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Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

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Amira's post amputation pain management
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Michigan
Member Since:
2 April 2013
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1 October 2015 - 8:07 pm
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How does her incision look?  Any redness, swelling or drainage?

How much activity did she have today?  Did she maybe over-do it today? 

It does sound like it could be pain.  Dr. Google can be tricky sometimes lol ..you can't always plug in everything that applies.  Are you able to get ahold of your vet and see if she can have a little bit more of one of her medications?  Maybe a half-dose of something? 

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

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1 October 2015 - 10:00 pm
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Her incision looks great actually. She has not had any swelling, and the bruising wasn't that bad and is almost gone. No activity other than going potty twice today.

She has calmed down since my post and is now napping thank goodness,!  She ate her dinner pretty well at 7:30 but still not big on drinking even home made chicken broth (just started her on honest kitchen "force" last night as I was concerned that she's not getting all the vitamins/minerals from the chicken, brown rice, broccoli and yogurt I was giving her). 

i will check with her vet tomorrow if she continues to exhibit the fast shallow breathing - I counted her at 85 breaths per minute!   I would love to get her off all the meds as I hate the idea of all those chemicals in her but obviously don't want her to be in pain.  When does one know that they no longer need the pain meds????

Virginia







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1 October 2015 - 10:45 pm
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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!

Virginia







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1 October 2015 - 10:55 pm
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Well craaaapola. I'm javing the jardest time submitting my reply...keeps kicking me off!

So....the very short version of what I wrote.....sounds like pain.....stay off Dr. Google......definitely talk to vet about shortening the time between doses. That's where Tramadol.plays a roll. For Happy Hannah it was given every 8 hrs, and could be given every 6 if needed. That filled in the long gap of Gabapentin being given every twelve hrs.

Hopw this helps her.

Oh, and add a scoop of ice cream to her water! Happy Hannah didn't want to drink water either during recovery...weird. Honest Kitchen is good stuff! I agree that its a good way to ensure they're getting the right supplements.

Happy Hannah was on pain meds three weeks...tapered down some towards the end of three weeks. Lain meds aRE a necessity. Trying to fight off pain while healing delays the recovery process.

Ok...gonna try and hit submit!!

Hugs to all!

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!

pennsylvania
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2 October 2015 - 8:29 am
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My pup Murphy had rapid panting, so much so he was also unable to sleep after his amputation. This may be going against the grain, but for Murphy the vet recommended increasing the Tramadol and Gabapentin. He was getting three 50 mg Tramadol x3 a day, with two Rimadyl (75) mg a day, and three (300mg) Gabapentin x 3 each day. For about a week. It was a lot of meds, and they made him sleepy, but it stopped the panting and enabled him to sleep through the night. 

As everyone else advised, its so hard to know if its the meds or pain. I just wanted to throw my example into the ring, since it involves more meds. 

Murphy, became a tripawd on August 17, 2015. Went to the rainbow bridge on July 5, 2016.

http://www.inst.....hythedingo

On The Road


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2 October 2015 - 9:53 am
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amirasmommy said
When does one know that they no longer need the pain meds????

Follow your vet's prescription orders, and learn to identify the signs of pain...

Is Your Dog or Cat in Pain? Here’s How to Know the Signs.

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

Member Since:
20 September 2015
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2 October 2015 - 8:01 pm
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vet said ok to give her 300 mg gabapentin every 8 hours so now at least i know it's ok to do that!  today Amira did good with only a brief spell of heavy breathing in the late afternoon.  She actually seems to be more herself today!  so far tonight, she's been pretty good and she's currently on exactly hour 8 since her last dose of gabapentin so now, i'm wondering whether or not i should give her another dose now instead of waiting until hour 12...AHHHHH!!!! this is crazy making stuff!!! 

Virginia







Member Since:
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2 October 2015 - 11:32 pm
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Please go ahead and stick with your vet's plan for a few more days. One dose of Gaba every eight hours is not a lot, especially since that's the only pain med she is on.

The whole point is to not let the pain get ahead start before the next dose. You do not want signs of pain to show up first and then try and stop it. It's a lot harder on Amira that way.

Real k y glad ro hear she is resting more comfortably and had a better day today. She's a good girl!!

Ha g in tnere! You're doing a really good job!

Hugs to all!

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!

