Diarrhea and loss of appatite after surgery

Justus, it is not normal for a dog to develop diarrhea after surgery but it can happen.  The stress of being at the vet and the procedure alone may be enough to give him the runs.  If he was fed something different while still at the vets, it may have not agreed with him.  Make sure he is still getting plenty of fresh water so he does not get dehydrated.  If you decide to give it a day or two and see what happens, then I would feed only a bland diet.  A bland diet consists of 1/3 protein source either boiled hamburger, boiled ground turkey or boiled chicken and 2/3 cooked white rice (no butter).  You can feed the same amount of this that you would his food but if you can divide it into 3 meals a day it may be easier on his system.  Feed only this mixture (no treats) until the diarrhea stops, then gradually add in a little of the regular dog food over the next 2 to 3 days.

There are over the counter medications that are safe for dogs but I would recommend that you call the vet for an ok and a dose for Imodium, Kaopectate or Pepto Bismol before going that route.  If you decide to take him in to the vet, it is ok to tell them you need to treat your dog conservatively for the sake of the budget.  They may be able to give you something for the diarrhea and then if it does not clear up, do the bloodwork, etc.  Good luck!