Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi everyone! Sully is 12 days post amputation and doing great! After his surgery he had a lot of fluid build up, which our vet chose to treat with compression wrapping. We were going back to the vet about every other day for him to check the incision and fluid, and rewrap. All of this was working out fine until Sully started feeling better and becoming more mobile (which is a wonderful thing.) Our issue now is that Sully's incision is still draining from two sites and the wrap keeps shifting because he is moving around more now. We have used abdominal pads and baby diapers (because we've got plenty of those around here), gauze, sports wrap/ vet tape, cloth ace bandages, and have even tried using an under armour compression shirt to try and keep everything in place. We are careful not to wrap anything too tight, which is why it is shifting so much. The biggest issue is a small part of the incision near his chest. Because he is such a deep chested dog, it is very hard to get the wrap to not slide from his chest up to his neck or down around his belly. Any suggestions or advice would be helpful. Also, any insight about when the draining will stop? His incision is healing beautifully and he is scheduled to get his staples out tomorrow afternoon, I just wonder how long it will take for the two draining sites to heal like the rest of the incision. Thank you!
Today is a great day!
Rachael and Sully
hmmm....I've never really had great luck with making any kind of dressing stay on a dog or cat! lol
what about getting an abdominal binder (for a person - should be able to get at any drug store or medical supply) and wrap that around? put that over top of the dressing to hold it in place..it has Velcro closure, so it should be somewhat snug. basically like this (if the link works! lol) http://www.brac.....oCKE3w_wcB
I would think that the drainage should be slowing down...when the edges are completely healed, by about 2 weeks or so, there shouldn't be any more. Massaging around the site should help the body re-absorb the extra fluid, too.
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
Yay for making such great progress!
Keeping that area wrapped is a pain. Keeping any area on a dog wrapped is a pain. What happens if you just don't wrap it? Does a ton come out?
In the past most vets wouldn't bandage the incision. They're starting to use compression wraps more to help the body reabsorb the fluids but in cases like this I wonder if it's just easier on everyone if you just let it drain out? Gross I know, but like Donna said it will stop soon.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you both. We have left it unwrapped a few times and covered Sully's bed in puppy pads to catch the drips, but he is not a fan of the puppy pads. When it is unwrapped we try and keep him near the pads because we just got new carpet (great timing!) It will seem fine and then all of a sudden he'll shift or take a step and it will just run out. It will be 2 weeks since his surgery on Tuesday and each day there is less and less so I am hoping we are nearing the end of the drainage.
I think that these giant breeds do benefit from supportive compression wraps (for foreleg amputations). For Tazzie we did a modified figure 8 wrap. Since there is only one leg you have to alternate both behind and in front of the chest and remaining leg. You need a cast padding layer then a tight army gauze layer then Vetwrap or even better Elasticon to prevent slippage. I followed with a tshirt. Tazzie did not develop a seroma but she did have a few necrotic spots that oozed a little for 3 weeks until the scabs fell off.
Seromas may drain up to 3 to 4 weeks. As it resolves you can start bandaging every 2-3 days until there is no discharge then stop.
Pam
Sully - we can understand and sympathize with you on the wound / incision care !
Post-surgery wound care is diabolical! Really feeling lost and frustrated...
After Yogi's setback with the allergic reaction, we have been struggling with keeping the incision area clean and covered. There is quite a bit of seepage and likely that will continue for a short time. We have tried three sizes of baby diapers, toddler underwear, puppy pee pads (those are a must under him), animal wound care wrap/tape, dog incontinence pads and two types of doggie diapers. We have tried every imaginable way to keep a towel around the area. Yogi is a puppy...so he moves ALOT - each time he moves, stuff comes off.
Yes, we are using a cone too! Our sweet baby has a long, skinning neck so we have to use a two-fold approach to the cone of shame . First we have to put a 'collar' on him, then the cone of shame . The collar keeps the cone from sliding down. Without the collar, Yogi is still able to reach the incision area even with the cone on. Leave it to our little guy!
