how to get him to eat after surgery (resolved)

[AquaticRex]

ok, so i just had my boy fixed today. but now he is barely eating or even drinking for that matter. i gave him his pain meds as prescribed, now all gone and he does not seem to be in pain. he actually seems really active. aside from trying to lick the incision (trying being the key word since some1 is always stopping him), it almost seems like he did not even get the operation. no swelling or infection, just having trouble getting him to eat. we resorted to trying to give him a little bit of his favorite treat (banana) smooshed and mixed in with his pellets to encourage him to eat, but it worked for the first 10 minutes after he got home then now nothing. i've been trying all day to get him to eat. he drinks a bit here and there and i've been trying to hand feed him (which he usually does not mind). nothing is working, help!!

 

[AquaticRex]

whoot!! success lol never mind lol someone can delete this threat if you want. i figured it out ^_^

 

[Tweetiepy]

My boy is heading off that way soon, can I ask how you got him to eat? I'll probably be needing this advice soon

 

[AquaticRex]

i took his food and fed him pellet by pellet. it's when they're in pain that it's hard to get them to eat. so what you do is just feed them what they will eat. to get my bun to eat i took a banana and kept nudging his mouth so he kept licking the residue off and then he would go for bits of the banana. i also smooshed up the manana and mixed it with a bit of food (so that the banana does not spoil) . if you leave them for too long without eating then his digestional tract or what ever it's called can close up and it will be really difficult to get him to eat after.

-feed him up to 2 hours before surgery.
-then right away when you get him back.
-make sure you get pain meds. it will help them heal faster cause they start eating and their health stays up if they eat.

all i did was feed him banana's and skinned apple pieces. he started eating his pellets when he was feeling better.
***keep in mind, they will be sore after the surgery, so it's best if you hand feed him and keep the food and water by him, cause most likely he will not want to move.

i was told to keep his surgery area dry. don't let him lick it, though it is hard to stop him lol. for keeping him cool (cause of this nasty heat wave) i put a bowl of ice in front of a fan and aimed it into a part of the cage, so that if he needs to cool down he can go by it, but if he needs to warm up the other part isn't touched by the cold air.

i was also told for bedding to use yesterdays news or clean towels.

you need to check the stitching every day and clean it with (they told me this) peroxide. i don't know about you, but if i had a surgery on my parts i would not want to be pouring peroxide on it lol. so i use a sterile gauze pad and water to wipe off the blood, cause for 2 days after the surgery they'll bleed from the area. for about 2-3 days they are not aloud exercise time, cause you don't want the stitching to break. no jumping either.

sry if i repeated a few things in here lol

 

[ra7751]

Couple of things about spays/neuters. You do not need to remove food or water at all. Some vets ask to remove pellets the day of surgery but they should have hay and water at all times. The problem with removing food is that it has a negative effect on the beneficial bacteria in the gut. Pain meds should be discussed before the procedure. Many vets will tell you they give a "shot" that covers long term. Not true. It is usually Buprenorphine and lasts no more than 12 hours. Metacam is better than nothing but a narcotic aspect is preferred...either Buprenorphine or Tramadol. But insist, in advance, on take home pain meds....3 days for neuters and up to 5 days for spays. Most of the vets do not use external sutures....all of my surgeries are closed by surgical glue. Peroxide should not be used as it can cause some undesirable effects on the skin.

Randy