What are the Side Effects of Steroids During Surgery?
My 10 month old dog got spayed this past Tuesday. She was fine on wed except for excessive thirst and urination. Thursday she started to pant and shake A LOT! I took her back to her vet who said that during surgery (he didn’t tell me this previously) he had a problem hematoma I think, and he had to give her steroids intravenously to reduce the risk of shock.
He took a full panel of blood work and all shows normal as well as her temp. He believes it is all the steroids working their way out and suggested giving her 1 tsp. of baking soda to 1 qt. of water. I did that. I am taking her out every 10 minutes to pee, she is shaking and panting like crazy and I am really concerned and worried. Any ideas or suggestions?
Amy
I agree that the steroid injection probably caused the symptoms you describe. Steroids are very useful medicines in many situations. In some instances (such as when there is a risk of shock), steroids can be life saving.
However, steroids are very powerful medications. They can cause many side effects. Panting, restlessness, trembling, and increased urination are among the most common.
The side effects should wear off as the medicine clears from your dog’s system. This may take several days.
I think you should talk to your vet more about why the steroid injection was administered. Steroid injections are not routine during spay surgeries. If your dog was at risk of shock, you should try to learn more about why that happened–shock is a very rare (and serious) development during routine surgeries. Was the problem something that might occur again in the future if she is anesthetized? Might there be complications from the problem as your dog matures? For the sake of your dog, you need to know the answers to these questions.
You have questions. 
Since your vet didn’t tell you about a potentially dangerous reaction to the anesthetic or warn you about the possible side effects of the steriods you need to find a new vet. There’s no good reason not to tell you about that and they could have put your dog’s life at risk by keeping quiet. You should ask your vet to explain themselves and depending what they say consider lodging an official complaint.
I agree with Freckles. I would definitely find a new vet; this is an unusual occurence in a simple spay surgery and yes, you should have been informed about the issue.
Hope your baby is feeling better now!