Sorry to hear about Mabel...my dobe, Nitro, didn't eat for at least a week after his amp surgery. We resorted to spooning yogurt down his throat. He finally showed interest in his fav treat - chicken jerky, so we let him eat all he wanted of that just so he had something in his stomach. Gradually his appetite returned (especially after pain meds were decreased. Hang in there...it does get better.

Paula and Nitro

Hi Mabel's mom,
So sorry your sweet girl has been diagnosed with the ugly "c", but you will have the best and unending support here......

We all know how traumatic this situation is with our fur babies, but eventually it gets better.....while my precious Tripawd Lab girl Polly had no difficulties at all, some others do after amp. It is usually just a matter of pain management , and healing process to get our pups and kitties to a comfortable place.
I am hoping Alison and her journey with sweet Shelby will jump in to help you out....her Shelby was part Jack Russell and had similar difficulties, so I know she can put your mind at ease.

Keeping you in my thoughts,
Bonnie & Angel Polly

Welcome, Mabel's mom, and so sorry that you have to be here -- but you couldn't be in a better place under the circumstances. 

I'm surprised that the vet didn't mention limiting stairs. My guess is that learning to balance on three legs + stairs may have resulted in some muscle spasms. I'd suggest no stair action or as little as possible until she has more time under her belt and at least until after the stitches/stapes come out. She may be pulling at them with the stair activity.

Not sure what meds you're on, but for many in the post-op phase, Tramadol isn't enough. It might be worth talking to your vet about adding Gabapentin and possibly Rimadyl. Also, if she's middle aged, is she on any bone and joint supplements? They take a few weeks to kick in, but can really help. If she is having muscle spasms and continued shaking you might want to ask your vet about Methocarbamyl/Robaxin too...it's a muscle relaxant.

Re. not eating, I'd try some other extra-yummy stuff...canned food, even smelly cat food mixed with dog food, if your vet is okay with that. One of my friends calls cat food 'doggy crack.' Lexie ate well until recently, and I tried some Beef and Bison roll from FreshPet (in a refrigerated section at many pet and even grocery stores). It smells like cat food but is formulated for dogs, and it's in a roll. Sometimes it takes some trial and error to find the right thing that they want.  

Hang in there and please keep us posted. The first couple of weeks are tough, but it will get better!  

krun15 said
Welcome to Tripawds, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.

What meds is Mabel taking? It sounds like she may be having pain.  My pug Maggie was on tramadol and an anti-inflammatory for two weeks after surgery.  I know that pain meds sometimes cause issues, but in my mind are necessary for healing.  Be sure you are in contact with your vet about how she is acting- there are other pain meds that can be tried.

Unfortunately pain and reaction to pain meds can be similar- it is really hard to get a good balance.  She is probably not really sad- but just trying to get used to her new normal- new Tripawds get very tired very easily.  It may be too early for stairs also- our surgeon said no stairs, and walking only for potty and eating was allowed the first two weeks.

Maggie lost her left rear leg to a mast cell tumor.  She was given a prognosis of 6 to 9 months after surgery because there was cancerous mast cells in the lymph node removed with her leg.  She lived almost 4 years and did not pass from mast cell cancer.  You can read Maggie's story and about her treatment in her blog, the links are in my signature below.

 

Karen and Spirit Maggie

Karen, would you mind sharing the link again?