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Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

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16 year old cat post-amputation
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Member Since:
22 November 2015
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19 December 2015 - 3:20 pm
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Thank you Kerren - will read the link. It sure doesn't help the stress level when one vet totally disagrees with another. Gah!

Hattie & Jerry

Hugs,

Hattie and Jerry Cat (right front leg and scapula amputation due to chondrosarcoma at age 14, lived 2 1/2 years post amputation, succumbed suddenly to suspected lymphoma at age 16)

10/2001 - 10/9/2017 R.I.P ~ Love you always

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31 December 2015 - 8:50 pm
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Well, it's been over a week (almost 2) since the stitches came out, and 2 days since we were told we could take the E-Collar off him, and he has much better mobility. He can jump up on the couch or the bed, and he gets back and forth to his food and water well. He has been pretty cuddly and affectionate when we come to him, wherever he is sleeping.  He is also not licking and scratching at his incision site as much as he was trying to last week, when we first tried to take the collar off him (at surgeon's suggestion).

He was on antibiotics for the mystery wound for 10 days (we canceled our Xmas travel plans to stay home with him), then the vet said we would stop those. I've been giving him a chewy treat that is supposed to support the immune system and was, for a time, also wiping the area with boiled and cooled water on a cotton pad. It looked better even the next day, and the vet is set to come in on Monday for a follow-up to check on him. 

The joint supplement I bought turned out to be an enormous, hard tablet. Not sure how to get him to take that. It was expensive, too, which is frustrating.

Main issue: He is still pooping in the litterbox but he still will NOT pee in the litterbox, and today he peed on my son's bed, which he has never done before. It's kind of driving us around the bend. We use cat attract litter, we provided extra litter boxes, we provided a shallow aluminum tray with his litter in it, we put extra litter boxes closer to him so he wouldn't have to go as far... He can clearly get into the box, though, because he poops there. We keep asking our vet about urinary blockage (because he's also not peeing as often as he used to) and they don't seem concerned. Going to get some feliway refills (I have an old diffuser) and see if that helps.

I also haven't decided whether I'm willing to take him to the oncologist consult, which I rescheduled (was supposed to be 12/23) for the second week of January. I just want to keep him at home.  I asked twice (first the surgeon, then the front desk person) if I could see the oncologist to discuss, without bringing my cat down there again, and was told no twice. I am going to discuss this with the housecall vet on Monday but am leaning toward just trying to keep him comfortable as long as possible. The good news is we've seen no sign of an aggressively growing mouth tumor, so hopefully they were wrong about that (if you recall, they didn't say he had a mouth tumor. They said he had an ulceration under his tongue that could be mouth cancer OR could be normal "age-related" changes, and the biopsy was too small for the pathologist to be willing to commit to a result).

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12 January 2016 - 5:41 pm
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Progo update — Day 41 (almost 6 weeks post-op)

A week ago yesterday (roughly 4 1/2 weeks since the surgery), our housecall vet was able to come take a look at Progo. We were pretty concerned about his erratically placed urination, and he'd even pooped in a couple of undesirable spots, but I'd gotten a Feliway diffuser refill and placed it near my son's bed (the LEAST desirable of all the places Progo had peed) and maybe it helped. At any rate, since doing that, he's only peed on the floor -- and it's been the floor in the bathroom, which is where the litterbox is. I started putting down puppy pads, and he peed on those, near the litterbox. 

The vet took a urine sample, and I haven't gotten the results from her yet, but she said his urine appeared dilute and it may be kidney issues. But since he was still (mostly) pooping in the litterbox, she agreed he could clearly get in and out of it. She gave us some calming treats, a new joint supplement that is in the form of capsules we can open up and sprinkle over his food (much better than the weird hard horse pills we had), and also suggested we give him 0.1 ml of Buprenex a day, in case he was having some pain. She also said he was jumping a bit "gingerly" and that he might have some arthritis in his back legs. That and/or the surgery could also have changed how he likes to squat to pee, so the litterbox may be comfortable for poop but not pee -- that's one theory.

In good news, however, last night and today (one out of two times today), he DID pee in the litterbox, so that's a teeny bit of progress.  First times since the surgery!

The housecall vet was concerned about the thick scab that had formed over his incision site, but she said to just keep an eye on it. It looked fine until a few days ago, when it started peeling back around the edges. Today, it looked reddish on one edge, and I wonder if he's been licking/chewing/scratching it. So we put a baby tee on him, much to his annoyance. It doesn't fit well, either (we didn't have many choices around the house), so I might need to get a new one. I emailed the vet, and she suggested warm compresses on the scab a few times a day, and maybe eventually we can pull off the scab (eek!). Not sure I want to tug at that thing, as it seems raw underneath in the center. 

Moodwise, he's doing pretty well, and he's pretty mobile (when not in baby tee). He jumped up on a favorite (high-isn) spot yesterday for the first time -- our dresser. I was concerned about him getting down, but was pleased to see he jumped back down onto the bed first, not straight to the floor.

