Hi everyone, Maisie had spay op today and is thoroughly miserable. She doesn't seem to be in pain - isn't whining or whimpering but she's just standing forlornly, looking sorry for herself. She's incredibly tired (to be expected of course) but won't go to sleep. She lies down for a few minutes then gets up and just stands there again. I guess because she's uncomfortable. In pre-op chat the vet suggested crating her afterwards, I think to stop her climbing onto things but as she's not been in a crate for about 5 months that feels a bit like punishment. Also the crate we have isn't terribly big. I'm sure some of this is normal, it's a fairly major op after all but it's a worry.
Dogs often feel out of sorts for a few days after having a general anaesthetic. It affects some worse than others; Willow had a really hard time after her spay. If she's happy to go into a crate, it's not a punishment, but if she's not being hyperactive (and it doesn't sound like she is) then I wouldn't feel I had to use it. She might find it easier to settle down in it, though, so how about having it in the room with the door open and seeing if she chooses to go in? Willow absolutely adores a crate (even if it's far too small!) and so will always go in if there's one available.
Hi , you`re right, it is a major operation and so her behaviour is normal following a spay . Many dogs also have a reaction to the general anaesthetic , it can make them confused which they don't like at all , I remember my late boy crying and whimpering after his cancer surgery , even though he had been given strong painkillers . I tend to stay with mine overnight following surgery and usually by the next day , they are raring to go , good luck x
Quinn was very out of sorts for a couple of days. I remember her staggering around and standing in the kitchen the evening we brought her home, unable to find the door to ask to go out. She cried and had a few accidents that first night and I slept on the floor outside her crate (she wanted in her crate even though she usually slept on a dog bed). Once she was off the pain meds (I believe two days) she was quieter than usual but ok and no crying.
Thanks everyone, very reassuring. She's definitely disorientated. All the points about crates are interesting too, I can see how it would make them feel safe. I'm sure in a couple of days it will be different but atm I feel so guilty.
Cooper had both pain meds and some sort of sedative. One of them made her really loopy, so we cut the dosage way back. It took her several days to start back to normal, but she recovered just fine.
It can make you feel awful that you have put your lovely companion through this pain and discomfort but it only takes a few days to start getting back to their old selves. My Maisy was like a zombie the first night and I felt terribly guilty, her belly looked dreadful and I lay with her that night downstairs. She was in a crate but the doors were open, really it was just a place for her to curl up in some blankets. She whined a bit but we think that is because she weed in the crate as she could not get up to go to the loo. Then, would you believe it, that night, about 2am she got up and started getting lively again. It is amazing how they recover, it would take us weeks to get over the same operation, yet the next day I was fencing off everything like the stairs and the sofa as she was trying to jump up again. Other dogs may react differently of course, and the anaesthetic can affect them in different ways. The last lot of anaesthetic Maisy had at the vets took a week to get out of her system, yet the spay anaesthetic was only a few days. So don't worry, soon you will be wondering what you were worried about as you race around trying to calm her down and stop her leaping about.
When our boy Scooby had a general anaesthetic, he was badly affected by it for 72 hours. It was heartbreaking to see him so miserable.
It is usually the after affects to the anaesthetic which makes the dogs look so miserable. Mine never had painkillers to take afterwards, just an injection while at the vet. Some dogs are up and leaping around within an hour or two! You will fine @maisie17 that by tomorrow she will be leaping around and driving you potty trying to keep her quiet.
