Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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my mini dachshund Reign became a hind leg tri on Friday ( July 3rd) it's a long and confusing story I'm trying to get straight in my head and figure out how to use the blog to write it out. ( I'm lost when it comes to blogs so it will take me a couple days to figure it out lol)
To sum it up,
Tuesday June 30th Reign received a "bad" IV for a dental that cut off the main artery in her leg. As of right now we don't know exactly what happened but we will not be returning to that vet. (The animal hospital she is at sent it to pathology to try to figure this out. )
Since she had a lot of swelling and bruising in the leg so the surgeon is being super cautious with her. We were supposed to bring her home yesterday but because of the holiday they have release times early and they would just be removing her catheter we would have to bring her back in 24 hours if she didn't pee. We live 1 1/2 hours away from the hospital so we decided to play it safe and have her stay 1 more night. They called later to say they noticed she had a little more swelling across her stomach than they realized so they switched some mess around and cancelled her release today and plan for discharge tomorrow. The "new" swelling has not progressed any farther.
So for my question! (Finally, I know this runs on)
has one ever had a situation like this?
We have visited her yesterday and today. She's moving around pretty good and being a little picky with her food. The tech that took her outside last night said she squatted but she has the catheter still in so she didn't get to pee freely but she squatted!! Ok so I just want to know ANY tips or advice to helping her whenever we get her home. Pretty much everything I read is for larger dogs and she's only 14 lbs and not far off of the ground lol. Should I have anything special on hand for care? I know they will give me instructions but I'm just trying to plan out as much in advance as I can. Any help I can get would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! Sorry this is all over the place, my brain is trying to cope with all of this
Hi and welcome, your future posts won't need approval so post away.
I'm so sorry about your pup, what an awful situation! Not what any one expects when they take their dog in for a teeth cleaning. Ugh.
I know it seems like all dogs here are larger but we have many smaller dogs who join us. If you search the blogs or search the forums for words like "Dachshund" or "Doxie" or other smaller breeds like "Terrier" and "Corgi" or even "small dog" you'll find lots of results and experiences. Overall, smaller dogs do great as Tripawds! So you have a big advantage there.
Yes, swelling after surgery is very normal. If you click on this word: seroma , you'll find lots of info about it. Sounds like your vet is managing it well, which is great. Sorry you have to travel so far to work with this one. Is there anyone in your town (besides that first vet) you can work with just in case you need to see someone right away?
Have you had a chance to check out Jerry's Required Reading List or our Tripawds e-books ? All of our best tips are in there for bringing her home, living with a Tripawd, and keeping her strong. Hop over there and check it out.
And no apologies necessary, we all know how upsetting this situation is. Hang in there and keep us posted OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I've read through the reading list but haven't made it to the books yet. I'm hoping once she comes home my mind will slow down and I can read them. Since this happened at our vets office we haven't had a chance to find a new vet yet. There are a couple in the area that in a pinch we can go to. I did find some smaller dogs on here after I posted last night, that helped :-). The surgeon said her swelling was slightly more than normal but they have been icing it and it's helping but adding to the recovery from this surgery is she did have teeth pulled during her dental so she has stitches in both ends now. My husband is in the medical field so he's been taking pictures so I can see the improvement day to day. It's amazing the difference from day 1 post op to day 2. She loves her ice pack so that makes it easier! She's been in a really good mood and her tail has been wagging away. I know this is much harder on us humans so I try to stay calm when we visit. We've been trying to stay as positive as we can. I keep saying the squirrels in our yard won't know what hit them once she recovers!
Theres a chance she will be coming home today! They are removing her catheter this morning and we are calling at 3pm to see if they've cleared her to come home!!! I'm so excited and scared to death at the same time. We have 3 other dachshunds and they have been so lost without her. Tomorrow will be a week since she's been home and the house is just too quiet without her. The hospital she's at has been amazing to all of us. They don't care how many times I've called or how many questions I ask. They've also been spoiling her. She spends more time on their laps than in her cage and she was being picky about eating so they are hand feeding her pieces of chicken from her food. I refer to them as her minions.
I will continue to update and hopefully get the blog figured out
thanks again this page has been so helpful!
So sorry to hear what you have been going through. Although our situation going in was entirely different, and my dog is big, she did have lots of swelling, leaking and bruising and had to stay 2 extra days at the vet after her amp. The swelling and bruising started going down immediately, we still iced her for a week at home, but she just got her stitches out last week(2 weeks later) and her scar looks great, no bruising at all in that period of time. Hope that helps put your mind at ease for that part of the journey.
Lynn
lnwag said
So sorry to hear what you have been going through. Although our situation going in was entirely different, and my dog is big, she did have lots of swelling, leaking and bruising and had to stay 2 extra days at the vet after her amp. The swelling and bruising started going down immediately, we still iced her for a week at home, but she just got her stitches out last week(2 weeks later) and her scar looks great, no bruising at all in that period of time. Hope that helps put your mind at ease for that part of the journey.Lynn
Hi all, I'm new to the forum. My kitty is undergoing surgery now; she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma Friday. I'm beside myself, waiting to hear from the vet.
Sorry, I don't know how to post without a reply.
lolakitty said
Hi all, I'm new to the forum. My kitty is undergoing surgery now; she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma Friday. I'm beside myself, waiting to hear from the vet.Sorry, I don't know how to post without a reply.
Hi Lolakitty, welcome. I can't believe we have another osteosarcoma kitty here, so very sorry. It's amazing how often vets tell us that osteo is practically non-existent in cats yet we have several members here with it. Be sure to check out Jill's blog, it will help you keep calm right now.
Yay I see you're in the chat, I will explain how to start a new topic all for yourself OK? Going over now.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Mauch you sound so much better, that's great. I'm so glad we could help you keep calm. I hope she gets to come home today!
Your avatar isn't the right file format, which is why it isn't appearing. Here are instructions for uploading.
P.S. When you get a chance, be sure to post a review of your vet clinic in our Vet Specialists Referrals Forum, those are so helpful
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you Lynn. The swelling and bruising is the scary part for me right now. I'm already counting down the days to get the stitches out. I had a GSD 9 years ago and can't image how hard it would be to go through this with a larger dog. I can just pick her up to take her outside and if she loses her footing she doesn't have far to go. We are starting to plan a ramp for the couch and our stairs to the yard but that is something we will get to in the next 2 weeks. Our plan is to camp out on the living room floor with her so I don't have to worry about her trying to dive off of the couch. i don't want to keep her from our other 3 doxies so I think this will be the easiest plan. I'm calm but I'm not if that makes any sense. I don't like the term control freak but I think" hands on" describes me. I will feel better when she's home and I can see her eating and taking her out to potty. I will update later if I get her home
lolakitty I'm sorry to hear about your kitty but you've come to the right place. I've been reading everything on here and everyone is very helpful
I was having issues cropping my photo but I think I've fixed it thank you I also figured out how to upload pics. I posted in my blog. Hopefully it worked.
Reign is home and I'm so happy. She hates her cone and wants nothing more than to attack her stitches. As soon as her feet hit the floor she takes off running! I'm trying to keep her calm but we did have about am hour where I was in tears cause she just didn't want to get comfy but her pain meds kicked in and she slept on me for about 4 hours. And when we picked her up they said she had pooped!!! So excited for that. Doctor wants to see her on Wednesday so check her swelling so hopefully I do a good job with her so she won't have to stay at the hospital again! I will update again when I have 2 hands
Awww glad she's home. Keep up those pain meds, it's easier to stay ahead of pain than try to catch up and reduce it. Do your best to keep her calm and things will be good. Hope you two have a good, relaxing day today!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
GOSH! Just catching up over here!
REIGN IS HOME!! YAAAAAAAAAY FOR HOME!!
REIGN POOPED!! YAAAAAAAAAY FOR POOP!!
Be sure and video Reign and she's trotting along. So many people find it hard to visualize "short and long" dogs doing well on three legs. As you already know, they can do just fine!
Yeah, the first several nights my Happy Hannah ( a large Bull Mastiff) was home she was soooo restless and whining. This is major surgery and it hurts! I know it's unsettling to watch. Generally though, smaller dogs tend to recover a little faster.
I was lucky in that Happy Hannah never needed a cone. You may want to check into a soft donut style cone. You can search under the Gear Blog on this site. Hopefully, you can take it off while you're watching her and give her a little reprieve.
Sounds like everything is looking good! Her sparkle will be back before you know it!
Stay connected, okay? We are right here with you!
Hugs to you and all your pack!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
Wow that's a HUGE dog! Funny thing is when we picked her up we saw a very large bull mastiff! I don't know that I've ever seen 1 in person. Beautiful dogs and super friendly
since my husband has watch over reign I can update. She seems to be able to get comfortable a lot faster now. She LOVES her ice pack so that helps, even when it's not cold anymore she likes to have it against her. They suggested a warm compress but she had a fit so we will try again later. I say warm but I was scared to make it too warm so maybe luke warm. We have talked about the soft doughnut cone and will probably get 1 tomorrow after our visit with the vet. I keep calling her the destroyer since I'm sure we are going to have scars on our ankles from that cone. Her swelling has started shifting, good thing they warned us or I would've been on the phone in a panic. She doesn't look red anymore I would call it dark pink. Since I have only slept about 4 hours I set the alarm on my phone for her medicine times just in case she let's me sleep I won't miss any
what has helped the most besides everyone on here being so helpful is I was going through the posts on the Facebook page and saw a video someone posted in May of 3 dachshunds chasing each other. The fastest was also a hind leg tri. I have shown anyone that has doubted her chance of a normal life! They shut up pretty quick lol
my only question right now is I've noticed she can't back up. She does what I call a 3 point turn. Is this something she will relearn or is this her new way?
Ok I get to nap for an hour before my husband has to leave for work. Thanks for letting me ramble on!
You are NOT rambling at all! In fact yoj are doing an EXCELLENT job at being a strong and confident pack leader! You are a wonderful advocate for sweet Reign!
Do try and rest when you can. I'd say that was a a bit challenging for me as it was just myself and my dogs. And my Happy Hannah didn't even think of sleeping during the first three days more than an hour or so! Well, it seemed like that anyway!
Cannot wait to get to know Reign even better! Doxies are so smart and so feisty! I've been owned by a couple during my lifetime and cherished every second of their delightful demeanor and fun loving attitude.
Yeah, the fluid will "move" as it continues to be absorbed back into the body.
As far as sdjusting to movility issues, vets say it takes about one month for most dogs to work out a normal way to walk, sit, etc. with three legs. Their muscles, joints and mind need this time to adjust and figure things out. I love the visual of her doing her "three point tur "! She's a very smart girl! Yeah, she'll figure things out in time. Then again, she may decide this works just fine for her!
Try and get some rest, okay? Reign is doing fine!
Hugs and love
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
mauch said
my only question right now is I've noticed she can't back up. She does what I call a 3 point turn. Is this something she will relearn or is this her new way?
You have such a great attitude! And I love that your vet warned you about swelling.
OK the 3-point turn. Well, yes, that's common. Our Wyatt Ray is missing a rear leg and when he gets into a tight spot like between our bed and the wall, he will turn a very tight circle while trying to back up. It took him a few tries but he figured it out. One thing that really helps is teaching your dog to do cookie stretches like these.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I'm beyond upset. They are keeping Reign again. The spot that is seeping and she kept going after is absess. They are too worried about what will happen if they put a drain in that the only option we have is to pack it. Since we can't make the 3 hour round trip every day they have to keep her. I've been trying to stay positiveand just completely focus on her but I can't hold back my anger at the first vet. I hope to god they willing pay all of these bills or I will be suing them. Right now I want to beat the crap out of that vet! During this entire thing they haven't even called to see how she was. My husband called them last week to inform them she was going to have surgery. They KNOW they messed up and they don't seem to care!
She was doing so great! I was so proud and we had a family count down to the stitches being removed. And now we have no clue when this nightmare will be over. Thank god for my poor husband! He's hasn't got any sleep since he works midnights and he still manages to deal with me being a basket case.
I know she is being taken care of very well since she already trained the staff. They want her healed as much as I do. I'm just so angry that we have a set back after how good she's been doing. Once I know more I will update
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