Another strange-but-minor detail is that he has stopped wanting the calming treats, so that's a bit odd. I have some of the immune-supporting treats left, and he'll still eat one of those a day.

We definitely have mice (ugh), but Progo is ALMOST interested in them, unlike his completely uninterested stance from the previous weeks. The past week, he has occasionally gone over to the radiators and sort of stared back towards where we think they're coming out. I've trapped 5 very cute but unwelcome small mice with a humane trap and my husband's been releasing them in a park a half mile away. 

I think that's everything "major" (even minor seems major). He's doing pretty well, for an old cat who may not last more than a few months. 

Oh, and as for following up with the oncologist at the emergency hospital, I canceled that appointment. Our housecall vet said on Monday that if the tongue ulceration had been the type of mouth cancer they said it MIGHT be, he'd be dead by now. So she gave us some things to look for as he declines, but I don't think I need to put him through another emergency veterinary visit right now. 

Michigan
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12 January 2016 - 7:56 pm
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One thing to try to help keep mice out of the house, once you get rid of them, is peppermint oil.  Try putting some on cotton balls and putting it around where they might be getting in at.  I've used them with hopefully some success lol.  I put them in the garage and last year around the outside of the house because a neighbor passed away and was apparently a hoarder.  When his family started cleaning out his house we were warned there were mice.  We're a couple houses away, so not sure if we were just safe or if the peppermint helped, but it can't hurt!

I would also look around for any tiny hole they could be getting in.  It doesn't take much.  When we lived in a mobile home they climbed up alongside the pipes, so we blocked that with some of that expandable insulation (flex foam?).

With the scab - maybe if tiny pieces come off at a time?  I see what the vet means...if you soften it up with a warm, wet compress, maybe little pieces from the edge would come off...

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

Donna.png

Virginia







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12 January 2016 - 8:55 pm
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tell ya'' what, for a sixteen year young cat who is just over a month from amputation surgery, I agree, Progo is doing pretty darn well!! I think your assessment is sppt on! I lpve that you are still seeing some of his sparkle come back, a return to some of his normal routines. It shows that he is still very much enjoying himself.

Progo really is having some .AJOR VICTORIES!! A whole lot to celebrate!clap

It sounds like the home visit vet has a good handle on evaluating what Progo needs to continue to jave good quality without traumatic vet trips full of poking and prodding.

Yeah, I live trap my mice too. I'm pretty sure if I marked them before releasing them Id see the same ones back the next day just sitting there laughing at me! I'd also heard about using peppermint oil but hadn't tried it. Donna had some good results.so I'm gonna give it a try.

Not sure I can offer any help on the scab. I know it's nature's way of healing. When it's ready to come off it gets quite itchy, so I vuess that's why Progo may want to scratch it.

Thanks for taking the time to update. This is quite an amazing kitty! Keep on keeping on Progo! You are quite extraordinary!!

Hugs to all!

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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13 January 2016 - 6:36 am
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Hi Neuromancer-

I enjoyed reading your update on Progo. Sorry you are also experiencing potty issues (I am too now), but really very happy to read he is getting around and even jumped off a dresser. WooHoo!

Mice: Yes, I've done the peppermint oil on a cottonball thing and it did deter them. I also used that humane trap, years and years ago (a little green plastic house with a trap door?) and my husband laughed and laughed and laughed at me as I got in the car every morning with a new mouse I'd caught, in the dead of winter, and drive 5 miles to the nearest wooded area before my kids even woke up, to release 'em. 

The scab: Jerry had/has plenty of those and I took the advice on here to wear t-shirt most of the time, but to also allow time for air to get to it to dry it out. I'm sure it's so itchy - I battles this issue for MONTHS with Jerry. He has one left that I have to fight every urge to just rip it off for him, but it does look a little red around the edges and raw in the middle. 

I hope you find relief with the potty issue soon. I'm going to call my vet today most likely to discuss that and another issue we are having with Jerry regarding eating less than normal. Good luck!

Hattie & Jerry

Hugs,

Hattie and Jerry Cat (right front leg and scapula amputation due to chondrosarcoma at age 14, lived 2 1/2 years post amputation, succumbed suddenly to suspected lymphoma at age 16)

10/2001 - 10/9/2017 R.I.P ~ Love you always

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24 November 2015
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3 March 2016 - 11:16 am
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Hello! Yesterday was the 3-month anniversary of Progo's right front leg amputation, and since it was so important to me to find other people's experiences -- especially those with cats, and older cats in specific -- I thought I would update.

pain management  -- our cat is on a maintenance dose of .1 ml Buprenex in wet food every day, plus one caplet of Dasuquin mixed up with his food (to help his joints). 

Mice -- We definitely still have mice. Peppermint oil on cotton doesn't seem to deter them long. We continue catching mice in the humane trap (I'm ordering another one) and two days ago OUR TRIPAWD CAT caught and stunned one! BIG improvement over him ignoring them. Now I'm hoping he'll at least scare more of them off, even if he can't catch them as easily as he used to be able to.

