to either recent anaesthesia (and for example some degree of brain injury from the anaesthetics) or to the surgery (for example a blood clot could travel from the surgical site to the brain and produce seizures). Anaesthetic-related seizures often will get better by itself, and in many instances after 4-5 days the dogs are back to normal. Blood clot is often a more serious complication and only MRI or CT can given the answer of the extend of the damage to the brain.

Sedation/anesthesia can cause seizures but only in animals that would have been prone to seizures anyway. There would have been no way for your vet to know that before giving it to her. Seizures for three days now post-op is not normal or a good sign. You need to consult more with your vet and if they don't seem to be helping get a second opinion elsewhere. Unfortunately, seizures in cats, especially starting at her age, does not carry a good prognosis. I suggest you refer to this link about seizures in cats to educate yourself and then speak to your vet about how to proceed. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/seizures-and-epilepsy-in-cats )

So I am very unsure as to what you mean by "chewing gum attacks" but I will try to address the rest of your question as best I can. In terms of seizures post-surgically, I have read and seen occasionally animal that after being exposed in to inhalant anesthetic have seizure activity. Whether or not it was due to the anesthetic, or because something was already wrong with the brain and the anesthetic triggered it, is not very clear. To obtain more information on a possible cause, you would need to obtain a diagnostic MRI by a neurologist at a specialty hospital. They would be able to assure you there is no structural issue that is the cause of the seizures. As far as the phenobarb dosing, your veterinarian should be taking blood in order to check and see if the levels are actually therapeutic.or not. He can adjust the levels accordingly, or potentially add in a second drug if needed. I can very much relate to how stress seizures are for the dog and the owner as I have an epileptic dog myself! It can be scary! However, I promise, with appropriate medication, as long as the seizures are kept under control and to a minimum, dogs can lead relatively normal lives. Hope this makes sense.

Causes of seizure can be divided in intracranial and extracranial. Neurological examination, complete blood test, MRI scan and CSF analysis are usually needed to define exactly the underlying cause of it.

It is a possibility that can keep having them or may never have another . Some dogs have seizures as a result of a stressful event, so it may never happen at home! Keep a log of when they have them, how long it lasted, what they were doing before it happened and how long until they were back to normal. if they continue or seem to getting worse, your vet can do blood work and see about medications to prevent them.