Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Watch him when your home for several hours every night your are going to see if there is a problem! I would wonder what is making him stop like your saying and getting snarky . What takes place before the stopping and snarky thats what you need to watch & have David watch for.
Lol! I just saw that last post. I'm trying "side car" lolol. He still has his hips but they are too little to call em love handles
He is quick. I wondered if some of this is his memory of having the other leg and trying to balance. Getting frustrated? Just not sure.
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Hi Jackie
yeah that definitely unusual behaviour in the first video. ‘Static’ jumping is what came to my mind.... just my mind word... I certainly would check with your Vet first and start back on the Gaba and see if that behaviour settles down. If it does, then you’ve got something to go back to your vet with... I would think a nerve thing at that point heh???
paws120 said
. He was badly infested with fleas and parasites before I took him in.Jackie, David, and Huckleberry
As I was watching the second video, my first thought was that he is behaving like he has flees or something. Definitely just grooming, but if it is going on all day long.... can you check him for fleas again? Maybe they weren’t all eradicated?
The nibbling at your hand, that could just be his little bit of feral coming through. He catches himself nicely! Good boy!
don’t t get freaked out Sweetheart, it is something that will work itself out with due diligence. You’ve got a good eye for your bour boys, you and David are right on top of things, I commend you highly for that!
hugs to all xxx
He is a very smart boy, that's for sure! He looks to the other two many times before he decides how to react, especially to something unfamiliar. Sorry Petra, on my cell and sometimes I miss stuff going back and forth.
Big hugs
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Thank you no parasites, his has been checked out, dewormed, drontal for tapeworm. I used capstar twice before i brought him in, then he had advantage plus, and revolution after that. I am bad allergic to fleas so I get a little ocd lol.
I do look, and have had him on light colored blankets, no flea dirt, no fleas seen.
Some of me wants to chalk it up to his adjusting to all this change. I'll keep watching him. When I put my hand on his bump out does not seem painful for him so that's good. Thanks for looking out for me, both of you. I appreciate having people to bounce things off of when I'm having a hard time deciding if its me being overprotective or if i am really seeing something that needs watching.
Hugs, ear scratches, and belly rubs
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Mona likes to come under the blankets for a cuddle and I pet her. After awhile rather than moving away she bites on to my hand to tell me that she doesn't want any more petting. It's not a bite that breaks the skin but she lets me know by holding my hand because she wants me to stop. She seems to be easily stimulated and I have to watch her when I brush her because suddenly she'll have enough of that too. I can tell by watching her eyes.
I see nothing unusual with the way he grooms himself. His coat could be changing now that he's an indoor cat.
He sure is having a good time getting to know his buddies.
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
Thank you Kerren and Mona, yes i am starting to become familiar with that look i think. I see him becoming more secure with his environment, and sometimes he'll grab my hand with his paws and hold tight. Then he relaxes and let's go. I usually get very still when he does that, it seems to help.
Big hugs,
Jackie David and Huckles
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Sorry. Late to this conversation. I am away on business this week so I don’t have instant access to the threads. Have to do my real job how horrifying! Anyway…
Regarding the grooming, Rusty can sometimes groom about the same way. Not aggressive but not as gentle as my Chiffy cat used to do it. He will sometimes groom at that surgery site. It does make sense to me though. The hair is regrowing there. I expect that it is a little itchy and unusual for him. Sometimes this does occur what seems to be suddenly to me. It passes though. I don’t have any other cats for him to interact with in the house as of yet So I don’t know anything about how this would impact the other cats in the room. I do get the rusty love bites and holding my hands when he’s done with the Love’s. Nick plays “ra” with him which doesn’t help the matter( also known as let’s bite daddy game )
I have zero experience with this supplement that everyone is talking about. Being I work in the Pharma industry, my gut is to wait and see if this is a pattern before you give him the medication. Again I have no experience with this so I am just talking from the scientific side of it. If you can avoid giving some furbaby the medication, from what I read about this Gaba stuff, it seems to be better. Again zero experience personally. Do what you feel is best!
Rusty "The Bunnyman" adopted us in 2014. Aug/Sept 2017, back left leg amputated (HSA cancer). He remained cancer free over 900 days. Cancer returned as of emergency visit on day 931. 15 days later, he gained his wings 04/18/2020 due to congestive heart failure. He will always watch over his fellow tripawds and their hoomins with Head Scritches and Sand Paper Kisses.
Here are my non-cat person thoughts...if I may be so bold
My pug mix Elly, also a rear amp, occasionally jumps like that although not quite so gracefully! Elly is about 2.25 years past her amp so these are not immediate post amp issues for her. When she jumps it is usually from a sleeping position and she looks like something bit her in her rear end. What I think is happening is that she is having muscle spasms because we did too much during the day- I should say that the only time I see it is in early evening. Elly does not have any of her femur left but the remaining muscles in her hip can be very active. When I first adopted her she was about 2.5 months post amp and she did not like me touching her amp area. I can now calm the muscle twitching with light massage or just cupping the area with my hand.
The other thought is more of a question for all you cat parents- do cats get OCD like dogs can? My quad pug Obie was neglected and abused before I got him at 4 years old and as a result he has doggie OCD. One of the symptoms he displays is licking of his front paws and sometimes just the air. Just wondering if the 'over grooming' could be that?
In an earlier post I said that I called Tripug Maggie's rear stump her 'saddle bag' because of the way the muscle covered her stump and the way it kind of hung down. You could also call it a 'nub'.
I'm glad he is doing so well! I love how he looks to the others to see what he should do.
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
krun15 said
Here are my non-cat person thoughts...if I may be so bold
Yeah!
The other thought is more of a question for all you cat parents- do cats get OCD like dogs can? My quad pug Obie was neglected and abused before I got him at 4 years old and as a result he has doggie OCD. One of the symptoms he displays is licking of his front paws and sometimes just the air. Just wondering if the 'over grooming' could be that?
Karen, That is a good point... Stewie has always been a fastidious foot cleaner! He does not like his feet being ‘dirty’! As we speak, he is cleaning himself!!! But seriously, yes every now and again he licks the air/floor where his other front foot would be. Just a couple of licks and then it’s almost like he realizes that there’s nothing there!
Thanks for taking the fleas suggestion so well Jackie, most people would look at me horrified that I would even suggest it, but you get it! Like I had said before, that grooming action doesn’t look too abanormal, especially if it’s just his normal routine of grooming.
Lots of head rubs and ear scratches to your beautiful boys!
Good morning and THANK YOU for different viewpoints! I love you guys! That second video was taken hindsight, he was already well into his bath but I knew I would get the nip, lol. He does have his fur growing back in, and I am sure the whole area feels strange.
krun15 said
Here are my non-cat person thoughts...if I may be so bold
Always, Karen! I love your line of thought, always And maybe the OCD cleaning is his pacifier for now. I do not like the way he jumps sometimes, but like you, I can now touch the area and sometimes massage it. He seems to get relief from it. He has a portion of his femur as well as his pelvis is intact. Maybe those are muscles reacting to their new way of "being". Sometimes I can see that area attempt to move like a leg.
Gina, I am with you in the hesitation to want to go back to medicate. I have finally gotten a gabapentin "handout" in digital form yesterday, and although it is a good medication for what it does, I am swaying toward giving him a little more time with the Zylkene, which is more of a calming supplement. I am open to another dose of gaba, I just don't want to rush things. He has been doing so well!
Thanks for taking the fleas suggestion so well Jackie, most people would look at me horrified that I would even suggest it, but you get it! Like I had said before, that grooming action doesn’t look too abanormal, especially if it’s just his normal routine of grooming.
Lots of head rubs and ear scratches to your beautiful boys!
Oh Petra, if you could have seen my poor boy out in the woods. It would have been obvious to anyone or anything that he was infested. I appreciate all the different viewpoints, I have seen some pretty awful stuff and I knew I would have to be aggressive with his infestation and parasites or risk bringing that into our home. I had him in the garage first (its attached) and on white towels, lol. I used to show clients how to determine flea dirt with the little specks of flea poop and alcohol to reconstitute it to blood lol. I appreciate all of the help!! Sometimes when you are the one with the concern, those around you help widen your view and I think that is so much better than just tunnel vision.
Im gonna keep an eye on the boy, I hope you all have a good day!
Hugs, scratches, belly rubs, and "saddlebag" massages!
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Morning Jackie and Prince Huck’s!
We all have your back Jackie! You’re doing an incredible job with your feisty boy! Love the videos! Keep us posted...
Have a wonderful day!
krun15 said
Here are my non-cat person thoughts...if I may be so boldMy pug mix Elly, also a rear amp, occasionally jumps like that although not quite so gracefully! Elly is about 2.25 years past her amp so these are not immediate post amp issues for her. When she jumps it is usually from a sleeping position and she looks like something bit her in her rear end. What I think is happening is that she is having muscle spasms because we did too much during the day- I should say that the only time I see it is in early evening. Elly does not have any of her femur left but the remaining muscles in her hip can be very active. When I first adopted her she was about 2.5 months post amp and she did not like me touching her amp area. I can now calm the muscle twitching with light massage or just cupping the area with my hand.
The other thought is more of a question for all you cat parents- do cats get OCD like dogs can? My quad pug Obie was neglected and abused before I got him at 4 years old and as a result he has doggie OCD. One of the symptoms he displays is licking of his front paws and sometimes just the air. Just wondering if the 'over grooming' could be that?
We love bold here Karen all opinions are greatly appreciated cat or dog speaking appreciated!!
I have not had a cat with OCD issues I can't say either way? I assume like most things cats can have PTSD so why couldn't they have OCD.
My Concern is Huckleberry was on and off pain meds so many times he never got the chance to heal properly. He was Never on Gaba for any period of time. It was on and off like days correct Jackie? My opinion! This is not his first issue. We have a lot of rear leg kitties have more nerve issues then the front leg kitties. I understand all points of view and that is what is fantastic about the forums the more input the better!
As we always say if in doubt call the Vet, if you have concerns call the Vet, she prescribed the Gaba already. You will know Jackie you follow your instinct ok! I guarantee if you do that you will be right on whichever call you make!
We have your back either way as Petra stated!
Have a good day!
Hugs
Holly & Purrkins
P.S. On the Gaba info - I sent a email, with my emails address- if you want to send it to me I will post it for everyone to see here on your forum ok.
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