Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi Everyone
So we're at day 6 after amputation and day 3 of having him home. Beau is actually doing fantastic. Although I'm pretty sure that he thinks I have turned into a loony. He catches me watching him sleeping quite a lot
I've been fretting over him watching out for any signs of him being in pain but he just seems to take it in his stride. The bruising which was all around his tummy was so purple on sunday but it has improved so much, it's now a light pinky colour which is great.
The day we picked him up, I was just overjoyed to see his waggy tail, to have him give me a big sloppy kiss and his typical German Shepherd 'talking' at me, most likely telling me off for leaving him so long. He was restless the whole car journey and wouldn't settle. When we got him home, he definitely overdid it. He tried to run after the greyhound in the garden, luckily he was on the lead so we could hold him back from tearing up the garden but he was pulling me on the lead, trying to break into a jog, desperate to play with him. We thought these were all really good signs but I think he's paying the price for that a bit now.
Yesterday was not a great day. I came down in the morning to find him laying on the hard floor, trembling all over and he didn't want to move. I was worried he had been laying there for quite some time so I covered him with a blanket in case he was cold and sat with him for a while. Eventually I managed to coax him into his bed. Every time he tried to get up he would yelp, and he would also let out a cry for no apparent reason when he was just laying down too. This made me question everything which could be causing him pain including the NSAID he is taking, as I know these have been known to cause dogs problems which concerns me. Was anyone else prescribed this? (Metacam)
Today has been much better though, I'm seeing more glimpses of his personality creeping through and he's been moving around the house, laying in all the little spots he's always loved. He's eating a drinking well, going to the toilet fine although his urine is quite a dark yellow, does anyone know if thats normal?
The trembling is still happening, but a bit less than yesterday. Did anyone else find this happening? it's almost like a whole body shiver, like when you're cold. Also, he lays flat on his side (on the non surgical site side) and he raises his remaining rear leg off the floor and seems to stiffen up and tremor. It's quite hard to explain, but it seems strange and I'm not sure whether its pain related or something else. He's on quite large dose of Tramadol every 8 hours. He's also on Metacam once a day and he's just finished his last dose of antibiotics today. Any advice would be much appreciated. Its hard to know whats normal and what is a cause for concern.
We are learning to take every day as it comes but we cant wait to see Beau fighting fit back to his happy chappy self chasing around in the garden again. We are so looking forward to that. But for now, we are just glad to have our boy back, snoozing in his bed at home where he belongs.
Thanks jackdog! So glad to hear how well your boy is doing! How long ago did he have his amputation? He looks like such a beautiful dog.
Thanks everyone
Hannah, Beau & Family
xxxx
Hi Hannah and Beau & Family,
I know you said you've had a couple of rough days, but really overall it sounds pretty good to me. Seeing their personality start to come back is very heartwarming, I know.
I definitely think from your description that he overdid it when he came home. Of course, he was probably still full of all the surgical drugs and so he probably wasn't feeling a thing. And then, a few days later, they've finally worn off. It sounds like the trembling and spasming (is that what you are seeing?) could well be associated w/ pain. Is he on Gabapentin or something like that for nerve pain ("phantom limb pain")? That is often prescribed in addition to Tramadol so you could perhaps speak to your vet about Gabapentin.
Tramadol can also cause side-effects so that is another thought. Some dogs tolerate it, some do not. Our Ellie got very anxious and nervous and panted heavily on Tramadol. Another thought is that perhaps he fell (before you came down) and was shivering either because of fear or pain. Do you have good non-slip floors for him? Tripawds definitely need non-slip floors (carpets or runners).
The dark urine would seem to indicate he's dehydrated so I would make sure he's getting enough to drink. During the immediate post-amp period when it was hard for Ellie to get up (and down) on her own, we brought her the water bowl so she could drink laying down. But you say that Beau is getting around the house OK, so he may not need that level of pampering!
Denise, Bill and Angel Ellie
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
myboybeau said
I came down in the morning to find him laying on the hard floor...and he didn't want to move.
Many dogs will prefer to lay on a cool hard surface during recovery. Find this info and many more answers to common concerns in Three Legs and A Spare.
