As your dog undergoes surgery, you need to trust them to follow the care instructions from their vet. These may include instructions regarding hygiene around the surgical site and diet restrictions or other specifics. Your vet should also provide guidelines that will aid recovery as quickly and without complications as possible.
Most surgeries performed under general anesthesia can have long-lasting repercussions for dogs’ behavior afterward, including seeming confused and disoriented; not aware of familiar people and animals in its environment or sometimes even acting aggressive toward unfamiliar adults or children. Such behavioral changes are all expected side effects from general anesthesia; hopefully they’ll resolve quickly after surgery is completed.
Your pet may require surgery and you will likely be instructed to keep them in a crate or other enclosed space for an appropriate length of time, to allow their surgical site to heal properly. This may mean restricting walking, play and other activities which could stretch or irritate it such as playing or walking; mental stimulation during this period is important in staving off boredom while protecting from potential licking or chewing on injured sites.
Your dog needs a safe place that is quiet and free from people, children and other pets in order to rest and recover after surgery or anesthesia. They will likely want to remain sleeping when returning home; if that proves unsuccessful, try playing soothing nose puzzles or tug-o-war with soft toys such as soft stuffed animals that won’t require excessive movement from them.
Panting and open mouth breathing during rest are not typical behaviors for dogs and could indicate infection or hemorrhage. Be on the lookout for any unexpected oozing, swelling or changes at surgical sites for any oozing, swelling or other developments which arise that are out of the ordinary and report them immediately to a veterinarian if any occur.
Many dogs may need assistance after surgery to urinate on their own and require assistance. Seek advice from your vet on how best to support and carry or support your pup when attempting to urinate; using blankets or towels if necessary as slings if they become an issue. Failure to urinate should be treated as an urgent medical matter and treated accordingly.
Your vet may arrange for a follow-up visit with you and your pet to monitor its recovery progress. Even if everything appears normal, attending this appointment can provide insight that would not otherwise be apparent, including quick detection and treatment of complications as they arise, helping your pup make a speedy recovery process.
