Has Cooper always been skittish at the vet's? Xena's getting her spay later this month and currently luuuuurvs the vet, I'd hate for the spay to ruin that. Your post has me worried a bit, but because of daycare and kennel requirements I need to get her in before her first season.
Sorry to hear -- that's a lot of medication to keep track of! We also started a spreadsheet for Snowie but then forgot to keep it updated. Now we use a Mon-Fri pill box and put whatever meds or supplements he's taking into the Mon-Fri boxes. I prepare it once a week. Makes it a breeze now! But of course he only gets his meds/supplements after breakfast, much easier than for you -- you say there are particular timings -- that takes it up a level of complicatedness!
Poor Cooper, what an ordeal. Glad to hear she's starring to improve. Ella has generally been fine at the vet and her spay didn't affect that. She sometimes gets a bit of nervous excitement (luckily the vet is relaxed and waits for her to calm) but that was no different after the spay
Yes some are 24 hrs some are 12 and some are 8 hr. The Sucralfate has to be taken 3 hrs before food and meds or 4 hrs after. The Amoxicillin has to be with food as does the Carprofen. At least it is only for 8 to 12 more days, and on Friday night Cooper can use stairs again so she can go out the dog door.
Cooper has always been a little skittish, especially around tools or instruments. We haven't been able to brush her or clip her nails since she was about 6 months. When she was in for a checkup the vet has not been able to get a temperature for quite a while. FWIW, she is fine with other dogs and people. We can do just about anything with our hands, but trouble starts if we have a brush or clippers. Leashes, collars and life jackets are fine, but she balked at the "Cone of Shame" before we took her in for surgery. I think we are going to start working with a vet who is also a behaviorist after she gets over the operation. She was still pretty ok going to the Vet today, so I think that will work out alright. She had always been fine before her spay, except for instruments.
Cooper is having trouble keeping her kibble down. Other food and treats seem ok but several times, she has thrown up her kibble almost as soon as she ate it. Not sure whether it is because of the Sucralfate, or because her esophagus is irritated. I'm waiting for a call back from her Vet for some further guidance. Otherwise she seems to be good. She is hungry and wants to go on a walk. She does not look like she is hurting, though dogs hide that pretty well so I'm not sure. The Acepromazine really makes her groggy, but it is starting to wear off now.
I was just coming to ask how she was doing. Poor Cooper, she's having a rough time. Are dogs usually on such a big cocktail of meds after a spay/neuter?
Agree, I'd try wetting it or just going for something totally soft. Usually this op is uneventful. Cooper has really drawn the short straw!!! Poor girl.
We are trying canned food for a little while and then soaking the kibble. I had sticker shock when I bought the cans. I would hate to have to feed both of them canned food all the time, close to 6 cans for Tilly and 8 for Cooper each day at $2.65+ per can. That's more than we spend on food and booze each day. Otherwise she is doing very well. She would like to go on a long walk and doesn't really seem to have any pain. She and Tilly started a tug contest tonight which we had to stop. We will all be happier when she is off the sedative, but that is another 11 days. Haven't had to use the inflatable collar so far, but we have one if we need it.
Glad she's feeling better! You might find that it's cheaper to buy raw dog food rather than canned food. I have found that feeding Snowie raw meaty bones and meat is comparable to the "science diet" kibble, and I think Orijen is even more expensive than the raw food I source.
Everything is pretty much on track, now. She is on mostly canned food at the moment, but we will start transitioning back to Blue Wilderness kibble. She seems to feel pretty much normal, but we are supposed to keep her quiet with only leash walks and no swimming for another 9 or 10 days. We cut down on the pain meds and may actually increase the sedative a little if she gets too rambunctious. Cooper and Tilly have been playing a little and it can get out of hand. I don't know if it is the sedative or something else, but all the sudden she does not like walking on the vinyl floor in the kitchen. For a while she did not want to get off the carpet on on to the hard wood floor, but she seems to be over that. She has never had a problem with the vinyl floor before and did not when she first got back from the surgery.
Glad to hear she is improving. If she is feeling unsteady on her feet, a change of surface can be a real issue. I find Lilly makes a big deal of surface changes, which don't look that impressive to me. I blame it on her hips, but I am sure the sedative has a lot to do with it for Cooper.
I think that is it, but she is reluctant even when the sedative has pretty much worn off. When she was really groggy she didn't seem to have a problem and it started after several days. Hopefully the issue will go away when she is completely off the meds.
Poor girl! Just catching up with this now. Hope she has turned the corner and is on the way to recovery. Gentle pats to her.
Cooper is convinced that she is back to normal, but we still have a lot of meds to give each day. Several times she has chewed a pill pocket spit out the amoxicillin and then eaten it anyway, We are working hard to keep her reasonably calm, still using the Acepromazine at 1/2 dose. She is still sometimes unhappy with the vinyl floor, but everything else seems fine. We are going to do a longer walk today. We are back to 75% kibble and 25% canned food. Probably 100% tonight. She and Tilly will not be pleased