Because of all the trial and error of figuring out something that works, Yogi has been pretty stressed. As much as we hate to give him drugs, we have needed to keep him doped up with the Acepromazine (in addition to the Fentanyl patch). Fentanyl patch comes off on Friday and he will be back on Tramadol.
As you can guess...nothing is working! Pet care companies make all their products for a four-legged animal -- not a lot of good for those of us with a TriPawd!
Last night it looked as though a suture was coming loose - and this morning, it is definitely out. I have put a call into the vet's office to ask if this needs his attention. Nothing like having a holiday tomorrow to really throw a kink in the works.
Sorry for my long 'rant'....
Oh no Yogi! Hard to believe you were able to yank out that stitch even when you're seeing pink elephants from the drugs. Oh wait, maybe THEY did the deed?!
Rant away, we would all be frustrated too. Here's a thought...have you ever tried a Calming Cap? We love love love ours and use it for situations like this with Wyatt Ray :
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Yes, when Maggie developed incontenece I discovered that doggie diapers won't stay on a rear amp.
You might Google Handicapped Pets. They carry a sort of suspender which is used for dogs without use of their back legs. I figured it would keep things in place on a rear amp but I've not had a need to try it.
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
Jerry - haven't tried a calming cap. May have to check that out. Right now we hesitate to add anymore extra stuff to Yogi as he has had so much happen lately. He is a little skittish from everything, so a little time with just peace and quiet...
Karen - thanks for the suggestion on checking out handicapped pets - we did find a lot of good information. Where we are in the healing now, we would likely not need some of the items by the time we could order and get them. Who knows, we may still need extra special stuff in the future. We will also be looking at some of the items available through this website for recovery/rehab.
Sully is so dang cute! Just wanted to check in to see how things are going with the drainage. Izzy is a much smaller dog but very deep chested as well. One suggestion I can make in reference to the puppy pads on the best is to put it UNDER a sheet on the bed. We had tons of old sheets so when Izzy was recovering, we did that and it worked well.
Also, the modified figure 8 wrap is good and t-shirts are a life saver! Hopefully, you are past this now 🙂
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.
Thanks izzysmomma! Sully is doing great.
It took two trips to the vet to get all of his staples out, but everything has stopped oozing and is healing nicely. The vet was concerned that the area looked a little red and puffy and Sully's temperature was slightly elevated, so he is back on antibiotics, but as far as we can see everything is looking great! We go back to see his vet tomorrow to check on the infection and hopefully get off of these antibiotics, they stink and Sully can pick them out of anything we try and hide them in!
Yogi- you are adorable and so lucky to have pawrents that love you so much! I have been following your story too! Yes, wrapping is a pain and a cone is no fun either! It does get better, though.
Now that Sully's incision is mostly healed, we have been leaving it open except at night or when we leave the house, so that he doesn't lick or scratch at it. All of the T-shirts come down too low on Sully's chest and he can lick his incision at his chest. We found that a large turtleneck actually works best and Sully seems to like it because it is soft and stretchy.
The only issue we have found now is that when Sully stretches his neck too far he yelps a little. We think it is sore because his head bobs now when he "hops" around. I have been giving him neck and paw massages (because I assume his leg is probably sore too until it gets used to the extra weight) but we'll talk to the vet tomorrow about any other suggestions he might have to help.
Ohhh we MUST have a photo Sully in his turtleneck!
Izzy did the same in the beginning if she leaned or stretched too far. Alarmingly enough, she would cry out when eating at the food stand (elevated bowl) and hop away ... and this is a dog who loves her food! At first we thought it was getting stuck in her throat or something because she would stop eating and cry all the way back to her bed (heartbreaking) but now that her balance is good and she's stronger, no more crying and LOTS of eating!
I hope all went well with the checkup!
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.
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