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My puppy is shaking after spay. Is it normal? How to manage her pain?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Toy Poodle | Female | 1 year and 7 months old | 9 lbs

My puppy just came back from surgery (to remove her uterus). She is shaking/twitching and she has been since she was still at the vet. The vet himself didn't mention anything but should I be worried about this? Or is this common for after surgery? Also I'm assuming dogs do feel pain after the surgery and I was wondering if there are anything I can do to redice the pain? Thank you!

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 25th, 2019

What you are describing is pretty normal side effects from the anesthesia. Dogs definitely feel pain after surgery! You should only give pain medication from your vet. OTC human pain medications are not recommended. If you did not receive any pain medication to give her, call your vet so they can dispense the proper medication for you to give. Other than that, keep her as calm and quiet as possible. Don't bother her too much. Just let her sleep. Keep her away from any other pets until she is fully healed from surgery (about 10-14 days).

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    Answered By Debi Matlack

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on April 21st, 2019

    Her incision looks pretty good, but I would definitely get her seen by your vet right away since her condition has not improved since you got home and she vomited. Better to be safe and make sure there's nothing going on than wait and there be a problem, post-surgical or otherwise.

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    Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 3rd, 2017

    Hello and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Sometimes after anesthesia dogs can develop a bit of GI upset. Sometimes the pain medications or antibiotics can also cause these symptoms. If she is on any pain medications, I would discontinue them for a few days and see if the symptoms resolve. If she is not currently taking any medications and is sick and lethargic with no improvement, I would urge you to get her scene by your veterinarian to determine why she is getting sick. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns that you may have. I am also available via phone or text consultation if needed.

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    Answered By Mara Howard, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 30th, 2018

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear your dog is having issues after her spay. I would have her re-evaluated by her veterinarian as soon as possible. While it may be a separate issue from her surgery, with such a close timeline I would be concerned it may be related and is something that may need to be addressed quickly. Good luck!

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