Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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thanks, Otisandtess! I had taken out the tramadol first and kept him on the gabapentin and metacam but I'm wondering if maybe the tramadol just works a bit better. So maybe I will switch and try taking out the gabapentin first.
I think gabapentin must be tapered and not a hard stop. We weren't on it, but perhaps others will chime in.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
I always taper off pain meds if the dogs have been on them for more than a few days. I like to be able to judge pain levels without the pain getting too bad, when its harder to get back under control.
On the gabapentin- I've seen different opinions on stopping gaba cold or not. It is a med used to control seizures although when used for that I believe the dose is much higher than used for pain control. My experience with meds used for seizures is that you don't stop them without tapering because it can cause a seizure. In my mind it makes sense to taper off a med that is used for seizures, even when the dose isn't really high.
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
thanks all. I had been tapering the gabapentin. But have added back a couple tramadol per day right now.
Also today was supposed to be day one of no t-shirt so I took it off him and the first thing he wanted to do was lick at it! 
So t-shirt went back on. I know the stitches are out and it's healed up for the most part but I don't think another day or two in the shirt will hurt just in case 🙂
The site might be itching a little bit as it heals. If you notice him licking, I would reach over & scratch around the incision for him, maybe that would help relieve the discomfort for him. Plus now the hair is probably starting to grow back in, and that can be itchy, too.
We weaned off all of the meds right about the same time...I think I spaced out the times on each of them.
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
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