Laura, thanks for joining us here. We are so glad you found us, and hope we can help ease your fears. We know how overwhelming a sudden decision like this can be, there's a lot to try to figure out in very little time. That is really awesome that her x-rays came back clean. A reason to celebrate!

First off, Stacy's recovery all sounds pretty normal to us. We know we have a lot of instant success stories here, but not all happen that way. All dogs are different in the recovery process. Some are ready to take on the world, others want to sleep it off. Kinda like people, you know?

It sounds like you're on a good communication level with your vet, so that's good. Did s/he call back with a suggested med schedule?

Most of our Tripawds here did a lot of heavy panting while they were on the pain meds, especially right after surgery. It's not only the Tramadol, but the surgery meds that are working their way out of their system. It's quite a shock to their bodies, and it will take time for them to process it. Some dogs will have a harder time dealing with the meds, and oftentimes, dogs will do better by cutting back on them. It all depends on the dog. Follow your vet's advice for a while and if you don't think it's working, call them back and explain what she is experiencing.

Regarding getting up on her own; some dogs take longer than others. Some are up in a day, others will take 5. It all depends on their fitness level before surgery, their joint health, etc. If your vet thought she was a good candidate for the amp, try not to worry. Keep in mind that it will take time for their muscles to strengthen and move their weight around differently. Stacy's not that heavy, so she has that on her side. It's only been a couple of days since surgery, maybe the dopeyness from the meds is causing her to not want to stand up by herself. She could be just really sleepy. That's normal.

Some questions to ask are: Has she eliminated yet? Is she drinking water? If no, call your vet. If she is, try not to worry. You might want to give things another day or two and see how they go. Chances are by tomorrow she'll be moving around more.

The day after surgery, it's so hard to imagine that life will get better. But it will! Just try to picture how you would be right after surgery if you lost a leg. You'll see that Stacy will learn to adapt far better than any human can, and much faster.

Your idea about work sounds fine, it's what most pawrents do. Chances are she's going to be sleeping all day anyhow, so as long as you can have someone check on her and let her out to see if she'll go potty, she should be OK.

Good luck. Please keep us posted, we'll try to help any way we can.

Oh Pam, you are AWESOME! Thanks, I was hoping you'd see Laura's post.

Laura, it sounds like things are going to get better real soon. Hang in there, you'll be amazed at Stacy's ability to bounce back. Keep us posted.

You're not a bad Mommy, you're a great Mommy, don't ever forget that.{{hugs}}

Sounds like Stacy is doing a lot better, that is such great news. As far as the pain meds go, we think you should follow the vet's advice for a while and see how it goes. That's the only way you'll know if it's enough. Keep in mind that dogs have a much higher pain tolerance than humans, as you can already see.

Things are looking up! Yeay!