# Refusing to walk or stand after neuter--day 2



## PoodlePowerBC

This does not seem right to me! 2 days seems enough time to recover from a neuter.


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## Debra J

This does not seem right to me either. I have never heard anyone say this before and never experienced this with any of my dogs. My spoo Khyber I had neutered when he was 2 yrs old and he was fine. Did you bring your dog back to the vet or call him? Did your vet give you any pain medicine? Use your instincts even if you have to bring him to an emergency walk in vet just to get a second opinion. Our dogs rely on us to be their voice. When my dog Khyber was diagnosed with Addison's I called my vet and she told me that my dog had blood work a month prior that where normal. I spoke up with a determined voice that there was something wrong with my dog, and then she said come right over i'll wait. Thank goodness I did his kidneys were shutting down. So that's why I tell you to use your gut instincts. 


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## julietcr1

This is not normal, Sushi was neutered 2 weeks ago at 12 months old and the same day he could sit and walk. The next day he was jumping on the sofa and trying to play with my older dog. I would bring him to a vet to have him check, he could be in a great pain.

I know Sushi had a 24 hours pain killer shot before leaving the vet clinic.


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## Chagall's mom

I don't know what instructions your vet gave you for post-op pain management, or what he told you to expect. But I would not be shy about speaking with him again to get some clarification. How old is your poodle? My mpoo was neutered young and never showed any signs of pain, other than finding me to be a pain for limiting his activity while he healed.

I googled to see what advice might be out there and found this. I sure hope your boy if feeling better soon! 

Male Dog Neutering - all you need to know.
Pain after surgery (common).
It is not uncommon for dogs to show some signs of mild to moderate discomfort and pain immediately after having a desexing surgery. It stands to reason: the vet has just performed a surgical procedure on a very delicate area of the male body.

Dogs that are in discomfort after desexing will normally show signs suggestive of pain in the groin region. *The animal may pant a lot; pace the room (not want to settle); adopt a stiff hind leg gait (these animals are reluctant to move their hind legs much when walking) and refuse to sit down in a normal sitting posture. *Some dogs will be irritated by the sutures and/or by the fact that the delicate scrotal skin was shaved (and thus abraded a little) and keep licking the region obsessively (this licking needs to be discouraged by placing an Elizabethan Collar on the dog or a bitterant on the wound - see section 5 on aftercare). *Some dogs will even go off their food for a few days after desexing because of the discomfort.....*

Most vets send their neutering patients home with a few days of pain relief as a matter of course, however, some vet clinics do not. *If you haven't been sent home with any pain relief for your pet and your pet shows signs of pain after surgery, you can return to your vet clinic and request pain relief pills* - these will normally be enough to keep your pet comfortable. If your pet is very old or it has compromised kidney or liver function, certain pain medications may not be recommended and other pain relief solutions may need to be found....

*If your pet's discomfort lasts more than about 1-3 days after surgery, you should seek advice from your vet.** Most pets don't show signs of surgical discomfort beyond about 3 days and pain persisting beyond this point may be a sign of wound infection, suture-line reaction or some other issue.*


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## Mr Babykins Jasper

My dog did not walk or eat for 24 hours after the procedure. He had to be carried out to pee and then just laid there until he was carried back in. It could be the effects of the anesthetic and pain killers---but I would call and ask.


Please let us know what happens.


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## medmom2002

*Things are not better*

2 days later, and still not really trying to walk. 
Went to the vet yesterday, who thought this was stress and pain-related. We took off the cone today after seeing the vet, and Pushkin went right back for incision, before I even could grab and pull him away... having accidents (never happened before) but not peeing outside when we carry him out. In fact, has not peed since 10:30 am... Not playing, not getting up, looking sick... I wonder if he had a problem before neuter that got uncovered? He was a perfect dog until this Tuesday--playful and smart and trained, but we only had him for 3 weeks...


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## My babies

Is he on pain meds? If not, I would ask the vet for some.

