Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi I'm new here... my cat just had his right hind leg amputated Monday. He has eaten very little and doesnt want to drink. We got him some broths and he seems to like those. He wont eat the meat but laps up the broth. Is this normal after 4 days? Today is the first day without a pain medication. I was wondering if maybe that was bothering his tummy. I have a call into the vet but no word back yet. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Morris and family, welcome. Your future posts won't need approval so post away.
I'm really concerned about two things you mention here: your cat doesn't want to drink and your cat is not getting pain medications less than a week after surgery. I'm glad he is at least drinking the broth, but what you are describing sounds to me like he is showing pain signals and not getting appropriate pain management . What medication was he sent home with in the first place?
Now, I'm not a vet but what we have learned after talking with pain experts is that if a cat or dog doesn't have appropriate pain medications, it affects everything and makes recovery very, very difficult. Dehydration is a huge risk too when cats are hurting, so that's another reason why pain medication is so important. No human would ever be released from a hospital after amputation and four days out get their pain medication cut off. Animals deserve the same pain management as humans because they feel pain exactly as we do.
So please call your vet and demand more pain medication for at least another 10 days. If they say no, it's time to find a new vet.
Also check out this interview with pet pain expert Stephen Cital, where we discuss post amputation cat pain specifically.
Oh what was the reason for the amputation? And tell us more about your kitty, as in his age, personality etc.
We will wait for an update so keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
He was sent home with 3 days worth of Onsior. I have another call into the vet bc hes super sluggish today and I cant get him to eat or drink anything and hes wanting to hide. I'm super worried hes in pain. She said he may need more pain meds and was going to ask my vet and call me back.
He had a soft tissue sarcoma and the only option was amputation. Hes older but not sure the age. I took him in 3.5 years ago when his owners moved and left him. I became extremely attached to him and the leg amputation was one of the hardest decisions for me to make. Hes a talker! Hes always talking about something and loves to bask in the sunshine.
Your cat probably needs more medication than what he got. My cat was given about 5 days of an opioid Buprenorphine and 2 weeks of Metacam, an anti-inflammatory/pain killer. I hope Morris gets what he needs so he can be comfortable in his recovery.
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
Oh my gosh please let us know how he's doing and what your vet says. You may want to take him back to the clinic today if he's still not drinking, he could be getting really dehydrated and that's serious for cats. Please keep us posted OK? We are keeping our paws crossed for good news.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
So Morris got more medicine he got Buprenorphine and a appetite stimulant. After 2 doses of the Buprenorphine and 1 dose of the appetite stimulant hes back to his old self! Hes eating and drinking and back to purring and being all lovey! 100% turn around from yesterday!
Oh thank goodness! The meds can make their appetite a bit off but it is temporary. The pain meds should help his discomfort. I am glad he is feeling better!
Fingers crossed the rest of his recovery goes smoother 🙂
Jackie and Huckleberry 
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
Morris took his last dose of Buprenorphine Monday night. He ate and drank a little this morning. This afternoon he drank some broth. But hes been asleep and quiet and he just acts different... am I over reacting? Could he still be in pain? Surgery was 9 days ago today. I worry so much about him. His incision looks clean. He seemed almost high on the buprenorphine for 3 days and was all lovey and rolling around eating and drinking well but hardly slept a wink for 3 days.... I'm almost wondering if hes not crashed coming off that. He didnt sleep for 3 days so I'm sure hes tired due to that but I just worry... 😔 hes slept most of the day today. I just want my kitty back to his normal self... 😥
Every pet is different. Huck had meds for about 3 weeks and i weaned him off.
I hear some do great with less, and some need more.
Watch him. 9 days in my eyes is still early recovery. Im not a vet. Sutures/ staples are still in place and will continue to get itchy, uncomfortable, but necessary until removal. Cones and such will also make them funky. I had an awful time getting refills for Huck so we really rollercoastered because once you have breakthrough pain it's hard to control.
You should definitely see improvement after suture removal but you may need to advocate for more meds.
Call your doc and tell them what's going on.
He is still healing. Think about what we as people would feel getting a leg amputated. It's really major, but there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. You've rocked this so far... you're getting there❤ Sometimes the road to recovery seems neverending when you're in the middle of it but hang in there!!
Sending big hugs,
Jackie and Huck❤
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Thank you Jackie and Huck! I just felt so guilty having to make the decision in the first place. Lots of nights crying myself to sleep. Its amazing how attached to them you get and some people just dont understand. That's why I love this site! I can say how I honestly feel and no judging just encouraging and advice! He will get stitches out Monday. He is a older kitty so I know he needs a little more TLC. I just dont want him in pain. That's my worst fear but also dont want to drug him out. Hes so skinny as it is. He was losing weight quick so I took him to the vet and that's when he had to be put on kidney foods and they told me he had cancer in his hind leg. It all happened so quickly... I just want to be sure I'm doing what's best for him. ❤
You are doing the right thing, no doubt there at all. I understand with older kitties it can be a longer process, and having kidney issues does not help. You have all been through so much in a short period of time but please hang in there
I would def call his doc and see what they say. I am sure they can find a happy medium to help get him through the rest of recovery. They may give him meds for appetite again too. Those meds can be a godsend.
You are doing a great job, this is a scary ride. Things will get easier but for now it is one day at a time.
Hugs,
Jackie and Huck
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Awww don't feel guilty. Remember you did this FOR him, not TO him. It was the right thing to do given the circumstances. You will get your boy back soon, he just needs extra TLC during recovery. And yes we get it here, it's a judgement-free zone.
A couple of thoughts....
If he's not eating again, he may need an additional, mult-day course of additional pain management medications other than Buprenorphine. That is not unusual, it just means that he has on his own pain relief needs. The fact that he's not eating again may indicate he's got more uncontrolled pain. Do call the vet OK? And keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Jist catching up to give you a cyber hig and to ditto Jerry, Jackie and Mona! They've given you great advice and some solutions to check knto.
Please update when you can. Patience is really, really hard during recovery, biting is a necessary tool. Ha g in there!
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!
For what it is worth, Tuxedo (who was 9 almost 10), was on opiod pain meds for 7 days and anti inflammatory meds for a bit over 2 months following his amputation. Of course it is anyone's guess how much of the meds he actually got as he kept spitting them back up and out. It was also several days before I could coax him into eating.
As others have mentioned, this is major surgery your baby is recovering from and each cat responds a bit differently. One thing I did notice was that after recovery from surgery Tuxedo is more clingy than he was on four. So suspect other cats may have slight personality changes too.
Just hang in there and have faith in Morris. He will likely surprise you once he turns the corner on his recovery!
Hugs and best wishes
-Dawna, Tuxedo, Lilly, and angel Dazzle
Dawn it's so good to hear from you, thank you for chiming in.
Here's a link to a Tripawd Tuesday post about Tuxedo's recovery.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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