Quiet after dentistry.

Dr. Marie replied:

I'm so sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

This is a difficult question to answer. It is good that you had some bloodwork done on Maggie as my first thought was to be concerned that there could be a kidney or liver issue that was made worse by anesthetic but it sounds like this is not the case.

If the moping was most prevalent right after surgery then I would say that the pain medication could be the cause. However, if she is still acting strange two weeks later then something is not right.

I'm not sure how to interpret the shaking of her paw. It almost sounds like there is something neurological going on.

Unfortunately this is one of those types of cases where it is going to be really hard to get an answer. It's possible that there was some type of brain damage under anesthetic but this usually happens if there is a prolonged time without oxygen which is rare.

It's also possible that the body is fighting something that just won't show up on blood tests such as some type of cancer.

Another possibility is if there is some residual pain. You can ask your vet whether it is possible that there are any tooth roots still left behind. This can cause pain that can definitely cause lethargy. And that pain is not always resolved with medication. If this is at all possible then an xray may show it if your vet has dental xray capability. If there is any left tooth root then another surgery is in order to remove it.

Unfortunately I have had cases like this though where no cause was found. Some just get better on their own so hopefully this will happen!

Wish I could add more. :(

Dr. Marie.

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