I don't think it's normal for him to still be in pain after neutering if its been since Tuesday. Gucci was back to his normal self the next evening after the surgery. It was harder to try to get him not to run around and be himself. 

Is he eating normally?


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## PoodlePowerBC

medmom2002 said:


> 2 days later, and still not really trying to walk.
> Went to the vet yesterday, who thought this was stress and pain-related. He was a perfect dog until this Tuesday--playful and smart and trained, but we only had him for 3 weeks...


Poor guy! I would imagine he'ld be stressed if he was rehomed 3 weeks ago. But dogs are so resilient! 
I sure hope you get this figured out  How old is your baby-boy?


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## Abbe gails Mom

Did the vet put him on any pain meds? If not Ask for a very mild one, start giving him some low sodium warm broth,mine like chicken, beef,&veg.After they start drinking the broth pretty well, I will some times mix a little pediatric electrolyte water in it.Please,don't misunderstand, what Im going tosay, this is just the way I am, if things don't get better very soon, or after all this is said & done, me and that vet, would have a come to Jesus,meating, just in case I might need to find a new vet, that understands me, and my baby.Good luck, hope by the time you get this, your little one is up,& running about. Kay


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## outwest

medmom2002 said:


> We took off the cone today after seeing the vet, and Pushkin went right back for incision, ...


Aaahhhh....here's the clue right there. The cone. My sister in laws poodle had a cone on when he came back from the vet. He would not eat, would not drink, would not walk and also had to be carried out. She called it the cone of shame. She took it off and luckily he did not bother his sutures at all. Within a couple hours he was up and about.

It's the cone.


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## katbrat

Like Outwest said it sounds like the cone is it. The two times we had to use a cone with Lexi, she turned to stone. She would not walk, turn or lay down, she would just stand there. I thought if I gave her time it would change, but it didn't.


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## petitpie

How is Pushkin?


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## Chagall's mom

medmom2002 said:


> 2 days later, and still not really trying to walk.
> Went to the vet yesterday, who thought this was stress and pain-related. We took off the cone today after seeing the vet, and Pushkin went right back for incision, before I even could grab and pull him away... *having accidents (never happened before) but not peeing outside when we carry him out. In fact, has not peed since 10:30 am.*.. Not playing, not getting up, looking sick... I wonder if he had a problem before neuter that got uncovered? He was a perfect dog until this Tuesday--playful and smart and trained, but we only had him for 3 weeks...


*medmom2002*: Poor Pushkin! He's in a new home and he just had surgery and he feels lousy! I feel for the poor guy. I'm just going to throw out some thoughts because I want to help, they maybe way off the mark, but here goes:

If you can catch even a little bit of urine before it hits the floor, maybe take a fresh sample to your vet for a quick dip stick test to check for a UTI. 

Another possibility is simple swelling in the area may be pressing on nerves that are causing him to feel pressure on his bladder. Some kind of anti-inflammatory meds might help with that, you might discuss that with the vet.

Some people have success putting a bitterant like Yuck! around the incision to prevent the dog from fussing with it, but failing that, the cone is the way to go. You could try one of the inflatable dog collars instead to see if it will work for him, but keep your receipt, they don't always. 

When did the vet ask to see Pushkin again? And listen, you may like your vet very much and he/she may be terrific, but if you aren't seeing improvement, think about getting a second opinion. Maybe ask your friends which vets they use so you have one lined up.

I hope Pushkin's recovery is already coming along by the time you read this. Wishing him, and you, well!:clover:


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## Fluffyspoos

My dogs sulk like the floor is made of glue when they have to be coned. That's still scary though, please keep us updated.


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## Angl

Now I'm scared about Max's neutering on 1/22. All of my previous dogs never had cones and never bothered their incisions. I sooo hope they don't send a cone home with Max. I hate those things.

I know they did tell me that he would receive an injection with pain medication that would last 24 hours.


