Good morning everyone!  Update on Dolly Momma - today she is 2 weeks out from her last surgery (3+ weeks from her original amp. surgery).   We are making progress...she finally is able to lay on her amp. side!!! Hooray!!!  I know this is a relief to her - as she would just spin and spin around before lying down - 

We've had a few hiccups getting the meds regulated.  As I said, the vet said to stop the Meticam cold turkey the day after  her stitches were removed.  I did that - but she seemed very sore and moved a *lot* slower.  I thought about all the activity on the day of the vet visit (they have stairs, plus in and out of car, plus she tries to stand up in car and sometimes (in spite of my attempts to turn corners slowly) will fall down.  So - I thought she might need it a couple of more days - (Monday was vet visit) - so yesterday (Thur.) was first day without Meticam.  Even on the Meticam, she had one very bad episode on Tuesday with phantom pain but none since.  She also is not sleeping as soundly at night - I hear her whining occasionally.  Last night she moved several times from bed to bed - she has 2 beds in my bedroom - her soft, bolster bed and the orthopedic crate pad - which I pulled out of the crate as she could not maneuver well in crate after surgery - I put it by the window and she likes to lie there during the day to look out at the birds, etc. 

I have a call in to the vet today to make sure it is ok to play around with tapering off the Tramadol - due to begin on Monday.  I just want to see how she tolerates a lower dose and if not well  - go back up for a few days and then try again.  I guess there is no rush to get off of the pain meds, as she isn't having any noticeable side effects. Does Tramadol stay in their system? In other words, if I stop will I see those effects right away? I know when we reduce the Gabapentin is must be gradual - and I should not go up and down with it as it takes a few days to work...was not sure if that were also true of Tramadol.

The other hiccup is that every morning she seems nauseated before breakfast.  When she goes out for her first potty break before breakfast, she wants to stay outside and eat grass - a couple of times she has thrown up the grass with just the white foamy stuff.  Twice now - once at dinner time and today at breakfast - she has not eaten - at all.  That is a bit worrisome as I give her pain meds right before meals.  I did give her the morning dose and she has not thrown it up - I'm hoping she will eventually decide to eat.   

Do you think the meds are causing the morning sickness?  (I know it's not real Morning Sickness - as her "Momma" days are over forever)  Do you think it indicates she is waking up in pain? She has done this every single morning since stitches were removed - on and off the Meticam. 

I've said this many times, but it can't be said enough - you all are a God-send for us newbies - I always feel better when I come here - either to ask a question - or sometimes, I just go through old posts and read the wealth of information and experiences everyone has shared. I read the entire 18 pages of Happy Hannah's ups and downs - what an inspiration she is to us!! Makes our little challenges seem quite manageable.   Thank you all *SO* much!!

Cindy & Dolly Momma

Thanks  Jerry - she did eventually nibble at her breakfast.  It is raining here today - so we've all been a little lazy and she is just lying around with us.  Thankfully, no noticeable signs of pain.

I'm still waiting for the vet to call me back - on busy days she typically calls late afternoon unless it is an emergency.  I will make sure to tell her about the vomiting - I did read the article. 

So not only is it not "normal" but she was not previously doing this -  which makes me even more concerned.  I will share what she says.  I realize, after reading so many threads here- that posting our challenges, the vet's opinion, the eventual solution or outcome - is very valuable as we become "detectives" in finding out what is wrong and what will fix it!!

Cindy & Dolly Momma

Oh thanks everyone for the great suggestions.  Here is what the vet said - she agrees it's probably the meds.  She was on Meticam for 6 months before her amp. surgery so stopping that cold turkey was probably an adjustment.  She says to give her Pepsid 2X a day (10 mg.) - she weighs 56lbs.  - and to put her back on 1/2 dose of Meticam for the next few days - then try again pulling that OR I can stay on the Meticam and reduce the Tramadol.  I'm leaning toward doing this - thinking the Tramadol is something I'd rather get her off of and the Meticam was working for her leg pain before surgery.

The Gabapentin will be continued until she can get off the other pain meds and then we will discuss tapering off.  I remembered that on Tuesday morning - she spit out one of her Gaba capsules - it was collapsed, but I put it back in her mouth and she swallowed it.  But I question that some of the medicine fell out - later that day she had very severe  phantom pain episode.  Two lessons from that - one is that I need to be more vigilant about making sure the pills are swallowed and second, she is not able to come off of the Gaba or even reduce it.  I don't feel she missed all of contents so if just a little bit can trigger another bad pain incident - well - I'm just so thankful that we have it and I'm not ready to think about discontinuing it.  

Fingers crossed that the Pepsid will work in the morning.  She did eat her dinner with a good appetite tonight.  Karen, that is a great suggestion about the snack - I will do that tonight, too.  You guys are sooooo wonderful!

Katy - the sleeping thing is understandable - I was cheering when I saw her lying on that stump and she looked up at me like, I feel better.  I noticed everytime she stood up she would try to stretch - her 2 front paws on the floor and her one back leg still in the bed.  This made me nervous, as I worried the bed would slide with her - so I've installed more non-slip pads under both beds.  I'm sure she was feeling stiff and not rested after only lying on that one side.    

Sally - Happy Hannah will be shocked to hear that Dolly Momma has never experienced the joys of ice cream or M&M's!  What a deprived existence she has....but I will change that and tell her that Hannah said it will make her feel better

Cindy & Dolly Momma