Member Since:
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3 October 2015 - 11:50 am
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i did give her another dose at the 8 hour mark before she showed any signs of pain and it worked well for about 4 hours and she started panting again!  That happened after her previous dose as well although both times the panting lasted about 2 hours and was not as intense as it was when she was on the Tramadol.  She finally fell asleep and slept through the night except when i woke her up to give her another dose of the gaba at 3:00 am.  interestingly, she did not have the spell of panting 4 hours later and slept through for another 2.5 hours.  She got up, willingly went to do her business outside, and even ate her breakfast out of her own bowl at her feeding station!!!!! She's been having room service delivered and being hand fed by me or her daddy so i'm hoping that eating while standing at her normal feeding stop is a good sign that she's getting back to her old self!  still not drinking water but i put chicken stock in her food and she did drink some more on its own so at least she is getting some liquid in her.  She was never a big water drinker to begin with so i guess i shouldn't worry too much...hoping for a 'pant free' day today! winker  

Member Since:
26 September 2015
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6 October 2015 - 6:45 am
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I hope Amira is doing better. My own Rottie, Abby, had her amputation 6 days ago.

On Tramadol, she became very aggressive towards our other dog after her biopsy so we switched to Trazadone (anti-anxiety) and Rovera (anti-inflammatory). She's been on those for 2 months while we tried to rest her after a negative biopsy and a diagnosis of "reactive bone proliferation." Now she is also on codeine and gabapentin. pain management seems to be going well. 

We still don't have a diagnosis, but didnt want to put her through another biopsy when the leg was clearly deteriorating. 

Good luck Amira!

Virginia







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22 February 2013
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6 October 2015 - 9:23 am
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Glad to hear ABBY is doing well. As with Amira, still very early in recovery so no one feels like pawtying yet!!

Sounds like AMIRA is showing signs of improvement. Yes, little things like eating out of her bowl are HUGE things during recovery!! Getting up willingly on her own...HUGE progress!

It sounds like the pain is being managed fairly well now. Even on pain meds, recovering from major surgery just hurts sometimes!!!

I think I mentioned my Happy Hannah didn't want to drink water either. It was just crazy! She ate like a hippo...never missed a meal! Putting a scoop of ice cream in her water and swirling it around did the trick. I woukd let her start licking the spoon with the ice cream on it first, then swirl it in the water and she would drink.

Keep us updated and keep these HUGE victories coming!!

Hugs to all!

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!

Durham, NC
Member Since:
16 September 2015
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6 October 2015 - 9:58 am
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I think I'd drink more water if it had ice cream floating in it ... might have to consider that as part of my own "rehydration" program. 😉

Hope things are smoothing out for your pups. There are always little bumps in the road and they all feel HUGE because we worry about our furbabies so much. I realize that my dog has had a pretty easy recovery but I can tell you that every single little thing ... a sneeze, ear flap, stumble or yelp ... has sent me into a panic. It's hard not to be anxious, but just keep doing what you are doing and communicate concerns to the vet. He or she understands that you're nervous - this was a big surgery! - and I'm sure the good doc would rather you ask than not.

Wishing Amira and Abby speedy recoveries!

Amy & Izzy

p.s. - Happy Hanna showed up in the photos on the blogs page ... good LORD so cute!

Momma to the world's most beautiful American Bulldog, Izzy!! Lost her front leg to OSA 9/18/15. Diagnosed w MCT in June 2016. Celebrated her 1 year ampuversary with knee surgery on 9/18/16! MCT recurrence in Dec 2016. Happy & hungry til nearly 14, earning her wings on 7/31/17.

On The Road


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24 September 2009
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6 October 2015 - 10:32 am
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How's Amira doing today? It does sound like she is getting back into the normal life, the more she can eat at her usual spot and do her usual around-the-house activities, the faster she'll feel better and you can all breathe easier. Let us know how this week is going!

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

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20 September 2015
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6 October 2015 - 2:24 pm
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Abby is a beauty!  Hope she is having a smooth recovery!  Maybe it's a Rottie thing with the Tramadol!

sorry to have been incommunicado the last few days; things have been a bit up and down for Amira over last several days...

So the night of my last post was terrible for Amira.  She had had a pretty decent day but starting at about 10:30, she started panting/heavy breathing and would not sleep.  This went on until 4:30 am or so (or so I think since I passed out from exhaustion around then).  She was resting and not panting when I woke up around 10:00 and she did respond to daddy calling her to go do business.  She ate her breakfast without incident and seemed to be doing ok.  a few hours later, she was laying down on her 'good side' and I noticed that the area around her incision was wet and there was a 2 inch red patch - at first I though she'd been naughty and licking the area but when I touched it, it was a bit viscous and shiny.  I'm pretty sure it was a seroma that 'popped' and may be it was the pressure from it that caused her distress the night before.  I check her incision every day and never noticed any swelling - in fact we thought that her incision looked great!  She continued to do pretty well through the day, the redness went away and she even chowed down on a bone from daddy's steak and had a pretty good night. 

