Is This Normal?
It's the night after surgery and something has you worried. Take a breath — most of what you're seeing is expected. Let's check together.
✓ Normal — you can breathe
These are expected in the first 24–48 hours after anesthesia and surgery:
- Sleepiness, grogginess, or wobbly walking tonight — anesthesia takes time to wear off
- Skipping a meal or eating less the first evening
- A small amount of redness or mild swelling right at the incision
- Whining, hiding, or clinginess — your pet feels strange and wants you nearby
- One episode of vomiting the first evening, if your pet is otherwise alert
- Not wanting to drink much the first night
Keep them warm, quiet, and indoors. Recovery mode: low lights, no stairs, no roughhousing, cone stays on.
👁 Keep an eye on it — call us in the morning
Not an emergency, but worth a phone call during clinic hours (Mon–Thu 8–5, (812) 349-1349):
- Still not eating a full day after surgery
- Swelling at the incision that seems to be growing
- Licking or chewing at the incision despite the cone
- Loose stool, or vomiting more than once
- Lethargy that isn't improving by the second day
Take a photo of the incision in good light — it helps us help you over the phone, and gives you a baseline to compare against tomorrow.
⚠ Get help now
Contact us immediately at (812) 349-1349 during clinic hours — or an emergency veterinarian if we're closed — if you see:
- Bleeding that doesn't stop, or blood soaking through a covering
- The incision opening or anything protruding from it
- Pus or foul-smelling discharge
- Difficulty breathing
- Pale or white gums
- Unresponsiveness — can't wake up, can't stand
- Vomiting or diarrhea lasting more than 24 hours
The Fast Rule of Thumb
Trending better each day is normal. Trending worse — call.
Recovery isn't linear hour to hour, but each morning should look a little better than the last. If today looks worse than yesterday, that's your signal to pick up the phone. You will never bother us by calling about a patient — making and taking those calls is part of the job.
More Depth
Our complete post-surgery care guide walks the full two-week recovery day by day, and the free Surgery Day & Recovery Guide covers everything from drop-off to the last check of the incision.
Sources
General aftercare guidance on this page is consistent with published guidance from the ASPCA and the Cornell Feline Health Center, adapted to our clinic's procedures. Your discharge paperwork always takes priority.
Questions During Recovery?
Mon-Thu: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM