Post neuter question

[Butterscotch]

Goose got neutered yesterday and he has been home for approximately 12 hours. I have only seen him nibble a little hay so far. He will not eat pellets or drink water. He is otherwise acting normal, he doesn't seem to be too concerned about his incision site. He grooms Butterscotch's face when she sticks her nose up to the side of his cage. He flops and lays on his side a lot but he is alert and aware.

Is it normal that he won't eat or drink yet? I had a very small amount of oat hay that I offered him and he seemed most interested in that type of hay. I can go get a fresh bag as soon as Petco opens.

Should I distract him if I see him paying attention to his incision site? How will I know if he's eating cecotropes or picking at his sore man parts? The vet did not send him home with pain meds.

Should I add fruit juice to his water to encourage him to drink? He has never had fruit juice before. Also, he has never eaten greens. I've offered them daily but he's never been willing to try them. He's not quite 6 months old yet so he's only ever eaten pellets and a variety of hays.

Is it too soon to panic? The vet opens at 8am, I will call them as soon as they open but is there anything I can do until then?

Thank you

 

[Butterscotch]

I'd like to add that he won't eat alfalfa hay either. He's never really liked it. I guess I have a picky bun. He loves oat hay though. I wish I had though to pick some up before his surgery.

 

[jessicabennett]

Edit - sorry - I posted about painkillers but have just seen he isn’t on any! Does he have any favourite treats? Our bun had a tough time after neutering and we were told that it doesn’t matter what he’s eating (obviously within reason), as long as he is eating and going to the toilet (this is key). He got by on iceberg lettuce (which I know you shouldn’t give to them due to lack of nutrients, but it isn’t harmful and he likes it) and his favourite treats.

I hope he shows signs of improvement and I would definitely give your vet a call!

 

[JBun]

I would try the oat hay, and maybe try a little greens again. I had a rabbit that wouldn't really eat much for a full 48 hours post neuter. He would hop around and was acting pretty normal, just wouldn't eat well. My guess was the anesthesia was making him feel nauseated like it can with people. The only thing he would eat during those two days was a little bit of leafy greens at a time. So every half hour I would offer him some, and cumulatively I felt he was getting enough in him not to have to resort to syringe feeding him. So I would try something like parsley, cilantro, or green/red leaf or romaine lettuce. If he won't try it then I would keep encouraging the hay eating. If you still can't get him eating much by noon then I would definitely give your vets a call if you haven't already by then. Pain meds may or may not help. It didn't help my rabbit because his issue was the nausea. But I still find it annoying when owner's vets don't send pain meds home with them, even if it was just a neuter(less invasive). It's still good to give it at least the first day or two, if not for the pain relief, the anti inflammatory properties of meloxicam are also helpful post surgery.

You do need to monitor the incision site to make sure he's not messing with it. But that does need to be done carefully so as to not cause bun to struggle while doing it.

 

[Butterscotch]

Thank you for the advice, I greatly appreciate it! He turned his up nose at leafy green lettuce but I left it in his cage anyway. I'll keep refreshing the leaves. What a snob, my boy . The grocery store opens in an hour, I'll go pick up a variety of greens for both him and Butterscotch. He has munched on a little more of the oat hay, which was a relief. I only have the bottom of the bag scraps to offer him, I just cannot believe I didn't think to buy him a fresh bag yesterday. But he's eating them and it's better than nothing! I did see him in his litter box nibbling on some orchard grass a few minutes ago. He left behind about a dozen normal looking poops.

The vet opens soon, I'll give them a call.

Thanks again!!

 

[Butterscotch]

Goose has eaten a few pellets now and he was drinking water a few minutes ago. He munched a little bit on the fresh oat hay I bought for him. He left about another dozen or so poops in his litter box but some of them were small. He still seems to be acting normal and ignoring his privates. The vet said it was normal for him to have a reduced appetite for the first 24-48 hours and it's really good that he's nibbling on his hay and using his litter box. My goodness this is unbearable. It's going to be worse when Butterscotch gets spayed, too! At least by then I'll be better prepared and hopefully a little more knowledgeable.

I need a drink. Another one.