Most dogs come home a little unsteady and sleepy after a general anesthetic, and that fog usually lifts within a day. The week that follows is less about the anesthetic itself and more about noticing the small changes that separate a normal, quiet recovery from a complication that needs the practice's attention while healing is still early.
The first evening home
Expect him to be drowsier than usual, perhaps wobbly on his back legs, and less interested in food until the drugs have fully cleared. A dry or soft cough is common after a breathing tube has sat in the windpipe, and some dogs shiver because anesthetic temporarily lowers body temperature. Set him up somewhere warm, draft-free, and away from stairs, offer water in small amounts rather than a full bowl he might gulp, and wait until he is properly awake before offering a light, bland meal. Keep other pets and excited children at a distance tonight — a groggy dog can snap or stumble in ways he never would when clear-headed.
Appetite, toilet, and energy through the week
By the morning after, most dogs are eating something and moving more normally, even if they tire faster on a short lead walk. Track the pattern rather than any single hour: appetite creeping back up, drinking returning to normal, and passing urine and stools without straining. A dog who is still refusing all food a full day after coming home, who vomits more than once, or who seems to sink back into dullness after initially brightening is not following the usual curve. Note when he last ate, drank, and went to the toilet, because that timeline is exactly what the vet will ask for if you call.
Watching the wound, bandage, or procedure site
Check any incision, dental extraction site, or bandaged limb morning and evening in good light. Mild bruising and slight swelling in the first couple of days can be part of healing, but spreading redness, heat, a bad smell, discharge, or stitches that gape need prompt advice. Stop licking at the source — a dog's tongue can open a wound and carry bacteria into it, so use the protective collar the practice supplied whenever you cannot watch him directly, including overnight. If a bandage slips, gets wet, or his toes below it look swollen or feel cool, that also warrants a call rather than a home rewrap.
Breathing, pain, and behaviour changes to take seriously
Resting breathing should settle back to his normal rhythm once the anesthetic has cleared. Laboured breathing, persistent coughing that worsens instead of easing, pale or blue-tinged gums, or collapse are urgent at any point in the week. Pain can be quiet in a recovering dog: restlessness, panting at rest, guarding the operated area, reluctance to lie down, or a sudden change in temperament can all be his way of showing it. Never top him up with human pain relief from your own cabinet — several common household medicines are dangerous for dogs — ring the practice and describe what you are seeing instead.
When to call the practice without waiting
Call the same day if he has not eaten by the day after surgery, vomits repeatedly, has diarrhoea that does not settle, strains to pass urine, or seems more painful rather than less as the days pass. Treat breathing difficulty, collapse, uncontrolled bleeding, or a wound that has opened as an emergency and go straight in. Having his procedure details, discharge instructions, and medication list gathered in his KinsLe Pet Passport means whoever answers the phone can see exactly what was done and when, without you hunting through paperwork while worried.