[pacer1978]

Hello,
Sorry if this is too much detail, but I’d really like to explain the issue from beginning to end. Please bear with me.

I’m a pet owner that believes in overall health of my dog, which includes dental cleanings. I have a Weimaraner that has gone under anesthesia in the past, including other dental cleanings. Though the day of the surgery, she showed some anxiety and “dopiness” coming out of the anesthesia, she handled it well and was usually back to normal the next day. Recently, as of Monday 8/27, at 9 years old, she underwent another dental cleaning. Because of her age, we did do a blood panel. Monday we picked her up and she did have some pacing and whining as she probably still had some lingering affects of the anesthesia. She ate dinner (1/2 can of wet food, Costco Kirkland grain free). By night time she was pretty much fine and slept the night through. The next morning, we had our usual routine of using the bathroom, feeding, then me getting ready for work. She was completely fine from what I saw between 5am-7:00am. Her breakfast was a little dry kibble and 1/2 can of wet food (I alternate cans between two different brands so this was American Journey). She ate about 6:45-7:00. When I left for work, about 7:45, I noticed she was pacing downstairs, lightly drooling, and panting. This is not normal behavior because she usually stays in the chair asleep upstairs until my husband goes to work. A little odd and abnormal from her day to day behavior, but nothing too alarming. I did let my husband know of her behavior and asked him to check on her in a few minutes, but then left for work. Within about 30 minutes, he called to say he felt something was definitely wrong with her because she seemed to have jumped on the bed, but then seemed confused on how to get down. She seemed a bit glassy-eyed and disoriented. He stated that she was walking in circles. The panting and pacing continued, along with her drooling. He called the vet and we decided to drop her off there for observation, with the understanding that it could still just be the effects of the anesthesia, even though it seemed the night before she was OK.

Fast forward…her condition didn’t change while at the vet, but they looked her over and didn’t find anything wrong with her. They felt that it was just anxiety. We took her home Tuesday night and she ate dinner like normal (dry kibble mixed with some wet canned, I think this was back to the Kirkland brand). I was able to get her calm until bedtime, and she then slept like a rock. The next morning she seemed back to normal.

Fast forward…last night. She seemed quite fine all day Wednesday, but right when we were about to go to bed (10-10:15pm), she had the same issues. She was on the ottoman in our bedroom and couldn’t figure out how to get down. The pacing ensued, with light drooling (not really much), glassy eyed, and panting. She was just restless. She finally went to bed and laid down about 11pm. She slept all night and seemed fine again this morning (Thursday) when I woke up. Again, our typical morning routine of letting them out and feeding them. This morning she only had dry kibble. But again after I left this morning, she had some of the same issues. Not too much of the panting and drooling, but the weird pacing and restlessness.
Has anyone experienced these issues after anesthesia? It should be completely out of her system by now so I’m wondering if it is another issue. On the other hand, she was perfectly healthy with no issues before the cleaning on Monday. Right now, my husband is telling me that she is sleeping hard and is calm. By the way, she has bowel movements, so no problem there. I feel like she is eating a bit more ravenous than normal, but from missing a meal then only receiving a smaller meal than normal after the cleaning, I figured that may be why. I’m at a complete loss as to what to do. Could anesthesia trigger neurological (if that is what this is) issues in a dog? Or could there have been something underlining going on? We had already had our vet look her over after the cleaning only to say it is anxiety. When we touch her all over, she doesn’t whine or grimace in pain. Any ideas?? Sorry for such a long post and thank you for anyone that is still reading!

[anonymous]

Panting and pacing look like anxiety but can also be signs of pain and discomfort.
Regarding the dental, were dental x-rays done? Before? After?
Because root remnants can be left behind causing pain/inflammation/pain.

Something is wrong….. The effects of anesthesia do not last more than a day or two.

So, I would make a return trip to the vet that did the dental surgery and discuss. Request a follow-up visit and exam (some vets won’t charge).
If he still thinks it’s anxiety, ask about treatment options. Maybe prescription medication (short-term) would help? No need for the dog to suffer.

