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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Our 13 year old Rottie had her front leg and scapula removed five days ago. She's doing well, except gets really anxious in the middle of the night with terrible itching around the wound. Vet says it looks fine. Tried hydrocortisone cream with some relief around but not on the incision, but I worry about long term use i.e. for ten more days until stitches come out. Anyone have any other remedies?
Hi Minha, welcome. What's your doggie's name? Your future posts won't need approval for post away.
What kind of pain relief is she on? We've been told by pain management veterinarians that if a dog or cat is excessively bothering the incision, it's a sign that there may not be enough pain medication in the mix.
Here are some blog posts about incision care . You may find these tips helpful:
Amputation Wound Care for Post-Surgery Dogs and Cats
Simple Cabbage Poultice Heals Wounds
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Have you tried to ice the incision? If you wrap the ice in a washcloth, the texture might help with the itch.
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.
Don't have any remedies to offer, just want to join in on sending you best wishes for a smooth recovery...with no itching!!
It does sound like it may be a sign of the site hurting. It is major surgery!
Let us know how things are going when you have a moment to catch your breath. Tell us more about the reason for the amp, the pain meds she's on, etc. Hearing that a 13 yr young Rottie is doing well just five days after recovery is always uplifting for anyone with a big...er..."mature" dog starting this journey.
Looking forward to hearing more about your pup!
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!
Thanks for the help and the welcoming words! This site is so wonderful. The decision to amputate Minha's front left leg came after a lot of agonizing, as I'm sure it does for everyone. When our vet said "She's healthy otherwise. If she were my dog, that's what I would do", we were convinced. It was either amputate her leg, which had fractured due to the osteocarcoma, or put her to sleep. Because of her age, we were very worried about putting her through surgery.
Minha has some arthritis and hip dysplasia which have been helped by giving her Dasoquin daily for the past five years. We know that once she gets her stitches out we'll need to help her get around using a harness so that her joints won't get damaged due to the added stress. She has already started to hop through two rooms and out around the yard with very little help. She has a great appetite and loves to play with her toys.
The one thing that is difficult is when Minha wakes up in the middle of the night, agitated about the itching at her incision. Per some of the advice I have gotten here, and from the vet, I plan to increase her Tramadol at night, and continue with hydrocortisone cream during the day.
I think we made the right decision, but truthfully I've had some dark moments during the past six days, second-guessing and thinking we've caused her to suffer unnecessarily. This site has really helped me feel supported by a community of people as crazy about their pets as we are! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, so much!
Awww . . . she's beautiful if that's her in your avatar.
Can't wait to hear more about her and see some pictures!!
Harmony became a Tripawd on 10/21/14 (MCT). She left us way too soon on 11/1/14.
"We miss you so much; our love, our heart, our Harmony."
- Pam, Ron and Melody, Meesha, Doublestuff and Mariah Carey
I think we made the right decision, but truthfully I've had some dark moments during the past six days, second-guessing and thinking we've caused her to suffer unnecessarily.
I think most all of us went through this phase at some point during recovery! While what the vets say is true about most all dogs doing great on three legs they don't tell you about the couple of weeks it takes to get through the worst of recovery! I was convinced that my little pug Maggie was going to be the only dog who didn't get used to being a tripawd. She took her time but she got there and hopped happily through life for almost 4 years (mast cell cancer).
I don't have any insight on the Minha's itchy issue, I hope the extra tram helps her sleep through the night.
Sounds like she is doing really well otherwise- hopping on her own, good apatite, and playing with toys!
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
Hi there!
Did your vet advise you to do any hot/cold compresses? I think we did ice for the first 3-5 days post-op and then a warm compress for the next 3-5 days. 2-3 times a day for 10-20 minutes each time. That might help with the itching.
Good luck and happy healing!
-Lauren & Aspen
Oh dear, the extra Tramadol gave Minha a panic attack and she was panting steadily for three hours during the middle of the night! I tried lying down on her bed, belly rubs, etc..She even wanted to go outside and when I took her was trying to hop uphill in a very manic moment, with me tripping along behind holding her by the scruff of her t-shirt. Finally she conked out from exhaustion.I may skip the Tramadol tonight and give her a tiny bit of anti-anxiety meds the vet gave me. We both could use a good night's sleep!
I'll also try more warm compresses, per Lauren and Aspen's suggestion. Thanks!
Minha! You slow down girl! No more nighttime manic moments!!
Hopefully the compresses will work for you.
BTW, I joined this community on Day Six. My first ppst was along the lines of
" Six days after amputation and I fear I made a HORRIBLE mistake!!"
(That wss bedore the Admin Guy cut us back on the number of lettrs we could use in a title!)
Sonueah, for me it was about three weeks before I could say I did this FOR my Happy Hannah and not TO her! Ended up being a grrat decy thst gave us glorious bonus time for loving and spoiling and happy times!
Hang in there! You're doing great!
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!
Your experience with tramadol sounds exactly the same as ours, and the itch or whatever it is does too, only Luka's started a little later. My vet gave us clonidine, a sedative, which I keep mentioning on this site even though he only used it for less than a week to get us through that rough patch. It seems like he was making himself more agitated by begin agitated and once he was able to zonk, things got better. Even though I am not super pro-med, I will be forever grateful for that one.
Lisa (and Luka)
Yes, Lisa (and Luka), doggie downers is what finally helped the most. I gave Minha just the tiniest chip of an anti-anxiety called Ace. Minha is 75 lbs. but what amounted to one dose of less than a half a mg has had her very sedate for two days. Now we have finally caught up on our sleep, and hopefuly the worst of the itching is done with. I agree, I'm not really pro-med either. I hate how droopy it makes her, and how it affects her balance which she relies on so much now. But we can't let our poor pups be agitated and anxious.
Thanks for your response!
Leslie (and Minha)
And thanks to Sally and friends above for the virtual hugs!
Glad the Ace helped! Hopefully now she can get back to the business of recovery. And you can get some sleep too!
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.
Three weeks after surgery and all is well! We took Minha to the park today and she had a great time visiting with the other dogs and chasing shadows. The stitches are out, and the seromas that developed have shrunk quite a bit. She's had her first round of carboplatin. We're feeling quite hopeful and grateful for now!
What a lovely update! I'm so pleased. Isn't it just wonderful when they can get back to doing the things they enjoy! 
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...
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