Is it normal for a dog to sleep all day after being neutered?

This really depends on what he is doing, and how long ago he was neutered. If the surgery was today, then he will likely be feeling strange and not himself for the whole evening. Depending on what kind of anesthetic drugs and pain medications he was given, he could be really whiny, needy, or just laying around. If he is really agitated, or trying to lick constantly, or seems really painful, then he may not have been given adequate pain medication and I would call your after-hours vet right away for further help. He may not be interested in food or water, and this can be normal, just for tonight. Tomorrow he should be eating and acting normally. If he is laying around and won't get up even when you stimulate him, this may be an emergency and I would call a vet right away, as this is certainly not normal. With my neuters, I always send them home the same day, fully awake, and with extra pain medication to go home with. Hope that helps!

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).

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.

Pain after neutering does occur, and your vet can give you pain medication for him if they haven't already. After neutering, some dogs can be tired and want to rest a little more than usual. Keep an eye on the stitches where the surgery was done, and make sure they don't become red and swollen. Do not let your dog lick the stitches. Your dog likely didn't poop until this morning because they weren't allowed any food for 12 hours before the surgery, so they wouldn't have anything to poop out. Butt scooting can also indicate parasites, so if his worming isn't up to date, I would get worming tablets from your vet. If the incision site becomes red, swollen, and warm to the touch, I would contact your vet right away for an appointment. It is also okay to give your vet a call if you are concerned about your dog being in pain, and see what options they can give you for pain relief.

His castration wound looks good, I see no evidence of infection and he is apparently not licking it either. He should indeed be back to his normal self after three days. You may want to take his temperature with a digital rectal thermometer to check whether he has a fever. should he have a fever ( 103+F) he will need to go back to the vet for a recheck. However the whole excitement from being at the vet's, the anesthesia, the drive in the car may just have caught up with him today. If he is not eating, drinking or does not want to play on Monday, I would also take him back for a recheck.

The anaesthetic can stay in the system up to 24 hours which could still be effecting him. Alternatively he could be uncomfortable down there following the procedure. I wouldn't worry about it as yet if he seems bright but I would certainly get it checked out if it continues for a few days. Let him out often to try and avoid accidents.

It is not unusual for dogs to not have interest in food and water that first night after anesthesia and surgery. However, if you have concerns that something isn’t right then it is always safest to have her examined by a veterinarian. Your veterinarian may have an emergency number or they may refer to a local emergency center. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon.