My dog snapped at another dog after surgery. Is this normal?

There are lots of possible causes, but the most important one could be pain. I would consult with your vet and make sure her pain medications are all at the best doses for her currently. Alternatively, she could be developing some resource guarding. She has gone through a stressful procedure and she may be feeling more sensitive and protective of herself and her spaces. For now, I would keep the puppy away so he doesn’t get hurt. This article may provide more insight: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&catId=102897&id=10464193

Poor thing. My two top would be that he was really sore before and/or after the surgery and remembers that being traumatic. Fear-based aggression is very common in dogs. Your comment that he seems worse than before the surgery makes me think perhaps he never loved having his feet touched, and if that's the cause, having an injury could have caused him to think "see, I was right! awful things happen when people touch my feet!" even though I'm assuming the injury itself was unrelated to a person. Since he's gotten to the point of biting, I would recommend talking with his vet about some medications (such a prozac and/or trazodone and gabapentin) to help him calm and then working with a very qualified trainer on desensitizing him to having people touch him. I would also recommend never letting kids interact with him until he's more comfortable, so that no one is in danger. Good luck with this very difficult problem.

Hi there. I am glad Cookie is doing well after her pyometra surgery. It sounds like she is having some pain after the surgery. That is most likely the reason why she is snapping. Did they send her home with pain medication? If so, be sure she is taking it. If they did not, please call the vet clinic where she had the surgery and ask them for some pain medication for her. I don't the will have any problem dispensing some to you. I hope this was helpful. Best wishes! Dr. Amber

I'm sorry to hear Brandy is not acting like herself after surgery. If the surgery was recent (say within a week) she may seem aggressive because she is painful. If it has been longer than a week or so, the discomfort from the surgery shouldn't be an issue anymore. If you don't think the surgical pain is the issue, think about other changes that may have recently taken place that could make Brandy feel uncomfortable like a new pet in the household or neighborhood or a lot of visitors or children in the home. We could always set up a consultation to talk more and try to figure out what is going on and a trip to the vet to make sure she is healthy is always a good idea.

Poor Chief! I recommend resting him for the next 48 hours. No running, jumping, or playing. Take him out to toilet on a leash, and bring him right back in when he's done. If he still appears painful after this time, then I would take him into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose where the pain is coming from, and can dictate a treatment plan for it. He may also benefit from some pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. I hope this helps!

Dog's don't bite on accident. He bit because he was uncomfortable with the situation and sounds like he's still on high alert after the incident. I'd recommend giving him lots of space and lots of love from afar by way of tossing him special treats. Rocky may need to be separated from your other dog for a while if he can't stand you being around him. It's possible he's in some pain if one of the nails was cut too close, or that he's still upset from the fear of the nail cutting. If he doesn't calm down in a few days, I'd recommend another vet visit to discuss medications to help him calm. Wishing you the best of luck in this tricky situation.

Limping means that Chief is in pain, and that may be why he's not his normal self. I recommend resting him for the next 48 hours. No running, jumping, or playing. Take him out to toilet on a leash, and bring him right back in when he's done. If he still appears painful after this time, then I would take him into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose where the pain is coming from, and can dictate a treatment plan for it. He may also benefit from some pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given.