My dog is whining after sedation for nail trim. Is this normal?

This could be a side effect of the morphine administered for sedation. Keep her in a quiet, warm, dimly lit room. Restrict activity as much as possible, especially avoiding stairs or climbing onto furniture. Effects can last 4 to 6 hours, not all dogs metabolize the drug at the same rate so this period could be longer or shorter. If she is the same or worse after the 4-6 hour period has passed, consider having her rechecked by your vet. Contact your veterinarian anyway and discuss options for pain management once the morphine wears off.

Poor Squeakers! Lethargy is a very general sign of illness, and because he is eating and drinking normally, I would keep an eye on him for now. He could be a little stressed from the vet visit yesterday even though he had the ace, and it might be showing with the lethargy. Should he still be lethargic in 24-48 hours, or he stops eating and drinking normally, then I would bring Squeakers back into the vet for a health check.

We would only be able to speculate here as to why they recommended pain medications for a relatively painless procedure. Unless of course they have a sedative that also had Butorphanol in it. This is a common combination drug used to achieve adequate sedation in pets. So if that was the drug used, there is a low reason for concern about any foul play. If Buster is still not back to normal however, he should be seen by your vet for a follow up. 4 days is enough time for him to recover from a sedative, so a follow up may be best if he can behave enough for a proper exam. If he is just a bit off but still eating, drinking, and has adequate energy, then he may just need a few more days. Older pets do take it a bit harder than younger adults. I hope that Buster feels better soon! Best wishes and take care.

It’s common for dogs to whine following a surgery and anesthesia - it’s possible that your puppy is still recovering from he drugs or that he is a little painful. If he seems very painful you could have him examined by a veterinarian. It is normal to use a cone following surgery to prevent dogs from damaging their incisions - you should keep it on at all times.

Hi there. Different individuals can respond to anesthesia differently, just like humans. In my experience, it's not uncommon for some pets to be wobbly, confused, or otherwise "out of it" for up to 24 hours or so after an anesthetic event. As long as she's responsive and doesn't seem to be getting worse, this is likely normal. If she's still shaky and crying by tomorrow morning, I would recommend giving your vet a call as she may be painful and need some additional medication to help with this. For tonight, you can sit and snuggle with her if she seems to want this, or leave her alone if she doesn't want to be touched. Make sure she has food and water available if she wants it. Monitor for any bleeding from the incision site, pale gums, or increased weakness or acting less responsive, as these could indicate a more serious problem that needs an ER visit.

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.

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.