We are happy to share our experience and hope too!

Tell us more about your pup. Sorry I know I have more questions than answers right now but the more we know about him the better we can help. Is Schultz his name? What was his mobility like before amputation? And what kind of pain medication is he on now (medication name, dosage amount and timing)? Is he able to stand, eat/drink and do his business? Do you have slippery floors in your home that he may be reluctant to walk on? 

Every dog is different and oftentimes senior dogs can take a week or so longer than younger dogs to recover, depending on what their mobility was like before surgery. A week still isn't a long time but if his lack of mobility is concerning, I would definitely let your vet know what's going on. He could be having untreated pain, maybe a suture is bothering him, anything is possible. But the good news is most dogs will get back on the road to recovery quickly once a diagnosis is made. 

I'm not sure if that's hopeful or not but either way do fill us in so we can learn all about you and your boy!

You bet, that's why we are here. Thanks for filling us in.

Hmmm. I'm not a vet, but that dosage appears to be exceptionally low for a dog his size. As an example, our Wyatt Ray was 75 pounds and he was on 400 mg 3x daily for pain management maintenance. A more common dosage for large dog during amputation recovery starts at 300 mg 3x daily. So please talk to your vet about upping the dosage. It could be that Schultz is suffering from untreated post amputation pain. This is one of the most common situations we see here.

Also, please consider getting him to a canine rehabilitation therapist. It's so beneficial to have him evaluated so you can learn what he is capable of during recovery and after, and also how to keep him strong. They can help with pain control too. And the best part is the Tripawds Foundation can pay for your first rehab visit ! So please take advantage of the program asap.

Thanks for the kind words, that makes our hearts hoppy!

This is how adding images to the Forums works.

1. Upload pics to a photo sharing site like imgur.com or your own Tripawds blog!
2. Right click and copy the Image URL or just copy the image if you’re on a phone
3. Return to your Tripawds Forum post and paste the image URL (or the image itself) in your post. It should automatically appear.

If you’d like help figuring out the process let me know! I'm happy to give you a tutorial via Chat or Zoom.

I’m happy to help with photos, message me!

As for Schultz, is he showing any pain signals ? If so then yes, note his symptoms and have a convo with your vet to discuss possibly prolonging his prescription. 

Oh yeah an itch like that could be causing some anxiety. Good move to keep the cone on and monitor the spot so he doesn't lick it. Where is the sore?

It does sound like he's making progress. You can up his liquid intake by adding no-sodium broth to his dry food, or spiking his water dish with some of it, or even Gatorade. Anything that will tempt him to drink. Otherwise his appetite sounds like it's improving. As for an amount to feed, whatever his usual amount is what you should stick to, while keeping in mind that a slim Tripawd enjoys much better mobility than one who isn't, so don't over-feed in the name of recovery. 

And remember, if he falls back into the bushes when he pottys, he will get back up without thinking twice. It's us the humans who always panic and make things worse!