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## CT Girl

My Aussie was neutered at 12 because he had an enlarged prostrate. He hated the cone but not to the extent of having to be carried two days after the procedure. The first day he was wobbly because he was put under but your dog seems worse. To make sure I would have another vet check him. I hope he starts to feel better soon


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## Oklahoma

Angl said:


> Now I'm scared about Max's neutering on 1/22. All of my previous dogs never had cones and never bothered their incisions. I sooo hope they don't send a cone home with Max. I hate those things.
> 
> I know they did tell me that he would receive an injection with pain medication that would last 24 hours.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


Don't worry at all! I've had dogs my entire life, some poodles and we've also fostered a lot of rescues. We've taken care of about 10 dogs in the last 2 years after being fixed and we've never had a complication! It's a very safe procedure nowadays. Even the older foster dogs we helped through being fixed were resilient and bounced right back. We did have one Lhasa pup that had to wear a cone because she wouldn't leave the incision alone, but she did fine even with the cone.

Complications from the procedure aren't very common so don't stress. Just make sure that you're communicating with your vet and watching your poodle closely afterwards. We always make sure they get a pain injection and then we get some meds to take home, just to be safe. With puppies, they typically don't need much by way of the pain meds. Adult dogs seem experience more pain.


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## medmom2002

Hi, everyone,

First of all, thanks to everyone for caring, for suggestions, and for getting involved. Pushkin is very little changed at home. So yesterday, we took him to a friend's house where 4 other dogs live. He had a blast--first, he went running around the yard with them--and peeing and pooping like there never was any problem. Then, he spent the rest of the night lying down, as he does at home--but definitely showling his normal cheerful personality--asking people to pet him and jumping on the couch a few times between walking dragging his legs. I wonder, if you are right and a lot of this is emotional--transition from homeless to shelter to a new unknown home and getting taken to surgery by the family he does not probably trust yet? That and added cone/ pain in spite of daily pain meds. We are going for a second opinion if things at home don't change by Thursday, but that was extremely reassuring. This morning, however, with the cone off and diaper on, he shows no interest in geting out of bed. I wonder if we totally confused him by babying so much last week?


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## CT Girl

That is a very positive sign. I am still concerned that he is dragging his legs and that is not an emotional response. Usually your dog should be back to normal after this much time. I hope heck iTunes to improve.


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## Eddiepoo

I had both of my dogs neutered at one year of age, they recovered quickly without complications. I personally would want another vet to check and give their opinion. Hope your puppy is soon well


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## Poodlemama99

Does he drag legs all the time? If not probably emotional. If he always drags them I would have the vet check that out. My Omar is melodramatic and plays to the crowd. He drags his legs, refuses to walk, limps etc when he gets a vaccine. Crazy dog. 


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## Chagall's mom

It's good to hear Pushkin had fun running around with your friend's dogs. Shows when he's motivated he can indeed get up and go, what a relief!

Still just throwing out guesses (it's all I've got!). He may drag his rear legs at times because he's sore from some minimal nerve damage. (Ever had sciatica? The pain relief by changing positions can be partial or complete.) Nerves are pretty easy to damage and heal slowly, but it sounds like you're seeing progress, so hopefully it will continue until he's 100%. It's possible the position he was in on the surgical table created the issue. As for his leg dragging being emotional, I do know poodles are sensitive creatures, my own certainly is. And Pushkin's sure been through _a lot _in short order. Still, I'd want to rule out any physical causes to be on the safe side, as you're considering with perhaps a second opinion.

