I took my 1.5-year-old male Rottweiler to the vet today to be neutered. He was reactive before, but when we picked him up after surgery, he seemed fine. However, after being home for about five hours, he started freaking out. He’s shaking, running around with his tail between his legs, hiding in his kennel, panting, and drooling. The vet gave him a pain-managing injection that should last for a few days, so I don’t think it’s pain-related. His stitches look fine too. Has anyone else experienced this? Any advice on what might be happening would be greatly appreciated.
This sounds like it could be a reaction to coming out of anesthesia rather than the neutering itself.
Kitt said:
This sounds like it could be a reaction to coming out of anesthesia rather than the neutering itself.
Could it really be anesthesia if it started hours after he got home? He was fine for a while after we picked him up.
@Kade
It’s possible. My dog acted similarly after surgery. She was disoriented and distressed for about 24 hours. The vet said it was a normal reaction to the anesthesia wearing off.
BellaPetLover said:
@Kade
It’s possible. My dog acted similarly after surgery. She was disoriented and distressed for about 24 hours. The vet said it was a normal reaction to the anesthesia wearing off.
When I read this, I thought you were talking about your girlfriend, and I was nodding along like, ‘Yeah, that tracks.’ Surgery can make anyone act out of sorts!
@kevo
Haha! Thanks for the laugh! But yes, anesthesia can definitely make pets behave strangely.
It could be nerve pain or a reaction to the medications. I would call your vet and describe his behavior. It might be nothing serious, but it’s worth checking in.
Kai said:
It could be nerve pain or a reaction to the medications. I would call your vet and describe his behavior. It might be nothing serious, but it’s worth checking in.
The vet is closed now, but there’s a 24-hour vet about an hour and a half away. I’ll give them a call to ask.
@Kade
Good idea. It’s always better to be safe and check in.
It sounds more like nausea than pain. Anesthesia can make dogs nauseous, and that could be what’s causing the panting and drooling. I’d monitor him and give it until tomorrow, but if he’s still struggling, definitely check in with your vet.
He’s likely just reacting to the meds wearing off. My dog acted similarly after surgery and was back to normal after a day. Just keep an eye on him.
Vernon said:
He’s likely just reacting to the meds wearing off. My dog acted similarly after surgery and was back to normal after a day. Just keep an eye on him.
He’s calmed down a bit but still panting and drooling. I’ll monitor him closely overnight.
Maybe he needs some calming meds. Sometimes vets prescribe gabapentin to help dogs relax after surgery. You could ask the emergency vet if that might help him.
Kasey said:
Maybe he needs some calming meds. Sometimes vets prescribe gabapentin to help dogs relax after surgery. You could ask the emergency vet if that might help him.
He does take calming pills when we go on long drives or to unfamiliar places. I gave him some when we got home, but I’ll check if it’s safe to give him more with the meds from the surgery.
@Kade
Definitely check with the vet before giving more, especially with the other meds in his system.
Drooling can sometimes be a sign of nausea or pain. I would call the vet to be safe and monitor him closely in the meantime.
Indigo said:
Drooling can sometimes be a sign of nausea or pain. I would call the vet to be safe and monitor him closely in the meantime.
Thanks, I’ll definitely keep a close eye on him.