So yesterday, I stayed home with Amira and she seemed kind of despondent... she ate, did business but was just very 'down'.  I did some research and it seems that some tripawds who were kind of depressed made a good turn around as soon as the staples/sutures were removed so i'm hopeful that come Friday, my baby will have her sparkle back!  I kept an eye on the incision site throughout the day and thought I saw some puffiness at the "L" joint of her incision.  Tried to put a warm compress on it but she didn't like it...anyhow, daddy got home and she seemed a bit better mood even though it took a little coaxing to get her to eat but once she started, she finished.  Then later last night, it happened again!  The wet viscous but clear stuff around her incision area and the same red spot!  Called the vet clinic and they suggested having a surgeon take a look today.  she had kind of a rough night again last night with the panting...as much as I try to fight it, my mind of course goes to worse case - every lump, bump, heavy breathing, etc. has me worrying "has it spread?".  I try to not let her feel my distress and I leave the room to cry but she's very sensitive so I may be contributing to her being down.

anyhow, as of this morning, that "L" joint was looking a bit puffy again. I talked to a surgical resident earlier today and am waiting to hear back whether we need to bring her in to have it drained.   Today is exactly 2 weeks since Amira's amputation and we were so hoping that she'd be on her way to being her happy crazy self by now...Friday is staple removal day as well as first appointment with the oncologist so I guess Phase II will start then!  God give me strength to help my baby through all this!

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8 October 2015 - 9:04 am
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Hi Amira's mom,

I know this is a stressful couple of weeks - I freaked out over every little change in behavior or setback in pain management , eating, etc. during my Maggie's recovery.  We are now 17 days post surgery and we're finally all starting to relax.

If it helps to know what others have experienced, within the realm of a 'normal' recovery (although of course all dogs and parents are different) - we had similar issues with pain management in the first week, including going almost 24 hours where she would not eat ANYTHING including pain meds, and a bout of so-bad-it-was-almost-funny diarrhea.  I noticed the quick, shallow breathing that day when we couldn't get her to take her pain meds.  Of course I thought she wasn't eating because she was in pain, and was in pain because she wouldn't eat/take her meds, and it was a vicious cycle!  We had leftover rimadyl from before surgery and our Vet recommended we give that since she would eat it readily (she wasn't eating with enough gusto to hide the tramadol in treats), and that got the pain under control and her appetite picked back up with homemade chicken and rice.  Whew.  And I agree with earlier posts that if Amira has been getting up to eat, she must be feeling pretty good.  🙂

We also had similar issues with tramadol causing panting, restlessness, and lack of sleep.  I could tell the panting/etc. increased the first 2 hours after giving her a dose and then got better as the dose wore on.  The side effects of tramadol subsided when we reduced the dose after about 8 or 9 days, and she started sleeping better.  She actually slept MORE the second week because of this, which of course had me worried at the time, too, because it seemed like a step backwards.  Now I can tell it was just what she needed since she hadn't been sleeping so well for a couple of days. 

I also had to remind myself that before any of this surgery business, Maggie was often up a lot at night and slept soundly during the day while we were at work -- only my hypersensitivity to her every action had changed.  Because I have been sleeping downstairs with her, I noticed every time she got up and walked around the room at night (which I normally would not have known).  I was worried all night that she wasn't sleeping well, and then worried all day that she "just laid there" and didn't want to do anything.  Well, it turns out she was just being her normal dog self. 🙂 

Finally, regarding the incision, we had much worse swelling - or more noticeable, anyway, during week 2.  No oozing or infection, but just a LOT of fluid around her shoulder and neck.  I sent pictures to my vet (yay for that ability!!) and finally brought her in and was reassured that it's totally normal and sure enough, in the next 2 days much of the fluid had been absorbed and the swelling was down.  Our vet did recommend warm packs to help with circulation and absorption of the fluid, and I think that helped.  Maggie normally wouldn't stand for anything like that, but I put the warm pack on when I could tell she was really tired so she didn't object.

All this to say, there are a lot of ups and downs.  I know it's hard to keep it in perspective when there's so much to potentially worry about, but just know that you're doing your best for your pup. 

Hang in there, dog-momma!  I hope Amira is having a good day today!!  Be sure to enjoy every time she smiles and looks happy - that can go a long way to counteract the stress and remind you that she is getting better!  🙂

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