Do you have food puzzles or treat dispensing toys for him to play with at home? That might busy his mind and lift his spirits. Will he engage in interactive games with you, like hide-and-seek, or nose work games for him to sniff out hidden goodies? Again, good for the mind and the body, and your relationship. If he is emotionally stressed, establishing and keeping to a steady routine might help too. If he knows what to expect and can count on what's going to happen, he may feel more relaxed and secure. Still just throwing out random ideas, but I'll stop now.:biggrin1:

It will be so good to hear when he's well and running with glee!:vroam:


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## medmom2002

Went to another vet yesterday for a second opinion--of course, Pushkin was jumpy, hyper, playful, adorable, and appearing absolutely normal when at the office. I am beginning to believe this is emotional--because as soon as we got home he went back to his bed and could not be forced to stand or drink or do anything, including refusing to go out. Maybe he's afraid of us? I like Chagall's mom's idea of sticking with routine. We'll try that. He did go for the toy a few times--so there is definitely progress-and he ran upstairs after me to go to bed--huge progress!
We have our Family Dog Class this Saturday. Hopefully, they'll have some ideas and we'll have our perfect dog back . Again, thanks everyone and I'll update when changes. Planning follow-up with new vet in 1 week.


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## Poodlemama99

I think he is angry at you for taking his man jewels away!!!!!!!! Poor guy lost his identity. It took many trips back to the vet after Omar's neutering before he did not act up. He just hates her. Hahahaha. 


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## medmom2002

Quick update to everyone who has helped with advice and support:
Pushkin is up and about, running, walking, happy and showing no sign of problem. I think--however funny--he was in fact scared that we were going to do something else to him. He is not yet eagerly following commands as he did before, and sleeping lots more than prior to procedure--but we'll take it--and we'll see what passage of time does to his energy and excitement. Hopefully, not a permanent hormonal change making him lazy :-( In any case, back to dog school tomorrow and hope for the best. HUGE THANKS TO EVERYONE!


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## sweetheartsrodeo

medmom2002 said:


> --he was in fact scared that we were going to do something else to him. QUOTE]
> 
> I have to laugh... Right after Remington was neutered, he would check to make sure everything was still there... He would lay down on his side, and lift his leg and have a good long look. Every once in a while he will give it a lick then put his leg down.. He will still look and check out everything when I am done shaving him and look at me like "Mom you left my thing-a-ma-gigger right?!"


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## acanad

my poodle is 11m, male. just received neuter last Fri. He was shaking and very quiet since we took him home. He was given pain killer once a day for two days. We noticed that he is not willing to walk. he will sit or lay down all day long, he lift one of his hind leg since yesterday (Mon) and pain killer was give last Sat/Sun. he don't even pee or poo outside since last night. I left him on the lawn, he will just sit, no walking. I checked his wound. The area looks blood red, but the cut looks normal. His hind legs are shaking when try to stand.
We had him for about 8 months and he was very active. Probabaly he is suffering the pain. this is 4th day.


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## twyla

acanad said:


> my poodle is 11m, male. just received neuter last Fri. He was shaking and very quiet since we took him home. He was given pain killer once a day for two days. We noticed that he is not willing to walk. he will sit or lay down all day long, he lift one of his hind leg since yesterday (Mon) and pain killer was give last Sat/Sun. he don't even pee or poo outside since last night. I left him on the lawn, he will just sit, no walking. I checked his wound. The area looks blood red, but the cut looks normal. His hind legs are shaking when try to stand.
> We had him for about 8 months and he was very active. Probabaly he is suffering the pain. this is 4th day.


you may want to start your own thread, this thread is 7 years old and also check in your own vet


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## Rose n Poos

twyla said:


> you may want to start your own thread, this thread is 7 years old and also check in your own vet


Yes, please do start your own thread and very definitely call your vet asap!


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## PeggyTheParti

Oh! Poor boy!

Please let us know what the vet says. It does sound like he's in an awful lot of pain, which is not normal. 

(This probably goes without saying, but do make sure he sees an experienced, well-respected vet. Low-cost spay/neuter clinics have a higher rate of complications.)


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## acanad

an update. on Day 3, we brought him in to the same vet. He was inspected. said there is a bit red so the vet give us two tubes of extra pain-killer/infectiion. The vet mentioned that mostly it's due to that he is under weight and looking for pity. 

