Hi Lola and her pawrent,

I know this is a scary journey, like a rollercoaster ride sometimes but please don't give up. You are still so early in the recovery stages and honestly it sounds like she might be experiencing some pain. A lot of pets come home with gabapentin, an nsaid, and an additional pain medication. 

Appetite decrease is a sign. When she came home she had anesthesia and other very strong pain meds on board that slowly wear off. Well, they are most likely all out of her system right now. Most stay on post op meds for a couple of weeks, some even a little longer. She's may need something stronger for this part of her recovery, might be a good idea to speak with her vet.

Eating, drinking, medication, sleep, and short potty breaks are most important for her right now. Sleep is an integral part of recovery.

Hang in there, you're doing a great job!

Jackie and Huck ❤️

That's exactly what you need to hold on to. That's a positive move forward. A lot of people mistake discomfort for pain because it's in their nature to be stoic, and not show weakness. It's part of their survival. Those are the little indicators to let you know how they are really feeling. 

Please make sure you are giving medication on a strict schedule for now and if you don't see improvement quickly speak with your vet about more pain management . Likely after suture removal you'll be able to slowly let her have more activity and work on weaning down. 

I know Huckleberry is a cat, but if you click below our signature it will take you to our blog. We went through it and back with pain management , maybe it will show you that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Hugs ❤️

You are correct that a lot of dogs discussed here "perk up" after amputation, but that may just be a function of how impaired they were before the surgery. I know I talk about Casey being less stressed within 48 hours of his amp, but in the week leading up to his surgery, he would sit on the couch with this sorrowful look on his face while he held his sore leg out to us asking "This really hurts! Can you fix it?"

Yes, he was up and trotting across the yard with his tail wagging 36 hours after his surgery, but that's while he still had all the vet anesthetics in his system. He was pretty low otherwise for those first two weeks, and FWIW, his appetite was a little depressed for those first two weeks too.

I sincerely apologize if my posts contributed to false expectations, but part of that post-surgery elation was knowing that we'd taken control back from the cancer, and the risk of pathologic fracture and the accompanying complications was eliminated. I'd have to read back (these blogs are a good journal) but I'm thinking it was closer to 4 weeks after surgery that Casey's true spirit, that personality, that sparkle that makes Casey Casey, returned.

Lola is going to come around in her own time. She's been through a lot, but one day soon, it's going to be like a light switch, and she'll have her sparkle back too.

You said she's a retriever.  Golden?  Which paw is she missing?

Okay, I went back and read your prior post asking about dog beds and floor coverings.

Our main floor is all hardwood and tile.  We had quite a few carpet tiles in a stack in the basement, and they do allow for flexible configurations, but I really like the bulk carpet runners from Home Depot at (I believe) $1.77/foot.  I think they're 28" wide or so, and you can get them cut to most any length you need.  I also cut them into 9" "treads" for my wood stairs, and just stapled them to the oak.  Some day, I'll post the video of my other dogs the first time they saw those stair treads.

Oh, and I also got my questions answered.  Lola is blessed in one very important way.  It's my sense that "rear amps" have much better long-term prognosis, important for a young dog with many good years left.  Dogs carry over 60% of their weight on their front legs, so losing a front leg can be far more challenging over time.

Hi. We're 10 days post amputation with our Golden, Murphy. He's had good days and bad but don't despair....we'll get through this! I hear you about the food! Never do golden retrievers leave a scrap of food! But our guy has left food in his dish and even refused cheese! Can you believe it? He's eating enough to get by though and we know he'll be back to his garbage disposal self soon enough.

Very frustrating for you not being given clearer guidelines on the pain medications. Everyone is here for you though and I've gotten lots of great advice and reassurance. Take care!