Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
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Miller came home on Sunday with his front leg amputated due to synovial sarcoma. Â Thanks to everyone for your reassurance when I posted about him having to stay at vet for a second night. Â I'm generally relieved with how he seems to be doing, but he gives out an occasional yelp despite having Tramadol and Rimadyl. Â It makes me feel awful for him!! Â Have others witnessed this post-op? Â
Hey! Glad to hear that Miller's doing pretty good! I'm sure others will chime in here, too.
The way I see it there are different possible explanations for the yelping: he's either still somewhat in pain, despite the Rimadyl and Tramadol and you may want to talk to your vet about adjusting the meds. Every dog is different and sometimes the meds need to be adjusted to work the best.
The other thing may be phantom pain , or nerve pain. I know that most people here were also sent home with Gabapentin, so that's also something to talk to your vet about.
Can you call them up to talk to them about that? The road to recovery is a lot easier if you have those bases covered and Miller will get back on his feet quicker.
Good luck and keep us posted!
tina & Manni
Guardian of Manni the Wonderdog. -Or was it the other way around?
Osteo and amputation in Dec 2015. Second, inoperable, primary osteosarcoma found in June 2017.
The end of our adventures came Dec 10, 2017. 2 years to the day.
Please do ask your vet about Gabapentin. Â Not every vet prescribes, but many of us consider it an integral part of the best approach to managing pre and post op pain. Â It will take a few days to be fully therapeutic, but it very likely is nerve related pain and this will be the best way to control it.
Glad he is home and doing well, though! That is wonderful!
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. Â His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
Welcome home Miller! I'm so pleased to hear he is generally doing very well. Ditto the others re Gabapentin. This does sound like nerve pain, and this is what Gabapentin is prescribed for; it works in a different way from the Tramadoland Rimadyl. Also, just make sure that Miller is resting as much as possible. Just short leashed potty breaks and plenty of rest is what he needs right now to help him recover.
All bets to you both!
Meg, Clare and Elsie Pie xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 23 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
YAAAAAAAAAY!! MILLER IS HOME!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 Slow and easy sweet voh! Recovery is no picnic for a bit!
Yeah, as everyone said, ask the Vet about adding Gabapentin to the mix. Phantom limb pain usually presents "out of the vlue" and dogs maynyelp and try to get up and "move away" from the pain. It's usually over is less than a minute. The brain is still firing off signals to nerves that are no longer going to a leg and it hurts!! The Gaba should helpmif that's the case.
Let us know how things are going. We would love ro see pictures of Miller! 🙂
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!
My dog totally did that after her amputation. Oddly, it seemed to get worse once she was further along in recovery. I gently massaged her amputation site (open palm, gentle pressure and no skimming my hand over the skin - just manipulating the tissue) and that seemed to help. I honestly can't remember if I started that before her staples were out but I think I did. I do second the notion for asking about Gabapentin!
Hope all else is going well!
~Amy & Izzy, too
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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