Healing -- both the belly wound and the incision scar are completely healed. He has quite a bit of new fur growth, and no discomfort with being petted on any area.

Appetite -- seems pretty good. He gets a little wet food 2x per day, and we do keep dry food out for him, too. He feels bony to me. That could also be his age. He doesn't like the calming treats at all anymore, but also doesn't seem as stressed.

Temperament -- Pretty normal! Yay! He meows A LOT when he wants something, but that's been the biggest change. He was vocal before, just not that vocal. I guess it's about time to refill the feliway diffuser, so maybe I'll see if that helps. He still sleeps a bit more than usual, but I "caught" him playing with a catnip toy the other day, and it made me really happy to see him bat it around with one paw.

Toileting -- Whew. It was a long road. We finally have a "routine" that seems to work. Cat attract litter, with extra Cat Attract additive. Not too deep; not too shallow. Took the bag liner out of the litterbox. He will use it for pee AND poop, but once it has been used once he will pee on the floor if it is not scooped before he needs to use it again. But he did go back to peeing on one particular spot on the bathroom floor (when rejecting the litterbox), so I keep a pee pad down there, and if he poops in the litterbox at night and then needs to pee, he pees on the pad. This is SUCH an improvement over the week or so that he was peeing in my son's bed and unpredictably on the floor in several rooms of the house. Again, whew! 

Overall: He has now lived for 3 months at what is so clearly a higher quality than life with the tumor -- and no one was sure if he would make it three months if he didn't have the amputation -- so, despite the expense and stress, I am really glad we did the surgery. We decided NOT to keep the follow-up appointment with the oncologist. We're done with treating this cancer. If/when it returns, he's so old we will just manage pain. In fact, our vet also hasn't followed up on how his urine test results were, but I'm just not going to worry about anything that's not evident in front of me. Oh, and the mouth cancer never materialized, but it was such an aggressive form that our vet says the mouth ulceration must have been nothing major (he would've been killed quickly by the mouth cancer the vet hospital said it "might" be). Trying to enjoy the time we have with him, and he seems to be pretty content to eat and sleep and cuddle. I feel a little guilty when I see him limping, but then I remind myself that that's just his new off-kilter walk. He runs just fine and jumps pretty well. He's 16! I feel lucky he's done this well.

Thanks SO much for all the support. This is a great community.

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3 March 2016 - 11:18 am
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Oh, I meant to add, about the scab, it eventually lifted up at the edges and then one morning it had completely come off. Skin underneath was bright red and sort of "raw" looking but not infected, so we texted a photo to the vet and she agreed it looked okay. Put the cone on him another few days and tried to keep him from messing with it. It healed up just fine and we took the cone off and got back to our lives. 🙂

On The Road


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3 March 2016 - 12:36 pm
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Hoppy Ampuversary Progo!!! Thanks for the great update.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet



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3 March 2016 - 9:33 pm
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That is such great news! It seems like it's been a long haul, particularly with the litter issue, but Progo will inspire others who are facing this difficult decision.

I'm sure you'll notice Progo continue to get stronger over time. I sure hope Progo is with you for a long time to come.

Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona

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5 March 2016 - 5:26 pm
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This is such an amazing, detailed update- thank you so much for taking the time to provide an update to those who have been following your family's story. I am really happy that things are looking up for all of you, and that Progo is enjoying his food and cuddles. Also very relieved to hear the potty issues are getting better - that is so stressful!!!

I'm very happy I was able to "stop in" here and saw this update. Made my night 🙂

Hattie & Jerry

Hugs,

Hattie and Jerry Cat (right front leg and scapula amputation due to chondrosarcoma at age 14, lived 2 1/2 years post amputation, succumbed suddenly to suspected lymphoma at age 16)

10/2001 - 10/9/2017 R.I.P ~ Love you always

On The Road


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6 March 2016 - 2:14 pm
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Wooooohhooooo! I just love how Progo has bounced back and is showing the world that senior cats can be just as hoppy on 3. Those mice better watch out!

Thanks for the great update, kudos to you for giving him a second chance at the long, hoppy life he deserves.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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5 January 2017 - 9:17 am
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Here's an update on our now seventeen-year-old cat. I'm sad to say he seems to be reaching the end of his life, but I have no regrets about the amputation surgery. http://tripawds.....t/#p180734

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5 January 2017 - 9:18 am
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p.s. We've seen neither hide nor hair of a mouse in a good 6-8 months. Whew!



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5 January 2017 - 9:40 am
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I'm sorry Progo is reaching the end of his life. He sure gave it his all with the amputation. It gave you an extra year of love and joy together. I'm sure you'll have many fond memories of Progo to last your lifetime.

He certainly has taught us about some of the challenges of healing and changing behaviors for an older cat, particularly the litter box. Although I must say I still have litter issues with Mona who is now 10 years old.

Sweet Progo, you have been well loved. Hugs to you both. heartheart

Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona

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