This made me question everything which could be causing him pain including the NSAID he is taking...Was anyone else prescribed this? (Metacam) going to the toilet fine although his urine is quite a dark yellow...
Metacam is a very common prescribed NSAID, but different dogs can have adverse reactions to different NSAIDs. Some can cause severe intestinal distress. Jerry could not tolerate Rimadyl at all, but did fine on Metacam for nearly two years. Search these forums and you'll find other members reporting just the opposite.
Ask your vet if the discoloraiton may be an adverse reaction, and to switch NSAIDs if so. Dark urine, however, is usually just an indication of low fluid intake.
The trembling is still happening...
Trembling, twitching and sudden outbursts are all common symptoms for phantom pain . You'll find helpful suggestions for treating that by clicking any *phantom pain * link, and in the Tripawds e-books library
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
We actually ended up calling the surgeon because of the dark urine. He said it was normal after surgery. He said it was surgery drugs, blood etc working out of his system. It took a few days but it did lighten in color and go back to normal. We probably wouldn't have noticed it but on day 2 or 3 it was storming pelting rain so when we got him up to go we first tried to get him to go in a plastic koolwhip container instead of having to take him out in that storm. To our amazement when we told him "do your business" he did. But it was almost brown in color which prompted a call to the surgeon. He was drinking a lot of water so I knew he wasn't dehydrated. We too would take him his water dish at various intervals during the day to make sure he was drinking plenty. Sounds like Beau is doing well this soon out. Hugs,
Linda, Ollie, Riley & Spirit Mighty Max
Hi Hannah,
The trembling is most likely pain. Buddy was on Tramadol around the clock as well as neurontin which controlled his pain well.
Dark urine is not abnormal. He's prob just not drinking as much as he usually would
He will get back to normal. it's great that he's eating and doing usual things. At the 2 week mark, you will be surprised at the difference and they just keep getting better. The worst is almost behind you. You are doing great!
Keep us posted
xoxo
Julie and Buddy
Awe, Beau, it's been a rough few days! It does sound like maybe he's not getting enough pain medication. Is the Metacam all that's he's getting? It's probably not enough. Murphy came home on Tramadol, Rimadyl & Gabapentin. Sometimes an ice pack to the incision helps with swelling, too.
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
Thanks for all of your advice everyone.
I contacted the vet this morning to see if he can prescribe some sort of nerve pain medication like the Gabapentin some have mentioned, I'm just waiting for him to call me back. I'm hoping this will ease the tremors and random crying. I try to stay calm on the outside when he has these episodes but it's so upsetting when your pup is in pain isn't it. I definitely think you are all right, I'm sure its pain related. He was walking from the living room into the kitchen last night when he yelped and laid down and let out some really loud cries. It took a while to console him and he was breathing quite heavily afterwards.
He's on 200mg of Tramadol every 8 hours which the vet said is quite a high dose, but for some reason this is not stopping the pain he's obviously getting when he's crying like that which makes me think it nerve related. From others experiences Tramadol wouldn't necessarily stop nerve pain is that right?
He's drinking well and I take the bowl to him quite a lot through the day so I'm hoping it's just the medication making it a bit darker than normal.
I wish I could remember the exact details, but one vet told us that Tramadol and Gabapentin acted on two different parts of the pain pathway. I'm pretty sure that Gabapentin acted on the nerve itself (interrupting the pain signal) and Tramadol acted in the brain. I hope I haven't messed that up too badly! But my point is that they are complementary so you can use both.
And yes, the sudden yelps of pain do sound very much like nerve pain. For all the other things we dealt w/ w/ Ellie, we didn't have that one. But she was on Gaba prior to her amp because she couldn't take NSAIDS.
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
Yes, tramadol and gabapentin have different mechanisms of action.
Your pup may need a narcotic instead of tramadol if the gabapentin doesn't help.
That's a hefty dose of Tram for sure. If it's not controlling the pain, he needs something additional
I would restrict activity as much as possible. Rest and potty breaks only for 2 weeks is all we were allowed
Oh and i almost forgot.
Ice to the site for the first few days. I bought one of those ice packs at CVS that are soft. Of course a bag of frozen peas will do just as well!!
