Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Stan is a Great dane x mastiff who is a week from surgery after a front leg amputation and is very reluctant to walk and will go 6 or 7 steps then stops and lies down. He is eating, not drinking too much, hasn't been for a wee for 24 hours and hasn't had a poo since bringing him home on friday. I'm making him some chicken broth to get him to drink more. He has a bit of arthritis in his remaining front leg and had cruciate ligament surgery on one of his back legs. I'm worried sick, should he be walking better than this at this stage. He's on Gabapentin, Amantadine painkillers.
Stan sounds like a great lookin' pup, what a mix!
To answer your question, yes we've seen this before so try not to worry. I would however let your vet know. You want to make sure that he urinates (poo can take up to a week with some animals!) asap. We've been told that if a dog doesn't go within 12 hours their bladder needs to be expressed, which is easy to do on your own or your vet can do it. Lack of appetite is common.
His bloated bladder and all the pain killers is very likely the reason he doesn't feel like moving much. He's woozy, seeing pink elephants and generally uncomfortable. Pretty typical. Try to put yourself in his paws. His recovery sounds quite normal and it seems he is getting good vet care based on the painkillers you mention. Call your vet today and let them know what's going on OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Can't wait to see pictures of this big boy!
As Jerry said, this is not unusual at all this early on. Stan is a vig voy and just jad MAJOR surgery. Stan is a smart boy who knows he needs rest. Yes, vig dogs with front leg amps do need time to adjust. The great news is that he IS mobile! Is he getting up on his own or are you using a sling to help him?
Hopping on three legs, especially at first, is exhausting! Give Stan some good massages up and down his spine, his neck and shoulder area, before he gets up and after he lays down.
Of everything you mentioned, the not peeing is what you needs to get handled quickly. Your Vet can do it and then, if necessary, he can show you how to do it once he gets it emptied.
I had to entice my Happy Hannah to drink the first couple of weeks by putting a scoop of ice cream in the water and swirl it around. I would let her have a lick off the spoon and follow the spoon down into the water as I gave it a swirl.
How about Rimadyl or Metacam? Had Stan been on either of those to help with arthritis inflammation? Ask the Bet about possibly adding one of those into the mix.
Stan is learning to use muscles in a different way now as he learns to adjust to his new gait. It "generally" takes a good two weeks to get through the surgery trauma itself and "generally" about thirty days to get the miscles, joints, etc all properly adjusted to the new gait.
If you have hardwood floors, make sure you have non slip scatter rugs for traction .
Any yummy food he'll eat, let him have. Cheeseburgers, scrambled eggs, bacon, warm chicken, etc.
Recovery is no picnic for a couple of weeks, but it does get better!!! It took me three loooong weeks vefore I could finally say I did this FOR my Happy Hannah and not TO her!
Stay connected and update as soon as you can! Hang in there. You're doing great!
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie !.
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!
Hi Stan and family 🌸🐾
I agree with Renee and Sally, it is still early for your big boy to feel at ease on three ...
I am a proud Momma of a huge Angel Dane and it took her a few weeks before she could hop around more confidently.
My baby Eurydice needed my help during recovery and would just hop a few steps for pee/poop and back to sleep.
But eventually (just as Stan will do) she mastered the art of hopping and enjoyed a deliriously happy, quite "athletic" life.
Normally, the turning point is stitch removal but sometimes our babies need a bit longer, especially if they are big.
Pee, as mentioned, needs addressing, poop can wait ...
Please keep us updated and ... some pictures ???
Much love and cuddles flying your way 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹
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
Many thanks for your responses they are so reassuring, i may even be able to sleep tonight now. I finally got him to drink by making some chicken broth and he did then go for a pee although its a job and a half getting him outside.
He is also on metacam, his antibiotics and paracetamol have finished now.
Tried to add a photo but not sure its worked.
Thanks again for your reassurance and kind words. 
You will get there, you can be sure of that 😀
It's all about negotiating recovery and then on to enjoy a new, happy life on three 🐾💕
And, of course, you can count on all of your tripawdian family, we ain't going anywhere 😉
Hugs and cuddles 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹
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 :-)
Yay for peeing! We don't have an emoji like that but trust me it's great news!
I had to look up "paracetamol" as I'd never heard of it before. Sounds like it's used as a booster to heavier narcotics after surgery, so good to hear your pup is getting good pain relief. It seems rather soon to stop the pain meds so if he shows signs of pain definitely let your vet know, he may need to be on them longer.
Regarding the hard time he's having getting outside. Are your floors slippery at all? If your floors aren't covered with traction , be sure to put some no-slip rugs down. That should help him with better mobility.
Here is a post about adding images to the Forums. If you can't get one to post let me know via Private Message and I'll try to help.
Get some sleep tonight and know that each day gets a bit easier until one day you look back and wonder why you were ever so worried.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
So I'm a newbie to this as well. Smiley did the same thing, but after about ten days she started hopping around on her own. This site has many people with great help. Listen and enjoy all the great things they have to offer. Smiley is about 1 month and a week from her surgery and she is moving like a rock star. It's hard to be patient I know and I'm one that over thinks everything, but in time Stan will be up and about and loving life. You can look at her progress on Smiley's Recovery. It will come. Good luck to you and Stan.
Yay for peeing! This is the hardest part, but things will get easier, I promise. Ditto Jerry re checking the traction . That will make life much easier if you have hardwood or tiled floors.
Jerry said: I had to look up "paracetamol" as I'd never heard of it before
I think that’s just a different name thing, Rene. We call it paracetamol in the U.K. (and maybe elsewhere too. I don’t know. Are you in the U.K., Stan and family?) In the US, I think you call it Tylenol or acetaminophen. Meg’s actually on it long term now, just at a low dose to boost her metacam and Else was on it too.
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...
Tomorrow will be my labradoodle's 1 week since amputation. Ringo is just starting to hop, sometimes with only a tiny bit of support from the harness. But he poops or after just a few steps too. And he only does it 2 or 3 times a day. He seems so tired. So I do encourage standing but I don't push the hopping. I feel like it's still early. And he waited 36 hours to pee, and today has only gone once. It sounds like we're in a very similar place. Good luck. OH! And I get extra fluids in him by buying whey from the local health food store. He loves it. And I'm told it'll help hugely with digestion.
Hi guys
Stans walking improved, although he doesn't go far.
We noticed a large lump on his amputation site. The vet took a sample from it which just looked like blood. After looking at it under the microscope he said its full of macrophages but they appear to have an extra nucleus. The vet couldn't explain it so we have to wait until he can speak to the referral vet for advise.
The lump is as big as small fist & is hard & flat on top & is fluidy at the sides.
Has anyone come across this before.
Worried sick again.
Hi Stan & family 🐾🌸
I am really sorry to hear about this lump ...
Haven’t experienced anything like it myself and I can’t remember a similar situation here.
Do you have any news from the referral vet???
Please do keep us updated, we’re thinking about you and keeping fingers crossed for Stan.
Sending you a big hug and lots of cuddles 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹
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 :-)
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