Tripawds Three Legged Dog & Cat Forum Archives
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Hi Jake and family
So glad to hear surgery went well and you are getting everything ready for his return.
Everybody already gave you fantastic advice so I think you've got it all covered!
The first weeks can be challenging and full of ups and downs but once his stitches come out you should start seeing real progress.
Sending you a big hug and cuddles to your beautiful boy
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
Hi Jake and family,
Good to see some other Canadians here! I think you're in good hands in Guelph. My girl Medziah had her front left amputation at OVC 7 days ago and i'm very grateful for how well she is doing. I have been very happy with our care there so far.
I suspect post operative management (especially with respect to pain) is somewhat institution and surgeon dependent - it certainly is in humans. Medziah went home on post op day 2 on Cefalexin, an NSAID (she had some tummy upset with Meloxicam previously so they gave her robenecoxib) and tramadol for 7 days. After seeing how many people here had pooches that went home with fentanyl patches and how many many used gabapentin in addition to other meds i was a bit worried that Medziah's pain wasn't going to be well managed on what they were planning to give us. We had been using gabapentin preoperatively so i discussed this with the surgeon and we have continued to use it (twice a day at first and now once a day as we start to wean off). The first few days at home she gave occasional yelps and had a few short episodes of whimpering. She did have one longer episode of crying (maybe 10 seconds but felt like forever to me) on post op day 5. She seemed very distressed and it freaked the hell out of me but when it was over she totally settled down and has had nothing similar since.
In terms of prepping our house I think my approach was probably overkill. She's not the bravest dog out there and so i thought she was going to be really anxious on three legs - turns out it just was me who was anxious. But this was my house prep:
Floors - I have runners ($4 CAD/ft at home depot) all over the place. I'm in a ground floor condo unit so i haven't had to manage stairs.
Furniture - i live in 700 square feet so i don't have stairs. I barricade off the couch if i'm not sitting on it and I keep the bedroom door closed (although i forgot once and she did mange to get herself on the bed - i guess her big strong back legs haven't suffered at all).
Food - Lots of treats (I'm batch cooking chicken like i have never done for myself) so that she will eat and take her medication. I also elevated her bowls but she doesn't seem to need it as she sort of has a long giraffe neck. She was a bit constipated the first few days but adding a little bit of pumpkin did the trick.
Getting around - I got a ruffwear harness which fits her pretty well but since it does up on the left (and her amp is on the left side) I find it a bit of a pain to it get on her. She has to step her right front leg into it so we have to start lying down and finish standing up. For a quick pee break i have just been using a canvas grocery bag cut down the sides. It makes a great little handle. She hasn't really needed too much help though and even tried to bolt for the park once!
I hope this helps a bit! I hope Jake is feeling good!
Best,
Rebecca & Medziah
Good feedback Rebecca! Glad to hear Medziah is doing well! Good job! 🙂
Hugs!
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!
JAKE has been home 3 days now yesterday he seemed himself today he seems a bit lethargic. I am not sure if its the pain meds making him sleepy?? he threw up 45 mins after i gave him his anti biotic pill this morning. Spoke to the Doc she said a lot of dogs have trouble with this and to stop giving it to him as he only has enough left for today anyway. He stubbornly refuses to go in the yard he pulls to out the front door because that is where his park is. Eventually he has to pee bad enough that he reluctantly goes into the yard.
Has anyone got advise from homeopathic vets ?
thanks for all the advise and encouragement i think he will be fine he just barked at the mailman so his world is getting back to normal do you find your dog sometimes lethargic??
It's very early in the recovery yet. Jake still has some of the anesthesia medications in his system, plus the pain medications. Right now the best thing for him is just to rest, so it's OK if he's sleepy. 
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
Otis spent most of the first 5 or 6 days sleeping. It was really hard to coax him outside (bribery was involved). Unless I knew he needed to go due to the passage of time, I just let him sleep.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Like the others just said, it really is very early in his recovery; and he should be sleepy and not doing a whole lot right now. His body needs to heal and adjust to life on 3 legs. As for your other question, one of our vets is a homeopathic vet; she's into Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture and chiropractic care. Nitro was on 2 cancer-fighting Chinese herbs for the first several months after surgery. She is an invaluable part of our veterinary team - we have the best of both worlds.
Be patient, Jake will let you know when it's time to be more active. I remember feeling the same way, I was impatient for Nitro to return to the dog he was pre-surgery; but then I'd remind myself, "it's only been a few weeks, or months, since MAJOR surgery".
Paula and Nitro
Nitro 11 1/2 yr old Doberman; right front amp June 2014. Had 6 doses carboplatin, followed by metronomic therapy. Rocked it on 3 legs for over 3 years! My Warrior beat cancer, but couldn't beat old age. He crossed the Bridge peacefully on July 25, 2017, with dignity and on his terms. Follow his blog entitled "Doberman's journey"
"Be good, mama loves you".....run free my beautiful Warrior
Ditto on the timeframe you're in right now.
As for holistic veterinarians, we have lots of info about others' experiences in the Tripawds Nutrition blog , be sure to check it out. Here's a search for "holistic vet"
http://nutritio.....listic+vet
You might also want to consider the Dog Cancer Survival Guide. It discusses combining holistic and conventional medicine for a "full spectrum" approach. Super helpful guide and resources offered as part of it.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi,
As others have said, each dog is different, but sleep is pretty common early on.
I'm an engineer. That means I read too much and over analyze everything. And spreadsheet everything! I found myself watching videos and reading about other doing such-and-such on day x, and worrying because Milo was mostly lying around. Don't do that to yourself and Jake!
That said, here is how we experienced it. He came home after 2 nights so drugged up he lied down and peed on himself. He snuck upstairs on Day 4. Crashed on Day 5 and did nothing but sleep. Days 7-8 were promising. Halfway through Day 9 he really took a few steps back. We think it was change of meds led to aches, and aches had him not move, so he tightened up, and was in a bad spiral. Day 12 we broke the spiral. Today is Day 18 and he's fantastic, and wandering around the yard on his own, and being a bit ornery, and running to greet us. He's Milo!
What you should take from this is that it is a roller coaster. All dogs are different, but the roller coaster is the one thing in common. Good days. Sleepy days. Some dogs have big steps back. Some don't. But when you find yourself worrying, ask here. These people have been amazing "holding my hand" when I worry. BTW, we're only Day 18 and I still have worries which is why I'm here tonight.
Peace,
Jenifer & Milo
All I can say is basically DITTO to everything!
The hospital .eds are nkw out of his system and he's probably feeling the results of this major surgery a bit more. Sleep and rest are exactly what he needs. The queasy tummy can be a reaction to the meds. I'm sure you're doing your best to make sure he eats something when he takes his meds
Guessing he's on Tramadol, Rimadyl, maybe Gabapentin. I guess the vet feels comfortable taking him off the antibiotic.
Recovery is no picnic and it seems like it takes forever, but it doesn't!! Itsq hard ro be patient, but it will all be worth it!
Hugs!
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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