Sometimes we feed him the human food from the table so he does not like the dog food, either dry or wet.

I tried to make home-made with the muffin reciept: 50% ground pork, two egg, grinded oat, carrot, sweat potato and cooked bean. mixed as muffin and Baked at 350F for 50minutes.

The poodle just love it. He is so happy with the food. 
Day 5, he seems to be back to normal.
Day 8th, I made another pan of muffin. he just love it and run with all day happiness.

We also try to feed him only after we finish. No matter how he begged, no food from the table. 

Thank you everybody here.


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## PeggyTheParti

I'm so happy he's feeling better! And I love imagining him running around joyfully after his muffin. 

Do keep trying to figure out a dog-appropriate diet for him, though. He might temporarily thrive on snacks, but vitamin and other deficiencies might creep up.

There are so many dog foods out there. 

Maybe try a raw diet that you can purchase already prepared? There are also foods like Honest Kitchen that are human quality, but designed to meet a dog's nutritional needs.

We recently started adding Weruva chicken & gravy to Peggy's kibble and she devours it. It's available in Canada.


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## Rose n Poos

Happy news!!


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## Ready Bear

medmom2002 said:


> Hi,
> Our dog had his neuter on Tuesday (2 days ago). He has refused to walk or stand since the procedure. I carry him out every few hours, and while outside, he limps a few steps, pees while sitting, and just stays sitting except may be a few steps. His lower body is shaking--I am assuming from pain, when trying to stand or walk. At home, he just lays down, does not even get up to eat or drink.
> The vet says this could be normal since he is not a puppy. Has anyone seen this? When do we expect things to get better? Does not want to eat or play. I force him to drink, but that's about it.:afraid:


Hi there, I am going through exactly what you did now. Our Teddy, 6 months Poodle/Terrier, had the operation Wednesday & now Friday. He hasn’t walked since & stands but sits straight down, scuttles around his mat. He is on pain killers, 1/2 tablet a day. I’ve been back to the Vet yesterday & they say everything is fine, he’s just being scaredy-cat! He was so active before & is so smart, I don’t believe he’s just scared. Did your dog start walking again or was there something wrong? So worried & wish I never got it done 😢


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## alwayson

medmom2002 said:


> Hi,
> Our dog had his neuter on Tuesday (2 days ago). He has refused to walk or stand since the procedure. I carry him out every few hours, and while outside, he limps a few steps, pees while sitting, and just stays sitting except may be a few steps. His lower body is shaking--I am assuming from pain, when trying to stand or walk. At home, he just lays down, does not even get up to eat or drink.
> The vet says this could be normal since he is not a puppy. Has anyone seen this? When do we expect things to get better? Does not want to eat or play. I force him to drink, but that's about it.:afraid:


 No and I have older dogs neuter and they are walking and some next day tail is wagging . I would try another vet . something is wrong , unless he is so spoiled . all of mine are but never have had that problem .


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## Rose n Poos

acanad said:


> Day 5, he seems to be back to normal.
> Day 8th, I made another pan of muffin. he just love it and run with all day happiness.


It's so normal to worry. If only they could tell us how they feel! Keep checking with your vet. Does the surgical site seem to be healing? Is there new redness or swelling? If you think so, can you take a picture and email it to your vet? How long has this vet been seeing your pets? Is there a history? Ask your vet if you can increase the pain med for a day but *do not* do that on your own 

My boys were done on May 17 2017 and it was almost a week before I wrote that they seemed to have both returned to normal behavior. My smaller boy, Remo, seemed to have a bit more trouble recovering. He would take a few steps then drop his rear to the ground but was better by the 24th. It is surgery and some respond harder and take longer to recover than others. 

Stay in touch with your vet.