PS: If you are feeding raw or adding any supplements, please inform the vet. This will help him to diagnose.

[pacer1978]

Thank you Anon, however I do not believe they did x-rays. I can say that no teeth were pulled and they are in good condition. I was not told of any complications during the surgery. It was just a random teeth cleaning with no adverse issues. Since she didn’t have any teeth removed, I wouldn’t think it could be a root remnants concern, though that was an excellent question.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by pacer1978.

[anonymous]

“Since she didn’t have any teeth removed, I wouldn’t think it could be a root remnants concern, though that was an excellent question”.

Without x-rays, no way to know for sure. Keep an eye open for inflammation, gum area.
Also, the dog is a senior there is always the possibility something else is going on…..

Example: /forums/topic/dental-spray/#post-100564

[Acroyali]

When she was into the vet and they “looked her over”, what exactly did they do? Did they speak to you about re-running blood work to see if there are issues with any organs?

[Susan]

Hi Pacer,
It probably has nothing to do with having teeth cleaned, this health problem has just gotten worse…
I bet you she is having bad Acid Reflux & feels sick…ask vet can she be trial on 20mg Omeprazole (Prilosec) an acid blocker for 10 days also Metronidazole to kill the bad bacteria that takes over the gut, or trial Pepcid (Famotidine) an acid reducer but the Omeprazole works the best & only given once in morning doesnt have to be given before food like the Pepcid has to be given 20-30mins before meal twice a day…

As we age we do not make as much Hydrchloric acid its called “Hypochlorhydria”… Lack of sufficient stomach acid, it contributes to acid reflux in pets & humans & this is when the Helicobacter takes over the good bacteria then lives in stomach wall…
Helicobactor Spirals are very common in aging dogs, when the Helicobacter takes over stomach the dog is always hungry, wanting to eat then they feel better then 20min-30min later all the pain comes back, she needs Endoscope + Biopsies & your vet will get more answers, acid reflux does cause teeth problems aswell, my 9yr old boy had to have his teeth cleaned January 2018 while he was having Endoscope & Biopsies, the vet found Gingivitis back molars..

Stop feeding any wet can foods, they’re higher in fat, you need under 3% fat for wet can food, Vet diet wet can foods are lower in fat – 1.7%….
When you convert pet shop wet can foods 4% fat or say 5% fat in a wet can food when converted to dry matter fat (Kibble) the fat is around 16%min to 26%max fat, that’s pretty high & would be contributing & making the acid reflux worse…boil some lean Turkey breast or Chicken Breast with boiled Sweet potato instead of the wet can foods…

I’d ask vet to do Endoscope & Biopsies or ask can you just try the triple therapy meds for Helicobacter, it’s “Metronidazole, Amoxillin & Omeprazole” taken for 3 weeks, then you continue with just the 20mg Omeprazole after the 3 weeks.

If you dont have time to make lean cooked meals then start her on a low fat 12-13%, low carb- 30%, high protein around -34% kibble, a lean home cooked diet is best or a Large Breed formula like “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult, the fat is 13%, Protein is 34% & Carbs are 30% & Kcals per cup are low at 345Kcals per cup, Large breed formula’s are made specially large breed intestinal health aswell, I’ll post a link after..
but she does need an ant acid med & see how she goes… I also give my boy “Quick Eze” fast acting Forest ant acid Chews when he starts whinging, pacing, won’t settle, swollowing licking mouth & wanting grass.. start keeping a diary..

[MotherOfFluff]

Hi Pacer,

Susan is 100% correct. My corgi is almost 8 and started having acid reflux when I put her on higher fat food. She had the same symptoms that you described: pacing, confused, whimpering, but still eating her food like it would never be offered again. I literally just got back from the veterinarian and they gave the same advice Susan did. My girl is now taking 10mg of Famotidine (Pepcid) twice daily, and Purina Fortiflora with a complete diet change to low fat kibble. I am going to put her on Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach kibble for the next 8 weeks. If she doesn’t improve or worsens (stops eating, more whimpering or starts vomiting) then we will go back in for an ultra sound of her stomach and intestines. My vet only plans to do an endoscope if necessary. I also noticed that my dog’s teeth have more tartar than before the high fat food.

