Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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OK guys, I need some advice. Tucker is home, all night he has whined and panted like crazy (I know the vet told me its because of the meds but still....). Also, his wound is so red! The vet said it was due to him licking it (we have since made a run to the pet store and invested in a e-collar to prevent him from doing this). My question is, does the whining indicate he is in pain? Should I try to ice that area or put warm heat on it? Do nothing? He seems so restless! I know all this is probably normal but I want to make sure!
How long ago was the surgery? Remember, the first 2 weeks are really bad. Take a deep breath & take it a day at a time.
Is it a front amputation? If so, I fashioned a shirt for Calamity, I know some have fashioned boxer shorts for rear leg amps to cover them.
The whining probably does not indicate pain as much as confusion as to what's happening to the body right now. Yes, there is pain. Imagine if you had anm amputation.
I think his restlessness is "normal" for the course & al of us experienced it with our amputees. It's heartbreaking, I know. I cried many, many tears.
It seems that once the sutures/staples come out it is a world of difference.
Hang in there.
Janie & Calamity
Janie & Calamity http://www.trix.....gspot.com/
Max whined and panted alot and Ive seen other posts that mention their dogs did as well. Zeus's mom said he panted the entire 2 weeks. Every dog will respond differently.
The drugs really cause alot of that, in addition to some pain. Max also had some bruising with his, but he had no seromas or other issues with his incision. This 2 week recovery is HELL. Its so hard to watch your baby go through the restlessness, whining, panting, and whatever else happens, but just remember to breathe and go with your instincts. If you feel like you need to go see the vet or call them…then do it! I used to think they would think I was a crazy woman because I had so many questions, but every time I went with my instincts I ended up being right about what was going on. The peace of mind in and of itself will be a lifesaver. Also rely on all of us to give you insight on what we experienced. Its very helpful to look at this site when you are up at 3AM and dont know what to do.
Max was a rear amp and he never bothered his incision, but they did give us an e-collar just in case. Its not a popular thing with most dogs but will keep them from making a bad situation worse. Our vet had us put ice and heat on Max. Sometimes he let us and sometimes not. You should check with your vet to see what they recommend.
Best of luck to you as you begin the journey. Its a tough one, but the end result is very much worth it. Hugs and happy pawsitive thoughts coming your way!
Paula and Max
Paula and Spirit Max
Thanks for the advice! After a long night, and only about 2 hours of sleep I woke up to find that he had some how gotten the ecollar off and had licked his incision quite a bit. No staples or stitches are missing but the area is very red. I spoke to the vet this morning (she called me from home on her day off to check on him!) and she said that we may need to put him on a stronger pain med at night to calm him down and help him get some rest. We are going to see how today goes before we decide about that. I forgot to ask her about heat/ice but I will ask her when she calls back this afternoon.
She said the licking is because of the drain being itchy so hopefully by saturday (when he gets the drain out) he will stop that.
Thanks again for everything. When I first brought him home last night he was so calm and quiet I thought everyone was wrong and that it wouldn't be too bad... boy was I wrong! Oh well, im just counting down the days to two weeks being over!
Anyone else have trouble with them staying calm? He drags me everywhere we go! He runs out the door with me trying to keep up with him and hold a towl under him incase he loses his balance. He follows me everywhere I go, he won't stay still!
Hi Casey,
Wow, isn't everyone here just incredible with their awesome advice? Thanks all!
And their advice is spot-on. The restlessness is due to having so many drugs going through their system, and the soreness from the amputation. Almost every time, the panting and pacing is because of it. Lots of tripawds had the same issues immediately after surgery.
As far as the swelling and soreness goes, Bella's Pain Relief Pack is a lifesaver. You can use it hot or cold. Read here to learn when and how to use hot and cold on a wound.
But like Paula said, if your instincts are telling you otherwise, then a call to the vet is worth the peace of mind.
Yes, those e-collars are a pain. I wouldn't wear mine so Mom and Dad put a sweater on me at all times. But as a front-leg amputee, it worked. On a rear-leg, a snugly-tied t-shirt is about the best thing you can do. Here's one thread on how you can help Tucker stay away from the stitches. If you do a search for "t-shirt" in the forums, you'll find more with great tips.