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## kliddle

medmom2002 said:


> Hi, everyone,
> 
> First of all, thanks to everyone for caring, for suggestions, and for getting involved. Pushkin is very little changed at home. So yesterday, we took him to a friend's house where 4 other dogs live. He had a blast--first, he went running around the yard with them--and peeing and pooping like there never was any problem. Then, he spent the rest of the night lying down, as he does at home--but definitely showling his normal cheerful personality--asking people to pet him and jumping on the couch a few times between walking dragging his legs. I wonder, if you are right and a lot of this is emotional--transition from homeless to shelter to a new unknown home and getting taken to surgery by the family he does not probably trust yet? That and added cone/ pain in spite of daily pain meds. We are going for a second opinion if things at home don't change by Thursday, but that was extremely reassuring. This morning, however, with the cone off and diaper on, he shows no interest in geting out of bed. I wonder if we totally confused him by babying so much last week?


How did Pushkin recover? My poodle/bishon mix had cryptorchid neuter 3 days ago and is displaying all the symptoms you listed. He will not walk much, only scoots on his bum. I have taken him back to the vet they just have given more pain meds. Hope he gets back to normal?


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## Rose n Poos

kliddle said:


> How did Pushkin recover? My poodle/bishon mix had cryptorchid neuter 3 days ago and is displaying all the symptoms you listed. He will not walk much, only scoots on his bum. I have taken him back to the vet they just have given more pain meds. Hope he gets back to normal?


Hi and Welcome!

This thread is actually very old, over 8 years old now. Pushkins owner hasn't posted since then so a response from them is very unlikely.

You'll get help more effectively if you go to Member Introductions or Poodle Health to allow PF to greet you properly and respond to your concern in your own new thread.

FYI, recovery behaviors and time varies depending on the dog. Let us know what your vet said in your new thread .


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## Thekla

medmom2002 said:


> Hi,
> Our dog had his neuter on Tuesday (2 days ago). He has refused to walk or stand since the procedure. I carry him out every few hours, and while outside, he limps a few steps, pees while sitting, and just stays sitting except may be a few steps. His lower body is shaking--I am assuming from pain, when trying to stand or walk. At home, he just lays down, does not even get up to eat or drink.
> The vet says this could be normal since he is not a puppy. Has anyone seen this? When do we expect things to get better? Does not want to eat or play. I force him to drink, but that's about it.:afraid:


Hi. I am having similar concers regarding my mini schnauzer. He was neutered 3 days ago and is still spending his days completely inactive. I have to carry him outside and he trembles when I put him on the ground. He wears a onesy to keep fron licking the wound but he tries to lick through the fabric. I plan to call the Vet first thing tomorrow. Before his procedure he was a super active, athletic and playful 9 month old pup. I've been super worried all weekend...


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## Rose n Poos

Hi and Welcome to PF!

I'm sorry to hear your little guy is still having a hard time. Our focus is poodles, naturally, but I'm sure the procedure is much the same regardless of breed, with recovery times and processes as individual as each dog. 

It's not unusual for some to have a harder recovery but rarely are there serious complications. 

Definitely check with your vet to see if they'll check him out tomorrow, even if he starts acting more himself. Let us know of his progress.

It may help you rest to see the OP's follow up post:



acanad said:


> Day 5, he seems to be back to normal.
> Day 8th, I made another pan of muffin. he just love it and run with all day happiness.


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## Rhian

medmom2002 said:


> Hi,
> Our dog had his neuter on Tuesday (2 days ago). He has refused to walk or stand since the procedure. I carry him out every few hours, and while outside, he limps a few steps, pees while sitting, and just stays sitting except may be a few steps. His lower body is shaking--I am assuming from pain, when trying to stand or walk. At home, he just lays down, does not even get up to eat or drink.
> The vet says this could be normal since he is not a puppy. Has anyone seen this? When do we expect things to get better? Does not want to eat or play. I force him to drink, but that's about it.:afraid:


I know this was years ago. But how did you get on?. I've just had my puppy castrated and he's doing exactly the same thing. We're on day 3 😪 going back to vets tomorrow


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