Dog sleepy after anesthesia: Is not eating or drinking normal after surgery?

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.

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.

She may not have a drive to drink if she received iv fluids during her procedures and you are meeting what she needs through her diet. If she is otherwise happy with normal appetite and energy level and no vomiting or diarrhea you can continue monitoring. If any of these change in addition to not drinking then that would be more concerning as dehydration could ensue. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello, sorry to hear about Taz. Sedatives and anesthesia may take up to 24-32 hours to wear off in some dogs, particularly older patients. Other factors that contribute to this include any concurrent illnesses such as liver disease, kidney disease, or even his ulcer. If Taz continues to be sedate and without an appetite, then he should be rechecked at the latest tomorrow morning. If he seems more lethargic or painful, then he should be evaluated sooner. Please contact your veterinarian to inform them that Taz is still sedate and not wanting to eat as they may want to see him sooner depending on his concurrent medical history and what agents they used for anesthesia. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hello, sorry to hear about Rocco. Based on the invoice, it appears that Rocco had full anesthesia, however, this should be confirmed with your veterinarian. With either anesthesia or sedation, pets can be sleepy and groggy until the next morning. So allow Rocco some additional time to recover from his procedure and contact your veterinarian tomorrow morning after breakfast if he is still not acting more like his normal self. One of the medications used appears to have been reversed (dexdormitor), and the the butorphanol can take up to 12 hours to wear off. Gas anesthetics may also take longer to be removed from the body. Keep him quiet tonight and allow him to rest after his procedure. He should be back to normal by the morning. Hope this helps and best of luck.

It can definitely be normal for dogs to be quieter than usual for a few days after a surgical procedure. Moki is probably somewhat sore, and may still be getting some of the anesthesia drugs out of his system. As long as he's eating and drinking normally and still gets excited about the things he normally would, I wouldn't be overly concerned. Most dogs are back to normal by 7-10 days after surgery.

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.