Tripawds Three Legged Dog & Cat Forum Archives

Hi Everyone,

Trevor, my 12-year-old Sheltie, has been home for 2 weeks and 5 days now.  He's recovering from a front leg amputation.  He previously underwent surgery to remove tumors that was a tough process - ending up with us having to amputate after all.  He's been struggling for about 6 weeks with surgery issues.

From reading all that I have on this forum, it seems what he's going through is a bit unusual.  He was standing up the first day of his amputation, but has experienced severe anxiety every since.  I took him off Tremadyl (spelling?) a few days after his surgery, but the anxiety has never stopped.  It seems he never sleeps fully, and neither do we!  Throughout the day and night, he'll nod off and then jump up and dart across the room.  Sometimes, he cries when he does so.  He's been in and out of the surgeon's office.  He was given a narcotic to help with sleep and pain.  Then another surgeon asked us to take him off of that and give him Acepromazine as needed.  A large dose does help him at night, but I just can't keep him "stoned" all the time!  I've been told to exercise him, but it's next to impossible when he's like this. Today, I opted to give him half the dosage, but it just hasn't done the trick.  He just seems miserable.   He's also on Gabapentin for potential phantom pain (which the doctors believe is rare...I don't!).  In addition, he takes Prevacox (anti-inflammatory) for another leg problem he has.   If anyone has any thoughts about any or all of these medications, I'd like to hear about it.  Also, if anyone has experienced ongoing anxiety like this, please share. I'd love for him to be more comfortable and share some good times with us.  I'm not sure how long he has in that the latest biopsy showed the cancer in his lymph nodes.  We've opted not to do chemo because of all he's been through. 

Thanks!

Trevors' Mom