Rough Morning for Buford

I'm not sure what's going on to be honest....yesterday (Friday) I fed him breakfast at his usual 5:30 AM and then I just couldn't stay up so I went back to sleep. I woke up around 7:30 to find him sleeping soundly nearby but I then found 3 areas in the living room where he had apparently vomited (and then "cleaned up after himself). Somehow I slept through the how event but he seemed fine.

He ate a 1/2 can for lunch - we're trying to increase his caloric intake in the hope of putting some weight on him - and he did fine. Dinner: he seemed alright for the most part. A little restless but he climbed up on the couch, snuggled down next to me and went into a normal dog food coma for a couple hours.

Then this morning: at 3 AM he woke up and tried to vomit. After a couple of retches he attempted to eliminate but nothing came out. He only did it once and then went back to sleep. He seemed fine and in his normal "I'm starving" mode for breakfast at 6 AM so I fed him. And it was as if he never had surgery! He gassed up like a balloon but belched and de-gassed fairly quickly. Then the hypersalivation began, and the "hoovering" of anything and everything in order to try to make himself vomit. It took about an hour to get him to to through his process: gas up, slobber, fight me to hoover, belch, de-gas, repeat.

Finally he settled down and fell into a deep sleep around 7:30 AM. I'm exhausted. And of course, it's Saturday------and even if I had to take him back to the specialty/emergency clinic, his internist is at a conference and won't be back until TUESDAY!

I hope he has an easier day....I'm thinking of spreading his meals out thoroughout the day now--same amount but give in smaller portions over the course of the day. Fortunately I am home this time of year and can do this with little inconvenience. This poor dog--he just can't catch a break!

3 Days Post-Op

Buford seems to be doing very well. The crying/moaning he was doing Saturday and Sunday have all but disappeared. He is walking well, even trying to trot a little which I work very hard to try and stop. Too much too soon and we'll be right back into surgery to fix whatever damage he's caused himself. His incision looks good. His appetite is terrific and his "business" is right on track. He has counter-cruised a few times, something I also I trying to discourage out of fear of him ripping stitches, etc.

Not all of his bloating symptoms have disappeared however. The surgeon did say that some dogs who have gastropexy still experience bloating but there is no longer a chance of a GVD since the stomach can no longer twist. Fortunately the symptoms are not very severe: he still licks the air on and off for about 30 minutes after meals--and it always subsides after each burp. Saturday and Sunday he experienced some hyper-salivation as well during the first hour after eating full meals but it also cleared up on its own. There has been no sign of physical bloating, nor has he vomited.

I have noticed that he is still pretty restless after meals--pacing, looking for more to eat, etc. And each time this has happened a very short and slow walk down the block and back again cured him.....well, the walk didn't but the fact that each time he we went he moved his bowels and THEN he settled down. So it appears that the dog who has never really liked walks now loves them and HAS to take them for more reasons than just exercise.

Hopefully he will continue to improve as each day goes by. He seems happy and still quite energetic--a very good thing.