Why is your cat not sleeping after dental surgery?
It’s a common issue cat owners deal with after their pet goes through a significant dental procedure. Depending on the underlying issue, the recovery phase can be difficult and even more so on day one post-surgery.
The most common reason for a cat not sleeping after dental surgery involves pain and/or discomfort. Due to a change in their body and the wearing-off sedative, it can lead to a situation that is quite uncomfortable and difficult to sleep through.
This guide is going to share what to do if with a cat not sleeping after dental surgery and how to make sure the conditions inside your house are as cozy as possible.
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The Mora Pets Heated Pad for Cats is an ideal way to keep your cat comfortable, at ease, and in good shape to sleep for as long as it needs to. This is a snug, well-designed heating pad for cats that works well for all breeds.
It comes with adjustable settings and a comprehensive timer, which can be adjusted based on what the cat requires.
The heating pad is also equipped with high-efficiency heating wire to make sure everything is balanced from edge-to-edge. This is essential for those who want to make sure things are as relaxed as possible.
Tips for Helping a Cat Not Sleeping After Dental Surgery
Tip #1: Use A Heating Pad
This is one of the most beneficial options available for cat owners.
With a cat not sleeping after dental surgery, it’s time to look at what is causing it discomfort. The average cat is already going to be anxious about the pain/discomfort, which means any other factor is going to have a horrible effect.
This is why it’s best to invest in a good heating pad for cats such as the Mora Pets Heating Pad.
The heating pad is going to provide a calm, soothing resting place for your cat in the coming weeks while heating its body. The cat is going to want to stay in that spot ensuring it does get enough rest to heal properly.
The benefits include:
- Faster Healing
- Longer Rest Periods
- Regulated Body Temperature
These advantages are essential in keeping your cat healthy and making sure it does get enough rest during the coming week.
If not, your cat is going to become restless and this can aggravate its healing. You will often be recommended to use blankets, but a heating pad is the way to go.
Tip #2: Keep the Cat Indoors
Where are you going to be keeping the cat after dental surgery?
Since the goal is to make sure your cat is getting enough rest, it’s important to keep it indoors for as long as possible. Letting the cat out to go for a bit of a run or hunt isn’t ideal. This is going to cause the cat to bite or nip at something and further aggravate its wounds.
Instead, you want to make sure the cat does get enough rest indoors.
These are key details to think about when it comes to understanding why a cat isn’t sleeping after going through a difficult surgery.
You have to know keeping the cat indoors is going to help it sleep. It needs stability after the surgery and that is only possible indoors where you can control the environment.
Whether this has to do with toys, blankets, or petting your cat, the goal is to comfort it as much as possible. Keep this in mind when it comes to what’s happening with a cat not sleeping after dental surgery.
Tip #3: Give a Small Amount of Food
How much food are you giving to the cat after a dental surgery?
You are going to have a few options to think about, but in most cases it’s best to stick to wet cat food or something that is smaller portion-wise.
Giving your cat too much to eat isn’t a good thing. This is going to cause it to either overeat, throw-up, or end up injuring the wound. Instead, you want to look for wet cat food and give it to your cat slowly in smaller portions.
This is not the time to start overfeeding your cat assuming this is the way to bring its spirits up. Yes, it may work for a bit, but after a while the cat is going to be in worse shape!
Your goal should be to portion control as much as possible during this phase.
By aiming for the 50% portions, you are going to see better results. This is what matters the most when you are trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t. As time goes on, you can start increasing how much your cat eats during the day.
After a few weeks, your cat will be sleeping well and you can give it close to 100% portions.
Tip #4: Keep the Cat in a Quiet Part of the House
A cat needs to stay away from high-traffic areas as much as possible.
This means not having it rest in the middle of the living room where multiple people are going to be coming in and out throughout the day/night. The same goes for areas that are filled with other cats/dogs.
Instead, you want to find a quieter part of the house that will let the cat rest as much as possible.
By going this, it is going to have a much easier time getting enough sleep to recover. Sometimes, a cat won’t want to sleep if too much noise is being made. This happens since the cat is already going to have its guard up after surgery.
Tip #5: Don’t Use Exercise to Tire the Cat
This is a common mistake and it is the last thing you want to do.
Don’t assume getting the cat to chase after a laser or play with toys is the way to go. It is not! You are going to end up putting the cat in danger as it is in no condition to run around freely.
Instead, you want the cat resting and/or sleeping as much as possible during the first week.
This is not the time to encourage an hour-long session outdoors or in a playpen. Over time, with a cat not sleeping after dental surgery, you can start to work short bursts of exercise. However, this shouldn’t happen until a few weeks have passed by.
Final Thoughts
With a cat not sleeping after dental surgery, it comes down to your approach more than anything else.
Cat owners that are willing to buy a new heating pad, find a quiet part of the house, and avoid exercise are the ones that are going to see better results. The recovery phase isn’t going to be easy and what you think is right won’t be.
Instead, your top priority has to be to get the cat to rest as much as possible.
When done the right way, you are going to see great results and the cat will feel better too. This is what matters the most. It is also recommended to speak to your vet to learn what works for your cat’s breed.
For more on how to help your cat, here are a few articles to go through – Keeping a cat cool during the hot summer months, tips for giving cats medicine on time, quality scratching post for cats, and finding a safe heating pad for cats at home.