Hope this helps!

[anonymous]

Yup. The usual band aid solutions. Any blood work/labs done? No? I thought so…..
Do you have a diagnosis?

Geez, does the vet have to spell it out? Get the recommended diagnostic testing and a dental cleaning/x-rays/extractions, asap.

I would see another vet if symptoms continue and your vet continues to only prescribe band aid remedies.

[pitlove]

Anon, why would someone who has literally just had their dogs teeth cleaned, and stated no extractions were needed, go BACK to the vet, have another dental done her on dog and get extractions done on teeth that are not diseased? You know this would be malpractice right?

I’m really starting to think you’ve stopped reading people posts since you don’t think anyone should ask for advice on the internet.

[crazy4cats]

Agreed, Pitlove! Another thread will probably be closed due to her/his “bullying”. She/he accuses everyone else, but she is the worse I’ve seen on DFA, and I’ve been around for a long time! (Prob too long).

Not sure why Anon is still allowed to post?

[anonymous]

Diagnostic value of full-mouth radiography in dogs. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9622735
PS: I’m staying on topic 🙂 No matter how much I am baited. I do not respond to flames.

[Acroyali]

You seem positive that this dogs problems is dental related, despite having a dental done a week ago.
You might want to check that, could be taken as veterinary advice.

[anonymous]

Bump: /forums/topic/my-dog-hasnt-been-the-same-ever-since-dental-cleaning/#post-120908

[pitlove]

Gonna have to agree with Acroyali. Telling someone to go back to the vet and demand they redo the dental and remove healthy teeth sounds like giving out medical advice. Pretty dangerous medical advice at that.

[pacer1978]

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for your suggestions. Sorry I have not been able to post in the last few days. I took Mia off the wet food as I kind of made that connection myself right before reading Susan’s response. Since removing her from the wet, she has not had another “episode”. I’ve only been giving her kibble so far and it seemed to fix the issue. To avoid another costly vet bill, I may go ahead and change her diet to include the boiled chicken/kibble combo as suggested instead of bringing her back for further testing, however I really would like confirmation that it is acid reflux that we are dealing with. I do believe that it is, it makes sense. I had forgotten a very strange behavior that she did a few times a few months back. After eating, she would put her face up in the air and take short, quick inhales while “licking” the air. It scared me and I looked it up. The same behavior she showed that night matched a YouTube of other dogs doing it and they were diagnosed with acid reflux. She only did it a few times, like I said a few months back and I had forgotten she had done that. But after reading the posts it kind of hit me. Thank you again for your time and suggestions. I’ll talk to my vet more about this. Have a great weekend and so sorry it took me a while to get back on here with a follow up to you all.

[Acroyali]

This is great news, Pacer1978! It sounds like the problem is found out and under control!!

Talk with your vet. Some people have had good luck using Pepcid AC or other means of settling acid reflux for a few days if she should have a flare up.
I’m very glad she’s on the mend and I bet you are, too!

[Lisa M]

Hi
I know this post was several years ago but I just wanted to add in case it will help someone.
My dog had a much more severe reaction to a dental cleaning. The panting, pacing, moaning and vomiting for days afterwards was actually from esophageal damage caused when stomach acid was allowed to pool in her throat either during the cleaning or right after. This was likely very painful for her. She developed a stricture from the inflammation which made it impossible for her to swallow anything larger than a pea. I had to mush her food for about a year. The stricture has resolved to a point she can swallow about a bean size now so it’s better.
This vet never even told us esophageal damage could happen!! I spent $2k on testing and then went to another vet…who, for $350, determined right away it was the esophagus.
I now always give the dogs a pepcid the morning of the procedure to keep stomach acid lower while they’re under anesthesia. Hope this helps!

[Author]

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