Advice please! The vet and I didn't connect by phone yesterday and now calling their pharmacy I see he wants to take him off Gabapentin.  Nicky's been getting 400 + 400mg (2 caps) three times a day, so 2400 mgs a day. Just intuitively it seems like a poor idea to cut down on a high dosage so quickly and anyway it's only been a week since his amputation. Is this usually done? I'm supposed to check in tomorrow before 12 noon and let the vet know if he's in pain. It's very hard to tell if he's in pain.

Thanks so much, Whitney for the information. I edited this but it didn't seem to take, but I did what Michael suggested, called and said i needed a prescription. Nick's vet wasn't there but an associate prescribed the same amount and we're fine. He has missed three 800 doses because I waited to see how it affected him. I think he was feeling a little odd this morning because he went out in his yard and sat by himself and didn't come for breakfast, but he's himself now. I will try a lower dose in week 3. I think my vet just wanted feedback on his pain level before he prescribed, but the phone company can't seem to fix our voicemail problem so the vet and I keep missing each other. Why do children and animals always get sick on the weekend?

Today is a big day for Nicholas because we are letting him out in our large back yard (and the orchard and fields beyond but he's too tired to do that by himself and we're not encouraging it) He's so glad to be free of boring house arrest!. Our terrace is mortar laid flagstone, but the outside walk is sand laid with big cracks after I weed in the spring. He is very carefully putting his good foot in the middle of each stone. That walk was pretty tiring. Now he is lying so he can oversee the farm from the open back door. Snoozing a little too.

We'd love to have you come!

Day 9 yesterday Sat June 24. Well, after that lovely day, the sun was setting and Nicholas was relaxing on the terrace when we heard loud barking. Came out to see he had flipped up the gate panel to the stone stairs off the terrace and squeezed under it, breaking the side attachments. Out to the side field he raced to catch The Enemy, that bobcat again!! He flew down the field, maybe 200 yards and leaping over the mowed rows. By then my husband was out with him and I called him to come back. Came back very proud of himself. His good foot was so sore he didn’t want to climb the two steps to our bedroom, so I slept in the family room with him last night. Poor invalid… We’ll have to keep him inside in the evenings. He always seems to think ahead of us, no matter how careful we are. and he’s so courteous and gentle most of the time, his strength is surprising. As his vet says "Nicky’s a very sweet dog until he isn’t" I’m hoping that determination will see him through this!

Thanks. That seems to be the right place and I posted there. There have been times when i thought I was insane to spend that much on health insurance, but wow! what peace of mind!