Lloydsgurl
June 11th, 2006, 02:52 AM
This past Monday we took my nine year old boxer in to the vet's to be spayed and have a growth on one of her nipples removed, and ever since she's been back she has been acting very oddly (moreso than normal).
The odd behavior:
* non-stop panting days after surgery
- We called the vet and he told us to make sure she stayed hydrated and was eating, and to call him if she didn't. She is drinking fine, but will only eat ground-up wet dog food. Even then, she does not eat much.
* "burying" her food
- she tries to bury whatever food she does not eat. She will use her face to push the dog bowl to a corner and try to cover it with something (including a little mat from the kitchen and dish towels. The dish towels weren't even in the same room as the food, she had to bring them in.) She has never done this before.
* constant burrowing
- she often found comfort in sleeping in closets, but this behavior has increased tenfold since surgery. She is constantly tucked under computer desks, chairs, beds, tables, boxes, etc. She also rarely wants to leave the side of our other boxer (a male).
* new interest in chew toys
- she, unlike our other boxer, has never been one to enjoy chew toys. But one of the first things she did when she got home from surgery was steal our other dog's favorite chew toy (a squeaky elephant)
* hatred of the telephone
- I was doing some work today, when into the room walks my dog, telephone in mouth. The thing was completely mangled! Battery missing (thankfully no chew marks on that) and buttons missing. She was disciplined and I got back to my work. Ten minutes later, she walks into the room with the other phone in her mouth, thankfully she hadn't had much time to chew it. Again she was disciplined and the phone was removed. The stealing of the phone was attempted another three times (I finally managed to inform everyone in my home to stop leaving the door to the room with the phone open). She has never tried to chew on the phone before.
Her mother, who recently had to be put down because of a tumor, had a hysterectomy late in life and did not exibit any of this behavior.
She has a follow-up vet visit on Friday to remove the stitches and I was just wondering if we should pay the vet an early visit. I mean is this behavior normal? Do other dogs act like this, or is it just mine?
The odd behavior:
* non-stop panting days after surgery
- We called the vet and he told us to make sure she stayed hydrated and was eating, and to call him if she didn't. She is drinking fine, but will only eat ground-up wet dog food. Even then, she does not eat much.
* "burying" her food
- she tries to bury whatever food she does not eat. She will use her face to push the dog bowl to a corner and try to cover it with something (including a little mat from the kitchen and dish towels. The dish towels weren't even in the same room as the food, she had to bring them in.) She has never done this before.
* constant burrowing
- she often found comfort in sleeping in closets, but this behavior has increased tenfold since surgery. She is constantly tucked under computer desks, chairs, beds, tables, boxes, etc. She also rarely wants to leave the side of our other boxer (a male).
* new interest in chew toys
- she, unlike our other boxer, has never been one to enjoy chew toys. But one of the first things she did when she got home from surgery was steal our other dog's favorite chew toy (a squeaky elephant)
* hatred of the telephone
- I was doing some work today, when into the room walks my dog, telephone in mouth. The thing was completely mangled! Battery missing (thankfully no chew marks on that) and buttons missing. She was disciplined and I got back to my work. Ten minutes later, she walks into the room with the other phone in her mouth, thankfully she hadn't had much time to chew it. Again she was disciplined and the phone was removed. The stealing of the phone was attempted another three times (I finally managed to inform everyone in my home to stop leaving the door to the room with the phone open). She has never tried to chew on the phone before.
Her mother, who recently had to be put down because of a tumor, had a hysterectomy late in life and did not exibit any of this behavior.
She has a follow-up vet visit on Friday to remove the stitches and I was just wondering if we should pay the vet an early visit. I mean is this behavior normal? Do other dogs act like this, or is it just mine?