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My dog isn't eating after surgery. Is it time to call the vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Female | spayed | 4 years and 8 months old | 6 lbs

Lupita had surgery to remove her sublingual salivary gland due to a Mucocele this past Friday. She was released on Saturday and is on amoxicillin 3 cc twice a day. She is drinking water and ate canned food on Saturday when I brought her home. I have been offering her canned food different brands and flavors and she will no longer eat it. She did not eat Sunday and yesterday and today she only ate a few kibbles of Dry food. The food is accessible 24/7. Should I take her to the vet?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 13th, 2018

Poor girl. I would definitely recommend taking her in for a recheck appt since she has gone more than 48 hrs without eating at least 1/2 of her food. They need to check her incision area thoroughly for any signs of infection and potentially get her on an appetite stimulant during her recovery process. Until you can get her seen, you can try mixing her food with some beef or chicken broth to try and entice her to eat. I hope that your fur baby Lupita feels better soon! Take care.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    I forgot to mention, that she may need to be placed on pain medication as well. If she only ate immediately following her discharge, then she likely had an injectable pain medication on board, that wore off Saturday night or early Sunday morning. Best of luck to you! Take care.

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