Hi everyone,

Apologies for the tardy update but....well, I guess y'all know how it is!

George had his surgery Tuesday and it all went well. We brought him home yesterday (Wednesday) and it's now been 24 hours with us. Feels like 240 hours.

He really does seem to be doing great. He got into the car without assistance at the Vet's office and he's hopping around the house just fine. Seems very restless though.....maybe trying to get comfortable?

He's on Rimadyl and Gabapentin for the pain as well as Metoclopramide for his GI tract. The surgery wound seems ok.....the Vet advised us to take a picture day of and that would gives us something to compare it to. He also has some kind of numbing medication that should be wearing off within the next few hours.

Our biggest issue is stairs....we have about a dozen of them and didn't have time to get something made up but we will do that over the next day or so. He's managed so far with us half-holding on to his harness but he's very uncertain about it all and who can blame him?

I can also actually see where he has gone to move his right leg and because it's not there he has either stumbled or caught it just in time and regrouped.

He's also drinking lots and eating everything that I put in front of him so that's good.

The Vet gave us the 'Help 'em up Harness'. I was going to refuse it but the harness I ordered had not arrived. I don't particularly care for it but it has been a godsend over the past 24 hours. I did take the back part off and when I do need to assist him with the stairs, I just use a sheepskin sling that I found online. It works really well because I'm not using it for lifting per se, more so guidance and to keep him steady with the stairs.

And so that's where we are at the moment.......oh yeah......and he has been giving me MAJOR 'side eye' 

Thanks so much,

The first time or two that I tried to give him water he wasn't overly interested but I dipped my fingers into it and he licked those and started drinking. 

I was surprised myself about the food but it's mashed potato and pumpkin (small amounts as I read that Carbs are bad for cancer) ground turkey, mixed steamed veggies and, his favorite, cottage cheese.

I just make a batch of each item, enough to last 3-4 days and keep it in the fridge. 

I'm holding off on his kibble at the moment and will reintroduce it to him when he's better. He likes what he's getting and it eases my guilt! 

And I also give him his pills in a spoonful of pumpkin, just like a regular dog treat. 

I guess we all have our tricks! 

Thanks!

Day 5 Update

George is still doing really well....such a stoic boy!

Last night he surprised me.

I had left him downstairs for a little so that he could pee/poop some more if he wanted to (he likes his privacy ) and I heard something behind me a few minutes later and there he was......up the dozen or so stairs all by himself and in the kitchen! Day four after surgery! And he did it again today!

Doesn't seem to be interested in his stitches at this time. We were not given an E-Collar but they put a sleeveless T-Shirt on him before he left the Vet's (ones especially made for this purpose) and even though I can see where it's a little damp from licking, he is mostly disinterested in it and so I'm assuming that it's not bothering him too much.

We have about a dozen steps front and back. The front ones are wider and easier to navigate with the harness and sling.....I keep a loose hold on the harness so that he moves under his own steam but if he stumbles, I can stop him from falling.

The sheepskin sling is mostly used as a way of directing him, rather than for any lifting purpose.....it's a handy little item and I'm glad that I found it.

Eating and drinking is fine.

Things do seem to be going really well but I'm still on high alert so to speak.....checking on stitches, watching his movements. I am fortunate in that I have been able to do a lot of work from home and thus stay with him 24/7 since the surgery, with the exception of a couple of quick trips to the store.

I'm still not quite getting how to post pictures and haven't had time to really investigate it either but as soon as I do, I'll post some. Just getting the Avatar changed to his picture was enough of a process for me at this point.

More later and my continued thanks for the support, suggestions and helpful hints.