Post Anesthetic Instructions

Your pet will receive medications to allow surgery or medical procedures. Depending on the type of anesthesia, health and age of your pet, your pet may experience some drowsiness and weakness. More advanced illness and older patients can have increased recovery times. Some forms of medication can be reversed and no side effects remain.

Some patients have intravenous catheters placed in a limb to administer medications. This will be removed prior to leaving the hospital, however a small pressure wrap may still be on their arm or leg. This can be removed once home or at an indicated time.

Your pet may have had an endotracheal tube placed to protect their airway. This may cause a mild irritated throat. A cough is possible but unusual after this procedure. If a post-anesthetic cough persists for more than one day please contact us.

Pets may have also received a pain prevention medication. Pain medications can cause lethargy and subtle weakness. Pain patches are very carefully regulated and require the pet to return for our nursing staff to remove and dispose of patches legally.

It is best to keep pets in a safe and comfortable environment. Pets have a more difficult time managing their body temperatures after anesthetics. In the cooler seasons, keep your pet well padded and warm with a pet bed or older quilt and usually keep indoors for at least 12 hours after returning home. In hotter weather pets may require being indoors with a fan or air conditioning. Please make sure pets are stable on their feet before allowing access to stairs or decking. For small dogs and cats, let them recover on the floor level as they could fall of a bed, sofa or chair before completely agile. Small children and other pets should also have limited exposure to the patient. Rarely your small pet may still be sleepy and wearing off the anesthetic medication, and we may ask that they remain in their travel carrier until a set time when they should be safe to move around.

Car rides home may cause some nausea especially after anesthesia. it is best to wait about 30 minutes after returning home to offer water.