What this means
After anaesthesia a dog may be drowsy for several hours, wobble, and eat or drink less than usual. The clinic will normally say how long this can last and when your dog should look like itself again. What matters is not that the dog is sleepy but whether it recovers within the time the clinic gave, and whether it is getting better.
Some dogs are more sensitive to anaesthesia than others: they take longer to wake, stay drowsy for longer, feel cold or are hard to rouse. This can be an inherited sensitivity, but there are other possible reasons, such as another illness, age or a combination of medicines. The clinic team works out the cause, not the owner, so there is nothing to guess at or try at home.
If your dog is still very drowsy, cold, wobbly or hard to rouse once the time the clinic gave has passed, do not wait until morning and do not hope it will pass by itself. Phone the clinic right away and describe what you see. If you can, say when you brought your dog home, how it looked at first and how it has changed since. If your dog has had a bad reaction to anaesthesia before, tell the clinic before any later procedure.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your dog.
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Sensitivity to anaesthesia
Some dogs, particularly certain breeds, clear anaesthetic drugs more slowly. They sleep for longer and recover more slowly.
About the condition: Sensitivity to anesthesia -
Other health problems
A liver or kidney problem can slow the way medicines leave the body. The clinic team usually knows about this from tests beforehand.
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Age or body build
Very young, old or very lean dogs may feel the effects for longer. They also lose body heat faster.
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Low body temperature
After a procedure a dog may be chilled, which slows recovery further. It may shiver or feel cold to touch.
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Interaction with other medicines
Some medicines act more strongly or for longer together with anaesthesia. Always tell the clinic about every medicine your dog is given.
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- When your dog left the clinic and what the team said about recovery
- How easily it can be woken and whether it responds to your voice
- Whether it wobbles, cannot stand or struggles to keep its balance
- Whether its body feels cold to touch or it is shivering
- Whether it seems to be improving, staying the same or getting worse
- Whether it has vomited, is breathing oddly or refuses to drink
When to book a routine visit
If your dog stays very drowsy, cold or unsteady for longer than the clinic said, phone the clinic that carried out the procedure straight away and describe what you see.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
Body systems: General health