Nutrition post splenectomy

Hi all,
I'm a newbie to the site. I have a 5 year old black labrador (called Beau) who had to have his spleen removed 4 weeks ago due to a malignant tumour. Now his wound has healed well but I have a few queries:

1) He is eating soil ... now I understand this can be due to anaemia which would make sense as his blood count post-op was low. I was wondering if there was anything I could give him to help? Would a multi vitamin & minerals supplement be helpful or harmful?

2) He is really thin now - around 10kg down on his weight from three months ago, and he was always a nice trim dog. Any recommendations to build him up again?

3) He seems so depressed. I know in Chinese medicine the spleen is considered the organ of emotions which again makes sense, but I hate to see him like this. He is the son of my other lab, Lizzie, so I've had him since he was born (She's still around). I just dont know what to do to cheer him up! It's limited as he gets tired quickly still.

Finally, if anybody has been through this I would appreciate any general advice.

thanks x

Aw poor little thing. I'm sorry to hear he's so poorly. The anaemia may be due to his illness and may improve. It would certainly explain his tiredness.
I know iron is good for anaemia so I guess getting him to eat something like mince would be good if he'll eat it.
Also if he's not eating well, try him with dog milk supplement Lactol. It's good for puppies, pregnant and lactating bitches and convalescing animals. It comes in powder form and you mix it up with water. You can get it from most pet stores.
In humans that have their spleen removed they are more prone to infection so I guess it's the same in dogs so be careful.
Good luck and let us know how you get on. XX

Thanks for the reply, He's eating quite well but not putting any weight on. The Lactol might still be a good idea though. I know it was quite helpful in building his mum up after nursing 10 puppies!!

You're welcome. I hope he gets better soon. Let us know how he gets on. X

I'd just like to let you know that I had to have Beau put to sleep today. The cancer had spread & it was time to end the suffering.
I am in pieces, but I know it was the right thing to do. I loved him too much to let him suffer any more.

You did the right thing, I'm just so sorry it's so devastating.

Run free, Beau - handsome lad, much loved and sorely missed x0x0x

So sorry to hear your sad news.