Is my dog's slow anesthesia recovery after dental cleaning normal?

It depends quite a bit on what drugs and doses were used for anesthesia, so unfortunately it's difficult to give a good answer to this question without being able to look at his medical record. But in general, for most anesthetic procedures, it's not uncommon for many dogs to remain somewhat groggy or drowsy for up to 12 hours or so afterwards - my rule of thumb for owners at our clinic is that their pet should be acting normal again by the following morning, but not to worry overly much if they are a bit sleepy or "off" for the rest of the afternoon or evening after going home. However, the pet should be able to get up and walk around, eat and drink without problems, etc. - if they are groggy to the point of being unresponsive or unable to stand, this is not normal. If you are concerned about Falkor, the safest course of action would be to call your vet's office and describe how he is currently acting - they should be able to tell you if this is reasonable, based on their anesthesia protocol. If he is unresponsive, having difficulty swallowing, or seems to be getting worse over time, I would take him back to your vet or your nearest emergency clinic to be checked.

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.

If Cooper had general anesthesia for a dental cleaning it could take 24 hours or more to recover from anesthesia. He may have been given different medications than in the past. The trachea and back of the throat can be irritated by the endotracheal tube and cause coughing or reverse sneezing. I would recommend calling the veterinarian who performed the procedure and expressing your concerns. If they are not open and you feel Cooper is in distress, having difficulty breathing, or in pain I'd recommend seeing an emergency veterinarian.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Loki. Anesthesia can make a dog a bit off balance for a bit, and it take a bit for a dog to return to normal. Keep an eye on him tonight, and if he's still acting this way in the morning, give his vet a call. Hopefully, he should be back to normal in the morning. Best of luck.

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.

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.

I'm so sorry this happened. It is not likely an overdose of anesthetic. If that was the case he would have passed away during the dental procedure. It is more likely that he threw a blood clot post-anesthesia. The only way to know for sure would be to have a necropsy (autopsy) done on him.