The issue should not be related to either Meticam or the surgery medically speaking. It also does not sound like a neurological problem.
More likely, your little dog is exhibiting a form of obssessive/compulsive disorder. This is a common anomaly in toy breed dogs, and often manifests as air licking, air biting, or over grooming.
As I said, medically speaking it is not related to his surgery, but mentally speaking the behavior may be a mental manifestation of the traumatic event - sort of like post traumatic stress syndrome, but to a much lesser degree.
The behavior may pass with time, as the surgery becomes a more distant memory - the typical time for dogs to mentally get over a traumatic event, whether it be an accident, surgery, or losing a beloved owner or other dog in the house, is about 2 months.
Therefore, I would let it go for at least another month and see if the behavior ceases without any intervention. If it does not resolve in another month or two, or intensifies, you can talk to your vet about trying the dog on a tricyclic antidepressant. Amitripyline and Prozac have proven to be both safe and effective in managing a whole menagerie of behavioral disorders in dogs and cats.
Good luck to you. Thank you for using JustAnswer, and please don't hesistate to let me know if you have any further questions.
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Best of luck to you, and thank you for choosing JustAnswer! Please do not hesitate to let me know if I may be of any further assistance.
Sincerely,
Roger L. Welton, DVM
President, Maybeck Animal Hospital
Author, "Canine And Feline 101"
