Why is my dog seizing again post-surgery after sedation wore off?

In my experience it is not common, although possible, to have seizures after anesthesia and surgery. However there are many diseases that can cause seizures. Many of them are unrelated to surgery and could be coincidentally be causing your dogs's seizures. Some medications are such as ketamine, acepromazine,and related compounds are known to contribute to seizure potential. It is possible, but fairly rare, that something related to the surgery, anesthesia, or medications precipitated the seizures. You should keep looking into these things with your vet and consider referal to a veterinary neurologist if you and/or your vet are still concerned.

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.

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.

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 )

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.

The trouble eating, disorientation and wobbly gait is likely a transient side effect from the phenobarbital given to control the seizures. This should subside after about two weeks until the body is used to the medication.