Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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My husband talked to the Vet. She still hisses anytime someone walks past her cage. But, she's eating, and they say the surgery is healing well. She'll come home Monday after the stitches come out and will not need the cone, and will have free access to her litter box with regular clay litter. I'm so anxious about how she'll be. I know she might be reclusive, and the Dr says that it may take up to 8 weeks for her to fully recover. I worry that even then she wont want anything to do with me.
EXCELLENT NEWS 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Did they say if they feel she has improved any? Im not concerned with hearing she is being a spitfire at the clinic. A lot of cats are. Im delighted to hear she continues to eat. She isn't giving up and is very over being there.
Most excellent, you can ditch the cone too👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
TRY not to be anxious if you are; she will pick up on that. Treat her as you always have; she is no different (yes, minus a limb). Discovery's pain will be managed; she will be the same cat you have always loved. Don't be afraid of her. She was in pain. We all react in pain.
Will they still phone tonight with an update? I would inquire more so you don't have any lingering questions. How do they feel she is doing? Do they feel she has improved since the medication change? Do they think, see that her pain is being managed now, and what will you be sending home for me to give Discovery, etc?
I hope you and your husband are getting much-needed rest while she is in the clinic. PLEASE do and recoup yourselves.
Keep us posted, please!!!
(((HUGS)))
She's not ripping the cone off, and she didn't mention any fits or throwing herself on the ground, so I guess that has improved. She still hisses and tries to bite them, but even though she has never ever done that at home, they tell me she does that during regular exams prior to all this. So i guess maybe she's improved. We will really know till she comes home.They don't think that she's in terrible pain, but acknowledge there is a level of discomfort that only time will really help. That makes me very sad.
I'm just trying to be mentally prepared for her to want nothing to do with me when she comes home.
She IS FEELING better than!!!! 😍
I wondered if she was always a spitfire at the vet.
Try to mentally prepare for your Discovery to come home as she was before the pain set in. It's never good getting in our heads; we tend to overthink things! What I can tell you is for Purrkins, when he had pain (not my purrkins), the sweetest love bug cat turned into hissing, growling & swiping me. He was pissed off and in pain. It broke my heart that he had to suffer. When his meds were tweaked, he returned to the same Purrkins we know and love!! This is what I expect you to see as well!
Do you feel it would help you and her to visit? I know there are mixed opinions on this subject. I was told to come and visit Purrkins while he was in the hospital. Did it help either of us? I genuinely don't know. Something to think about. I agree you will SEE how she is doing only when she is home.
💝💝💝
They don't want us to visit. Not that we're not allowed just that they don't think it'll be a good visit and it's best to just let her be. If they hadn't advised me to stay away I'd be there every day.
Thanks, it's good to hear that Purrkins was able to be his self when not in pain.
Can only ditto every single word Holly (Purrkins) wrote. And it's true.... of course she's going to be cranky and hissing at the vet. She's tired of being fiddled with poked and prodded and she's in an environment that's noisy and clanky and barking and etc etc. That, on top of just having major surgery and adjusting to three while staying away from home is plenty reason for a sixteen yr old kitty to be piffed off! And having cone on! Ugh!!
This is a great time for you to visualize a calm and peaceful homecoming rather than put out a negative energy of panic and fear. We can guarantee you, although we don't have a crystal ball, she will continue to settle in back at home and probably still needs to be on pain management for another couple of weeks. That is not unusual. In fact, some dogs, probably cats too, stay on a very low dose maintenance just as an extra source to comfort joints, muscles, etc.
She is definitely improving!!! Being "uncomfortable" , eating and pottying....all far better than several days ago!!!
Curious, has Discovery had to stay at a Bet before overnight? And if so, how long was that stay?
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!
It's good they're keeping her a few days extra, that will hopefully allow her body to recuperate enough to relax and allow you to comfort her.
Just remember that animals mirror our emotions. If you are nervous, she will sense it and respond accordingly. Please try not to worry about how she will feel about you, it doesn't help worrying over things that haven't happen and most likely won't. Your doctor is really smart to set you up with that timeframe, as they say, prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Once her pain is really under control you will start seeing more progress and less stress in her personality.
The night after surgery was the first time she's spent the night away from home since she was a kitten, and then she was just at my moms house. And then after a week with my mom she hissed at me when I came to pick her up. That was the only other time besides Monday that she had ever hissed at me.
Discovery was stressed being out of her HOME. Her ROUTINE was majorly disrupted at your mom's. Cats are creatures of habit. Hissing is defensive and warning, meaning fear, stress, and pain. It is a cue to back away from the cat.
I wondered how long her hospital stay was for surgery. Purrkins stayed three nights and four days. He was on mega meds in the hospital, Fentanyl, and im not sure what else, he was whacked but pain-free. For reference the meds I posted earlier pg 1 were what we gave at-home 12 & 14 days, not including the hospital stay. Again, all animals are different; try not to compare too much on meds and timelines. We need whatever we need for pain for as long as it is needed per individual.
They had me visit Purrkins because he would not eat for them, and the hope was he would for me. Purrkins only licked what I brought him, and then I had to leave him in that state. As I said, I genuinely don't know if it helped. And why there are different thoughts on this topic. Follow whatever your vets' guidance is. Ours was to come. Purrkins was terrified there. As Sally posted, they are afraid, being poked and prodded, and hearing far too many scary sounds.
Discovery is expressing her displeasure in the only way she can. We humans can speak and complain, say we hurt etc. She is doing the same in her way.
Hugs!
Holly, Purrkins and our Saxton in the sky
Purrkins said
Discovery is expressing her displeasure in the only way she can. We humans can speak and complain, say we hurt etc. She is doing the same in her way.
GREAT point. She's displeased with the situation, not with the people she knows and loves best.
I just called to check on her and the girl said she's eating for them, and resting. She went back and looked in her cage and wasn't hissed at, idk if that bc she's sleeping or if she's calmed down some but I'll take that as a good sign.
Purrkins said
I wondered how long her hospital stay was for surgery.
Initially it was 2 nights, then she was home with us for 4 nights, and back then for what will be 7 nights when we pick her up on Monday 🙁
THAT IS A GREAT SIGN!!!
Oh my, okay, on a total of 7 nights 🥺 my heart hurts for Discovery and you both. I believe they wanted to keep her until the stitches come out to ensure the pain was managed, and she will be good to come home with fewer worries for all. Im sorry either way, it sucks!!! She will be soooooo happy to come home!!!
💝💝💝
Purrkins said
She will be soooooo happy to come home!!!
I really hope so 
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