>BTW, Rocko's healed up nicely after his operation, and gets his stitches out >today. (He'd swallowed a rubber band about 2 weeks ago.) He looks a little >thin, but his appetite is fine. Could he still be recovering from the stress? >He'd had intestinal inflammation (and a bacterial infection) from the blockage, >and his stools are a bit soft, but fairly normal looking otherwise. (I wouldn't >classify it as diarrhea.) Maybe it's the bacteria's effects, slowly going away >as the antibiotics take effect and the colon returns to normal? Just >wondering. If Rocko's appetite and activity is good, and all he does is look a bit thin, I think he's probably on track here. You always have abnormal motility following intestinal surgery, and the antibiotic therapy will change the flora a bit. Both of these actions result in soft stools and a negative weight gain for a while. But it is still a good thing to keep track of, and if it goes on much more than a week following withdrawal of antibiotics, check it out with your vet. Bruce Williams, DVM Department of Veterinary Pathology [log in to unmask] Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (202) 576-2453/2454 Washington, D.C. 20306-6000 [Posted in FML issue 0974]