Tripawds Three Legged Dog & Cat Forum Archives
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1:15 pm
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Bucketeers
22 February 2013
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Such GREAT feedback Holly! 🙂
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!
I didn't mean to say that I thought this process is easy for anyone, nor that I expect Harry to be all better within days...just that if I had thought about it before Saturday, which I hadn't really, I would have expected months just to be moving around again. I was shocked when the vet told me most cats are moving around and figuring things out within days and that most heal cleanly and without complication. Of course I know there are exceptions and am a worrier so will assume that my case will be one, but all the cases I've been reading about seem much quicker and easier than I would have thought last week.
That's a great idea to try adding some tuna juice to the drugs, Holly. I will do that next dose, and thanks for the links. I'll be heading there next. I don't thik I could just watch Harry flop around either... I'm a proper cat lady (although Harry is my first and only baby) so I have, naturally, had shirts on Harry before (:P he has a Halloween sweater that his big belly hangs out of and a Christmas jumper that matches one his 'cousin' my sister's bulldog had. Don't judge me, most years I don't make him wear them). It's pretty easy to get them on, but then he just lies there and looks ashamed. So we'll see. I hadn't even thought about exercises..will need to look into that. I have worried about my hardwood floors though...........:s Thankfully, I don't have any stairs, but Harry does get up on furniture and counters (though he's not supposed to do the latter), so I'll need to make some accessability changes. I've already made him steps up to my bed with a box and a chair...but we'll need something more permanent. Don't worry about overloading! I'm so grateful for all of the information. The only thing I'm avoiding at the moment is the 'complications' and loss related threads. I can't bare to go there at the moment.
Kerren, I think I'd be cool with squirming about rather than flopping down...but I suppose you're right and they do learn. I'd hope :s I can't imagine the wound side not hurting after all that cutting........I wonder why my vet goes with tramadol if that's not standard. I guess I'll ask. It does smell painfully bitter, even with the chicken flavouring mixed in. I've got some good kitty wipes for getting it off his fur if he foams, so he doesn't have to walk around miserable smelling like chemicals. He's not a big snuggler, but he likes a good grooming session. We do mostly wet food, so that's good. I've decided to put the weight on the back burner for now....he doesn't need another change right now and just in case the worst happens, I wont have his last week spent in diet mode. Food is his favourite. I still have mixed feelings about sharing at work, but they're mostly not bothered and a colleague brought me flowers today which I didn't have to explain so that was nice. I get a bit self conscious. I know there are people who think it's nuts to get so worked up over an animal, but...oh well. I will definitely take pictures.
Harry is incredible, thanks Sally! 😛 I've set up some cozy hiding spots around the flat for him and he is currently enjoying the front hall closet. It's hard not to dig him out and force him to cuddle, but I need to respect his wishes, lol.
All of your little buddies are gorgeous, btw
10:10 pm
Bucketeers
27 July 2014
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Sorry, I didn't intend to imply that tramadol is not standard. The pain medication the vet chooses may be based on his/her experience and there are pros and cons to every drug. Buprenorphine is a controlled medication and perhaps it's only prescribed post-surgically. It's worth discussing the pain management plan with the vet before the surgery so you are prepared when Harry gets home. I hadn't done that and when I got Mona home and realized it was time for her pain meds I panicked and couldn't figure out how to open the bottle!
Harry sounds like a real character. I'm glad he lets you dress him up in outfits. He's obviously a proper cat for a proper cat lady!
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
No problem. I did a bit of reading and it does seem to be a matter of choice and experience.
That he is...:)
10:42 pm
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18 October 2009
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My quad pug Tani took gabapentin for her arthritis and because she was so small we had to get the med compounded at a vet pharmacy into a liquid since she was too little to take the smallest pill available.
I was chatting with one of the reps once and she told me that because tramadol is so bitter they had developed a 'melt-a-way' tab that was easier to give than the normal pills or liquids.
It might be worth checking into if you continue to have issues with the liquid tram. The pharmacy I used (through my vet) was Roadrunner Pharmacy in Arizona.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Maggie's Story Amputation and Chemo
Find me now on Tripawds Circle
Thanks. Harry was on some other opioid once, following dental surgery, but I can't remember which. He hated that as well although not as much.
Right now I'm struggling to work out a schedule to get him three doses a day, eight hours apart. I give him one at 7:30 before I leave for work, but it's at least 5 by the time I'm home to give him the second, then I could do 1am but wouldn't be able to give him another dose before work... 
I may have to try slipping away at noon and going from there
I'm a bit roller coasty today. At some points I feel more accepting and optimistic than I have yet. At others, panicky. Last night I dreamt that the vet - who was Henry Winkler (my vet isn't even male) took me into a hospital style waiting room and told me Harry had died. lol. Oh my brain.
So I called the vet tonight to ask about after care and pain management . I didn't speak to the vet, but the assistant who answered the phone and was very reassuring ... although I'm aware that's part of her job. She said he'll probably forget he ever had four legs. She told me they'd just done a forelimb amputation on a kitty from the SPCA on Monday who was running around begging for cuddles already. Oh how I hope that's what it's like for my lad. He's being a doofy stoner at the moment, rolling around in luxury on the front door mat. I'm tempted to share his meds.
Oh, that reminds me. I mixed a bit of tuna into his tramadol dose at noon and it went much better. He still made a hilariously human gross out face, but didn't froth and was perfectly willing to have a bite of consilliatory tuna immediately afterwards.
Anyway, vet assistant says they do a lidocaine drip during and it lasts for a while after, and he wont feel anything. Plus they'll probably keep him on metacam and tramadol (or an alternative) for a bit. She was sensitive but also seemed very unconcerned like it's all no big deal and nothng to worry about...which is soothing in a way, but makes me wonder if they are appropriately sensitive to Harry as well...no mention of gapapentin (if that's what the phantom limb pain thing is called??) 
oh, also!
She said that they recommend something called vet wrap for hind paws to prevent scratching when you're not there to supervise or if you can't keep him from going at the stubble or stitches. I thought that might be a tip for others who were wondering. It sounds like a medical tape sort of thing.
8:27 pm
24 April 2016
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I know it is so scary - never fun to put them under anesthesia. But I think he will adapt very, very well. Cats do seem to transition perhaps a bit more smoothly than some dogs.
You should be able to pick up Vet Wrap at Petco or PetSmart or order it off Amazon. Good stuff to have.
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