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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Griffin is one week and one day post op.
He was very excited to come home the day after his op and was quite active, eating well and drinking.
Day 4/5 came and he changed. He began making noises which the vet tells me is "reverse sneezing" from irritation of the tubes down his throat through surgery. He just sleeps ALL day and ALL night - he hides quite a bit. Still eating but not overly interested in drinking (it has been extremely hot here the past few days so have enticed him with ice blocks and ice cubes)
He also is on antibiotics for dermatitis on his paws between his toes - as all bandages he has on his feet don't allow his paws to breathe. His pain patch is off and he currently is on Caprieve (we are in Australia, I'm not sure if this is a drug all over the world)
I just feel like I have lost my happy boy.... he had a rough start to life, being the smallest of the litter and fighting to live. Then being diagnosed with elbow dysplasia at about 20 weeks of age. Nothing ever phased him, always wagging his tail. But now he doesn't seem interested in anything or anybody.
Is it still too early? It was just such a change in behaviour from coming home and being so happy to day 4/5 and being withdrawn and sleeping the day away.
Hello and welcome, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
Why did Griffin have an amputation? Front or back leg? What kind of dog and how big?. Why does he have bandages on all his paws?
Sorry about all the questions but I think more information will help us help you.
I looked up Caprieve and it appears to be an NSAID so my first thought is that Griffin needs more pain medication! Most pups here come home on tramadol, gabapentin as well as a NSAID. Many are on those meds for two to three weeks post surgery.
It is normal for pups to have a 'crash' around days 3 to 5 because the hospital meds have worn off and the exertion that new Tripawds have use to get around catches up with them. I really think you should talk with your vet about more meds to get Griffin comfortable- hiding is a sign of pain.
It is still early in his recovery- the first couple weeks are usually full of ups and downs- it is not uncommon for pups to seem unhappy at this point. This is a big surgery and recovery takes some time. All things considered our pups bounce back way faster than we would!
Hang in there- you are in the hardest part of recovery. Griffin will get his sparkle back!
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
Many dogs see a crash between days 3 - 5, when the hospital meds wear off. That is absolutely normal. If he seems to be in pain, call your vet - many of us had to adjust pain meds at this time. The lethargy and sleeping is also normal, and part of the healing process. All he should he doing right now is short leashed potty breaks. I would offer my Otis potty breaks several times a day. If he didn't want to go, I let him sleep. When I knew he really had to go, I enticed him with treats, etc. Lots of dogs start to perk up on e the staples come out, about day 10. And you will start seeing little improvements even before then. Just hang in there. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
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.
Give it some time, your pup will be back to himself - after pain is controlled - and then he goes off pain meds.
I agree he needs other medication(s). Tramadol and/Gabapentin. As pointed out above, the med he is on is an NSAID. That is like you taking an Advil/Ibupropen after surgery instead of a stronger drug for pain and/or nerve pain.
My Otis is 5 weeks post op today, off pain meds and back to his old self. He used to sleep all the time - until he went off pain meds - and now he wants to run around and has resumed protecting the house from the UPS guy, the mail lady and food delivery people.
I was sort of hoping that he would be a little more mellow - but he is back to trying to scare everyone he sees.
It will get better day by day.
If any trouble eating, try shredded cheese or something else mixed in his food. I don't know what to do with the no drinking problem besides the ice cubes you are already giving him.
Griffin just needs lots of rest right now.
Otis - 121 lbs pre amp - 114 lbs post amp and now 118 lb Great Dane - English Mastiff X. Started limping on 12/24/16. Diagnosed with Osteosarcoma 12/28/16 - amputation of front left leg on 1/6/17. Stitches out and 1st round of Chemo on 1/19/17. 2nd round of Carboplatin on 2/10/17 - 3rd round on 3/2/2017. 4th round was scheduled for 3/22/17 - however due to low WBC postponed - 4th Chemo completed on 3/28/17. Had breathing difficulties, stayed in Tufts ICU overnight. Due for 2 more rounds of Chemo but we are opting to go with homeopathy with Dr. Loops instead.
Sally (benny55) swears by a tiny swirl of ice cream in the water dish to encourage drinking. Others find that some low sodium chicken broth in the water helps. As everyone else has said, this is typically a down point on the rollercoaster of recovery. Definitely ask your vet to prescribe some pain meds. A lot of times vets are not up on the latest pain protocols.
