How do I care for my dog after sedation?
After coming home from any procedure requiring an anaesthetic or sedation, your pet should be kept in a warm, dry, quiet and ideally indoor location in the 24 hours following discharge from our clinic. Your pet may still be a little bit drowsy after he/she goes home with you.
When you take your pet home after surgery, he/she will usually be a little drowsy, though hyper pets may still appear hyper when they are reunited with their owners. Even if your pet doesn’t seem sleepy, we ask that you help them in and out of the car and help them with any steps when they get home. Once home, your pet will be safest if restricted to one or two rooms where you can keep an eye on them. Most pets will prefer a warm, quiet, and dimly lit room in which to sleep for the rest of the night. You can offer your pet small amounts of water but don’t be surprised if they are not thirsty since they were well hydrated with IV fluids during the anesthetic procedure. If your pet seems hungry, you can offer small amounts of food but we recommend not encouraging them to eat their entire regular dinner. The effects of the anesthesia will be minimal at most and usually nonexistent by the next morning.
If your pet does eat or drink too much, he or she may vomit. If that occurs, do not give anything orally for the rest of the night. If vomiting continues or you have any other emergent concerns, please call the clinic. If it is after hours, you will be given the emergency number to reach the on-call doctor.
When can I feed my dog?
A few hours after arriving at home, you may offer your dog approximately half of his normal dinner. If he eats this and still seems hungry, you may offer the rest of his meal approximately one hour later. Some dogs experience nausea after general anesthesia, so dividing the meal into smaller portions may decrease the risk of nausea and vomiting.
Unless otherwise instructed, your dog’s access to water should not be restricted.