Hi hannah
Jack had his amputation at the end of August, it dims into the blur that is history, we had a fentanyl patch initially and then Tramadol and loxicom. I wonder if Beau is reacting to the tramadol, it can have seem odd effects.
we say, Jack doesn't do slow, he finds it quite hard on three legs tbh and I suspect Beau is the same and will be overdoing it, also his other leg was probably pulled around when they were doing the op so he might be a bit strained and bruised. Do you have access to someone who can give him a gentle massage to relieve those sore muscles? Plus he could have slipped on the hard floor, Jack has nearly mastered it but you still hear him lose traction . We. Also were quite protective with him to,start with and only took him out on his own for a short potter in the garden, gradually letting him build up the time he was out and certainly waited for a good week or so before the others were out with him.
with regards to the shivers, Jack still does occasionally and also we get the odd random yelp which we put down to phantom pain and I guess when it hits it's quite a shock to his system. I guess poor Beau is still getting over the op and all the side effects of the anaesthetic and string drugs he's been having - plus I bet he has a big bare patch where his fur used to keep him warm 🙂
you got him some orthopaedic beds didn't you? I put extra vet bed in so Jack could make himself a nice warm bed too. The other thing you could get are some dirt trapper mats from splendid pets to,put on the floor for him to walk on rather than the hard and probably slippy floor
myboybeau said
He's on 200mg of Tramadol every 8 hours which the vet said is quite a high dose, but for some reason this is not stopping the pain he's obviously getting when he's crying like that which makes me think it nerve related. From others experiences Tramadol wouldn't necessarily stop nerve pain is that right?
You are right, Tramadol will not alleviate phantom pain . This article about pain management discusses different types of pain relief approaches and this one specifically discusses how Dr. Mike Petty, a pain management expert, handles post-op pain. Many times when the best combos of pain management aren't given before surgery, pain can linger in different ways afterward, like phantom limb pain. As soon as you get it under control with hopefully gabapentin, always stay ahead of the pain, don't wait for it to catch up or it will be twice as hard to control afterward.
Be sure to get clear instructions about using Gabapentin. It's not an "as-needed" kind of drug and needs to be gradually stopped if you decide it's not working. I hope it helps, poor pup!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
jackdog said
The other thing you could get are some dirt trapper mats from splendid pets to,put on the floor for him to walk on rather than the hard and probably slippy floor
Thanks for bringing that up. Yes, slippery floors are a Tripawd's worst nightmare (and older dogs too). It takes a ton of effort and muscle power to keep from sliding around on them. Besides putting down tractioin, trimming the fur between toes is also helpful.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hannah,
My Susie had her right front leg amputated a month ago and was sent home on Metacam and Codeine. They wanted her to stop taking the Metacam four days after her surgery, and the Codeine less than a week after surgery, but I found a vet who let us have the codeine an extra week and the Metacam until recently.
At her two-week post-op checkup (and stitches removal), I asked for Gabapentin, as Susie was showing signs of Phantom Limb Pain--heavy panting, sudden yelping, even waking up from sleep to scream. They prescribed it for every 8 hours--however, after giving it to her just twice the first day, she seemed very sedated, so after that, I just gave it to her once a day (at night, when the pain seemed to always be worse.) She has done very well on Gabapentin, and the Phantom Limb Pain has all but disappeared. I'm hoping your vet will let you try the Gabapentin to see if it might help.
Also, Susie was never on Tramadol, but some of the members on here have related stories about how Tramadol can cause some weird (psychological) side effects. If Beau is on an extremely high dosage, then maybe those side effects would be magnified and cause anxiety.
Hope you and your vet can get the meds all figured out and your beautiful boy is soon feeling better!
((((hugs)))xxx from Nancy & Susie
Just wanted to join in on sending best wishes for a good continuing recovery.
Getting the pain managed can be tricky, that's for sure. It seems that some bigger dogs feel the pain of surgery a bit more than others.
In my Happw Hannah's case (a "plus size model" Bull Mastiff), it was three weeks before I could fina say I did this FOR her and not TO her! She did jave to stay in Tramadol and/or Gabapentin for almost three weeks, with some reduction during that time.
Stay connected. Let us know how Beau is doing on tne Gabapentin.
Love!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
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