Kathi and the Turbotail April Angel...and the Labradork
Murphy is a five year old Lab/Chessie cross. He was hit by a car on 10/29/12 and became a Tripawd on 11/24/12. On 2/5/13, he had a total hip replacement on his remaining back leg. He has absolutely no idea that he has only three legs!
UPDATE: Murphy lived his life to the fullest, right up until an aggressive bone lesion took him across the Rainbow Bridge on April 9, 2015 and he gained his membership in the April Angels. Run free, my love. You deserve it!
Ditto everyone!
I joined this community on Day Six thinking I had made a HORRIBLE decision. Happy Hannah was just miserable and not even close to being her happy self, although she would still wag and, in her case, she never missed a meal. She would not drink water through. And yes, I swirled ice cream in it and that did the trick.
And YES, DEFINITELY GET MORE PAIN MEDS!!! This is MAJOR surgery and he shoukd at least be on Tramadol, and preferably Gabapentin too!! Humans would still be in the hospital on a morphine drip!
I would also double check with the Vet if Griffon is still have esophagus irritation. You'll want to keep that in check.
I think once you get him on so e better pain meds, you'll see some difference. It did take me three weeks before I coukd FINALLY say I did this FOR my Happy Hannah and not TO her!!
STAY CONNECTED! Let us know how it's going and how we can help. TRY and get some rest. This recovery part is no picnic! And EAT CHOCOLATE!!! IT HELPS! 🙂
Higs
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!
Thank you everyone,
krun15 - Griffin had elbow dysplasia, the options were amputation and rid the pain forever or try to mend his elbow with surgery - he already had arthritis at 20 weeks and the specialist was very unsure if he could mend the elbow it was destroyed. Griff is a English mastiff x at 25kilo- it was his LFL that was amputated. He had a pain patch on his back RL and this was covered by a bandage til day 5. And the back Left Leg is covered so that he doesn't scratch at his stitches.
I did research on this page before the surgery and I thought I was equipped with knowledge, I was in contact with the Vet Surgeon to discuss pain medication before hand and told him about the drugs I saw listed on here. But I guess I put my belief in the Vet that the pain patch and the Caprieve was enough.
Its morning here and when I got up this morning - I noticed him shaking a bit. Yes, we also think the "reverse sneezing" should have stopped by now
Hang in there!! My dane, Astro, pretty much slept through the first 7-8 days post surgery. The big guys seem to need a little more time to heal up and start recovering. Deep breaths. The biggest factor for us was keeping the pain under control until the stitches came out. It's kind of a catch-22. The drugs make your guy dopey and sleepy and possibly several other dwarves, but without them they have to cope with the pain and discomfort. BUT, once you get past the two week window, things seem to pick up for the better (at least for our two tripawds, that was roughly the window). SO - keep working on the meds and have faith that your big kid will get there, it's just going to take some time. Keep us posted!!
Cheers,
Kat and Astro (almost 1 month post-amp)
I've been lurking here since my pup had her surgery in early December and had to chime in on your post. My girl is a pointer mix with nothing but energy. She didn't even show signs of pain from the tumors that caused her to lose her leg until a week before surgery. Recovery was tough. She developed an abscess, which got infected. On the drive to the emergency the day we realized something was really wrong, I was crying and sitting in the backseat of the car holding her.
I was certain I'd never get my girl back. She loved ripping up toys and we bought a whole bunch of new ones for recovery that she had no interest in. She didn't want to cuddle anymore and really wasn't interested in anything but sleeping and eating.
Then, one day, right before Christmas, she was back. She destroyed a toy. She chased a squirrel. A few weeks later, she really surprised us by counter surfing. We thought without both front legs she wouldn't be able to get up there anymore. This weekend, I took her on a hike with me, which I'd been avoiding, and she kept up like nothing was different. I kept stopping to let her rest and she just wanted to keep going.
It's going to take time and it's going to be hard. But believe it or not, after a few months, you'll wonder if Griffin actually remembers he's missing a leg.
Geekychick, thank you soooo much for sharing your Tripawd's story! That kind of insight is priceless around here. We are THRILLED she is doing so well!
Do tell us more about her in a new Forum topic. We'd love to follow along with your adventures. And thanks for registering as a member. Your future posts won't need approval so post away.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
1 Guest(s)