That's really neat your vet called to check on him. A sign of an excellent dog. If she does give you stronger pain meds, be aware that they will probably decrease his appetite considerably. Ask your vet what other signs you should look out for.
Oh, and if you think Tucker isn't resting enough, we highly recommend keeping him in a comfortable confined space for a while. I know it's the pitts and no dog likes that, but he really needs his rest right now.
Good luck. Hang in there, it's not forever.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Oh boy have we been there- just hang in there - 2 weeks- longest 2 weeks of your life, but after that..... wheewwww- you made it.
Wrigley was really active the first 3 days home. I called the vet constantly asking can she do this, can she do that- what does this mean. I posted on this site every day with questions- and the support is overwhelming. When Wrigley first came home the vet told me to keep her very quiet for the 2 weeks- very limited activity. But in order for me to get her to poop, we had to go to her spot at the back of our property - about 150 yards. I called the vet to see if it was OK to walk that far- they said yes, but keep a leash on her to keep her slow. Even with a leash she was truckin- then after about a week she decided she would go in the front yard after all which was a bit closer- Surgery was on a Monday, by the first Saturday she was yelping like I'd never heard. Jerry reminded me it was probably not pain as much as it was " the pink elephants circling her head" from the pain meds. The pain meds make them not their normal selves. Wrigley panted a lot too. She was on Tramadol 3x a day and had a patch the first 5 days as well.
Our drain was taken out early ( because of the holidays) so we did have some swelling, some leaking. We found Bellas pain relief pack very helpful- we had to do warm compresses on some hemotomas and the pack kept it "warm" not hot.
Wrigley would not wear the E- collar at all. We found a t- shirt cut up the back a bit to tie so it fits a bit snug worked best. (Wrigley was front amputee) That did a pretty good job preventing the licking. Then she eventually got a bandage ( due to the leaking at incision site)
I sounds like you have a wonderful relationship with your vet so I am sure they would not mind at all your calling- and it will make you feel better which will help keep you strong-
It is really important to keep them quiet- they want to get moving so badly, but keep Tucker quiet and still as hard as it is. We confined ourselves to one room in the house for that time.
These 2 weeks are so hard, but so worth it when it's over.
Hang in there.
Seanne and CA Wrigley
Seanne and Angel Wrigley
Carter had a rear amp tried a good bit of licking so we had to do the e-collar. He HATED the plastic one so my sister-in-law sent us one she had for one of her fur babies. It is the soft-e-collar and he actually likes it because it actually gives him a bit of a pillow. The tag on the e-collar says it is from the bonafido company (just looked it up through google - http://www.bonafido.com). We also did the frozen peas compress (wrapped in a pillow case)…and he really enjoyed that and calmed him down. We also froze a three part to one part water/rubbing alcohol mix in a ziploc that made a great slushy icepack but he found that to be a bit too cold. The Physical therapist at the vet hospital advised a warm compress and col compress alternating regiment after the swelling had died down (after about one week).
cartersdads said:
It is the soft-e-collar and he actually likes it because it actually gives him a bit of a pillow…
Thanks for this tip! Readers may also like to know about the ProCollar inflatable style protective e-collar and Comfy Cone flexible e-collar options from JeffersPet quality discount pet products.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
We have a Pro-collar. They work quite well for short nosed dogs. Our Smokey had a 12″ incision in his abdomen and it kept him off it really well. But long nosed Codie Rae (a gsd) can still get her licks in on most body parts, especially her back foot. But it does slow her down quite a bit though. I would like to hear more about the Bonafido collar if anyone else has had experience with them–these look big enough to work for long nosed dogs but still comfortable.
thanks!
Martha
Woohoo! Tripawds Rule!
Regulator of the Oaktown Pack, Sheriff of the Oaktown Pawsse, Founding member and President of the Tripawd Girldogs With 2 Names ROCK Club, and ... Tripawd Girldog Extraordinaire!
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