Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi. We are two days PO, Bella has been home for 24 hours. When she got home she ate some chicken and rice and a small amount of kibble. I mean, small amounts, like a cup total of food for a GSD mix who was 72 pounds pre-op. She nibbled some more overnight, but also small amounts, mostly chicken. Today she has been sleeping very soundly (good!) but isn't eating anything. I offered her favorite snacks like frozen watermelon cubes and raw carrot. She licked them but that was all.
Her appetite was never great all her life (she is 12) so this isn't too weird, considering the circumstances, but I am concerned about the pain drugs and the warnings to quit Rimadyl if she isn't eating. Should we wait another day or two, or check with the vet? The Rimadyl and codeine are only enough for 5 days, with gabapentin for another 5 after that, so it isn't like she will be stoned forever.
Hi! My dog is four days post surgery and the first couple days she was nibbling but probably ended up eating about 1/4-1/2 of what she normally would eat. Day 4 she doesn't seem to want to eat anything, she had a couple licks of mashed cauliflower/broccoli and a couple tiny pieces of homemade treats. She's been laying in the same spot all day, she's gone out a couple times for fresh air. Hope this is normal behaviour! I'll call the vet tomorrow if she still won't eat. Good luck!
Hi Carolyn and Bella, and you too @kimj83, welcome!
It's totally normal for a dog not to want to eat this soon after amputation surgery. Their body is focused on healing instead of digesting food, so lack of appetite is very common. Pain medications also have a negative effect on appetite, but that's OK. The fact that she is eating anything at all is GREAT! I'm going to guess that in a couple more days you'll see a big improvement.
Let your vet know just to keep them in the loop but what you are describing sounds very normal. The Rimadyl warnings are something to pay attention to of course, but mostly apply to when a dog isn't eating over the long term, like a week or longer. Again, let your vet know because we aren't vets, but it really sounds like a typical recovery.
We are in the Tripawds Chat right now if you want to talk. Keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
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