Search forum
Back to German Shepherd Dog
Liked top 20
ForumsGerman Shepherd Dog > New to site, my 9yr old GS had surgery this morning, concerned... (16 replies)
New to site, my 9yr old GS had surgery this morning, concerned... by LuvmypupVA on 18 July 2012 - 02:43 |
So my 9 year old female GS had surgery this morning to remove a mass she had behind her ear. While in surgery they also spayed her. It has been 10 hours now after her surgery and she has not gone to the bathroom. She is laid out on the floor with the cone on her head, she just looks miserable. I've managed to get her to take her meds with a few pieces of german bologna but she won't drink anything even out of my hand. |
by melba on 18 July 2012 - 02:59 |
| You could try taking the cone off and taking her outside. I had the same problems with a kitty... I'd take the cone off while I could directly supervise her so she could eat and go potty comfortably. If you have to fight her to get the cone back on, don't take it off a second time. Melissa |
melba by Blitzen on 18 July 2012 - 03:00 |
| I think it's normal. Some dogs take longer to recover from surgery and anesthesia than others. As long as she's not vomiting I'd just let her be until morning. If you're still concerned then, call the vet. |
Blitzen by Sunsilver on 18 July 2012 - 03:04 |
| Check her incision. Is she bleeding? Spaying is major surgery, and if the vet doesn't tighten the sutures enough, a dog can bleed to death. Are her gums nice and pink? If they are pale, that's a sign of blood loss, and you should take her to an emergency clinic. Can she walk? If she's too weak/sleepy to walk, I would definitely be concerened. I assume she hasn't urinated yet. It's not unusual for the organs of the body to shut down for awhile after surgery. I've often had a hard time getting the ol' bladder to work after an anesthetic myself. Pain meds can make the problem worse, as they slow down body systems. Does the vet have an emergency number you can call to talk to someone? I'm a bit hesitant to say "YES, you MUST take her to the E.R., because I know how much money that costs, and it does take older animals longer to get the anesthetic out of their system, but I'd definitely be a bit worried at this point if it were my dog. |
Sunsilver by LuvmypupVA on 18 July 2012 - 03:04 |
| I will try taking the cone off, hopefully it helps but I really don't think it's the cone. She is just so weak. She tried to get up twice but only made it up onto her front legs then slid back down to the floor and put her head down. If taking the cone off for a few minutes tonight doesn't work I will let her be till morning and then try again. Thanks for the advise I really do appreciate it. |
by LuvmypupVA on 18 July 2012 - 03:13 |
| Her inscision looks fine no blood and her gums are nice and pinkish. She hasn't done anything when it comes to going potty. She is awake, just laying there. She is on prednisone, tramadol, and cephalexin. The mass was quite large that they removed and she had all the bells and whistles during surgery. All the top monitoring systems and blood work. They found some cysts on her ovaries so those are being biopsied. Poor baby has been through a lot today. |
by LuvmypupVA on 18 July 2012 - 03:20 |
My husband said when he picked her up after surgery she was weak but got up and walked to the car where he lifted her in. Once home she walked around the house a little then after a short while she plopped down and hasn't really moved since. That was around 4:30 this afternoon, and is now 11:20pm |
by hexe on 18 July 2012 - 03:36 |
| Some dogs, especially if they are very lean or very fat, require more time for the liver and kidneys to filter the anesthetic agents out of their system than others, so it doesn't worry me that she's lethargic, since you've checked her gum color and her incision and both look good. It's also not surprising that she's not interested in food or drink, nor that she hasn't gone potty, either--the anesthesia does have a slowing effect on the normal activity of the intestinal tract, so it's not efficiently moving waste through it at the moment. The more liquid you can get her to drink, the quicker you'll get her to start urinating, and the more she urinates, the more she sheds the residual anesthetic agents...so I suggest offering her more tempting liquids to drink: warmed broth (chicken or beef, and don't worry if it's not low-sodium, as the salt will help increase her thirst), milk (if she's always tolerated that well)...if all else fails, get some beef out of your freezer, defrost it in a bowl in the microwave so you can collect the bloody run-off, and 'bait' plain water with it--that's an old musher's (dogsledder) trick, baiting the water or snow with blood to get dogs to drink after running. She will also need you to actively MAKE her get up and go outside, and you'll probably need to support her a bit because she'll still be unsteady on her pins--but left to her own devices, it's unlikely she'll do much moving until tomorrow morning, and it will take longer for the anesthesia to get out of her system. Here's hoping the biopsies come back clean and the surgeries resolved both situations. |
by yellowrose of Texas on 18 July 2012 - 03:50 |
