Day three, and bored already

Three days post surgery, and Riley is doing very well.  The bruising on her belly is less than after the prior surgery, and she is fairly ambulatory.  In fact, we are having trouble getting her to stay down.  She wants to cruise through the house, and isn’t settling very well at all.

How do you keep a dog entertained after surgery?  She has started to whine and “talk” a fair amount.  It’s the same vocalizing that she does (and has always done!) to remind us that it’s nearly time for dinner.  Last night she whined and looked pointedly at a toy.  When I brought it to her, she happily gnawed on it for the next ten minutes.  We are creating a monster!  But it’s nice that she is feeling well enough to play with toys.  Prior to her surgery, she largely ignored the same toy, even with peanut butter smeared on it.

There is always the possibility that she is showing pain, although I suspect not.  She is getting either Tramadol or Gabapentin every four hours, round the clock.  I know that her surgery medications are wearing off, but I still don’t think it’s pain.  She is bright looking, and very alert.  More so than last week.  Riley has always been a tremendous chow hound, and if we feed her now, she quiets down.  Even giving her ice appeases her.  I think that she is just bored.  It helped a little to make a cozy nest for her in the kitchen, so that she could supervise dinner preparation.  For years, I have cooked dinner over the top of Riley, and it was probably nice for her to resume the practice.  It doesn’t hurt that I occasionally drop food…

When we take her outside to relieve herself, after doing her business she likes to just hang out and sniff the breeze.  However, she won’t lie down on a rug we have there.  How much of this standing around is too much?  One of us is always beside her, to steady her if needed.

Could really use some ideas for ways to keep Riley happy.  I have a doggie puzzle that I’m going to try next.

Author: jogswithdogs

Riley 12 1/2 year old German Shorthair Pointer. She is scheduled for amputation 4/26/17 The diagnosis was histiocytic synovial cell sarcoma.

2 thoughts on “Day three, and bored already”

  1. Hello. Glad to hear Riley is recovering well. Have you tried a snuffle mat? You can hide her kibble in it so she has to hunt for her meals. Or treats if she is on wet food. Amazon has some that are almost like babies busy blankets. I got mine on Etsy but they don’t have a fast turnaround. If you’re crafty you can make them too. There are instructions on google. Just a thought. I know my GSP enjoys hunting around for food.

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