Thanks, Rene and Pam! There's not much that Susie loves more than shopping!

And I have some good news about discontinuing the Gabapentin, too. I'd hoped that, once she was off it completely, her appetite might come back. Well, Friday was her last dose, and over the weekend, she was already starting to eat a little bit.

I think getting off all pain meds was key to restoring her appetite. (To be fair, she's never been a chowhound, like all my other dogs were. She's always been picky and suspicious of new foods, and she's always been allergic to corn and wheat, so I've had to be very careful about her foods and treats.) I am thrilled that she's now taking more of an interest. The K-State pharmacist had told me that a loss of appetite was not a usual side effect of Gapapentin, but that dogs are all individuals, and any dog can develop any side effect.

It was funny. When the surgeon talked with us at the two-week post-op visit (when Susie got her stitches out), she kept emphasizing that we should be sure to keep Susie's weight down, since she was now a tripawd. It was all I could do to keep a straight face, because if there was ever a dog that was not prone to putting on weight, it would be Susie! (If my daughter leaves an opened box of pizza on the floor by the TV while she goes up to her room to make a phone call, Susie will not even take the slightest interest!)

It's funny, too, that my human daughter was the same way as a child (and, to some extent, is like that now). But my male dogs were the type who would just about eat anything, and had many dietary indiscretions!