| Since she has rested a lot, go ahead and take off the cone off of her, and get her up and moving.. Use a long towel to help her walk like a sling...if you have to...get her outside and she will automatically try to urinate. she needs liquids no solids right now...get liquids down her any way you can...electrolites from baby lite,(Pedialite from STORE) or like Hexe said..bait her anyway you can...ice cubes melted in a bowl,... blood from some raw hamburger , but outside she will be more inclined after she walks..but you do need to get kidneys going...put water in a straw and see if she will swallow it. Try any trick you can...but she does need to walk around and this will stimulate the desire to drink more than letting her lay....use a towel for a sling to help hold her up....broth from chicken , anything. open a can of tuna drain the juice in a bowl...doesn't matter what liquid it is right now...just try anything. YR Any one expecting to have surgery on any dog should order from www.revivalanimal.com or some such, an electrolite tube of supplement to have ready when dog comes out of anesthesia and or surgery at home...YOU have to put electrolites back in dog.. THEY do not want to eat so you must supply with supplements..and sometimes back to hospital with an IV if you do not push fluids.... you can look on internet catalog site for what I am talking about..I do not have it in front of me..but it is in the vitamin med section YR |
yellowrose of Texas by Hundmutter on 18 July 2012 - 11:00 |
| My vet always hands out a Recovery Sheet after any surgery, which says (among other instructions) do not worry if they don't want to eat or evacuate for 24 hrs, its the anasthetic.(As Hexe posted, system all gets slowed down). Also how many days to give on-lead exercise only, diet, & stuff like that. Maybe American vets could learn something from the Brits if they don't offer this kind of help regularly; a lot of posts on here would seem to indicate that they don't. You pay vets enough, folks - insist on good service ! |
Hundmutter by LuvmypupVA on 18 July 2012 - 13:26 |
Well she seems to be doing much better this morning. She is moving around a little and I helped her outside to go potty. I followed the advice on here and managed to get her to drink some water through a syringe. Granted the vet didn't give any take home papers on care for my baby girl but I am very happy with the vet she saw. My family is going on vacation this weekend and will be gone for 10 days but my mother is going to stay with my dog to keep an eye on her and take care of her. However she doesn't drive ( never has ) so the vet said if my mom feels Jasmine needs to be seen or has any concerns that the vet will make a house call and take her in if needed. I really appreciate all of the advice you guys have given. She is our first German Shepard and she is the best pet I have ever had. I just want her back to her normal self but I know that is going to take a few weeks. |
by Sunsilver on 18 July 2012 - 13:34 |
Now that she's feeling better, please DO NOT leave the cone off unless she's supervised! Every vet out there has stitched up dogs that have ripped their sutures out, and since the vet had to open up her abdomen to spay her, it could have VERY serious consequences if she does this! |
by AmbiiGSD on 18 July 2012 - 14:35 |
| Most bitches at some point within the first 24 hrs will have convinced you that they are dying... they usually aren't but they like you to think they are! Hopefully your girl is back on her feet very soon :) |
AmbiiGSD by swingfield on 18 July 2012 - 17:59 |
| The Tramadol will sometimes make them feel loopy and will slow the bowel tract down a bit.. and since she went in on an empty stomach .. things tend to stop and then slowly get back to normal with food and water.. it is normal for that to happen.. its usually a defense mechanism that the body does itself to protect the other more important organs to regain oxygen and nutrients!! I am glad to hear she is doing better! try not to let her shake her head or scratch that insision on the area behind her ear!! Phew.. I hope everything runs smoothly when you are gone.. kinda rotten timing !! good luck !! sherry |
swingfield by LuvmypupVA on 19 July 2012 - 01:49 |
Thanks everyone really! I came home from work this evening and she came to the door barking :). My husband told me she has we to the bathroom several times today and has had her first bowel movement. She's doing 100% better this evening. Up and moving around like a champ! I haven't taken the cone off at all because last night it just wasn't possible and I worked all day. My husband said the vet said to just leave it on and she seems to be ok with it other than running into the door frames and couch when walking around. I know perfect timing right before vacation but we can't reschedule. Just happy my mother will be here to take care of her. Again thank you everyone for your advice and prayers. It really has helped! Tina |
by hexe on 19 July 2012 - 02:25 |
yellowrose, WRT the electrolytes post-surgery, it's unlikely to be necessary these days, as at least 90% of all veterinarians have the animal on IV fluids DURING the surgery, in order to not only keep them hydrated and keep the electrolyte balances, but also to aid in keeping the animal from becoming hypothermic during the procedure, too. The reason for getting liquids into them by mouth after you get them home is to flush the kidneys of the anesthetics, not for rehydration. |
by swingfield on 19 July 2012 - 15:18 |
| Tina.. glad she is up and about.. some dogs take the anesthetic differently.. active and happy is a good sign.. sometimes the pain meds can make her think she can do more.. so that might work against you.. if she feels a bit of pain she might not get 'too' active for her to heal ! there are pros and cons on pain meds.. just my opinion and what I tell my clients! I personally give Rimadyl or Tramadol the first day and then let them 'deal' with the pain a bit to keep them in check! just have mom check her incision sights for any terrible rednees bleeding pus or really swollen spots.. she should be good to go !! awesome .. thanks for the updates we like following up on these !! |
Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!