Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
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Overall she's showing some big signs of improvement, that's great!
Usually a lack of appetite is not a pain medication withdrawal signal (it really doesn't happen in animals as far as we know), but it's more of a sign that they hurt. As you saw after the medication, she ate. So that's good, she's feeling better.
I think it's a great idea to call the clinic first to find out if they want you to give her the Gabapentin. Until then, it's smart to keep her pain med dosages consistent for whatever the dosage she can tolerate without being loopy, instead of giving them off and on, at least until you know if the meds are the problem or it's just that she needs to strengthen through rehab.
I cant wait for Wednesday too! Be sure to jot down all of the symptoms you're seeing, when they happen, and what happens when you try to resolve them with pain control. Take that with you to the visit so you have an organized way to present your concerns.
Petunia & Samantha said
This is 15hrs after last gabapentin
WOW! 
She went the WHOLE WAY!
I just spoke with the rehab place. They want her to continue on with the gabapentin. So, I will start back up at 6pm (6am/6pm seems like the best time for me), and continue with it. I’m sure they will maybe be able to see during the appt if the pain pills are good to continue. I am trying to do what’s best, but I’m not going to lie, I don’t like seeing her all fogged up. I also have to remember that we have come a LONG way with her recovery, and continuing on the gabapentin isn’t the worse thing.
She’s been so cute lately … when hanging out on the couch, she will get up and hop into my lap (she does such a good job at it).
Just a reminder the 50 mg gabapentin is a low dose. Purrkins was on 100 mg after surgery, and both our cats were on 100 mg after a dental. I had to give my heart kitty Saxton 300 mg of gabapentin to get to the Vet safely. Vet-advised, of course. I'm giving you those for some perspective on her dosage. Loopy is less likely on 50 mg.
I'm not saying it can't happen on that dosage; we are all individuals and differ. You know your Petunia BEST and would KNOW!
The 300 mg was whacked and needed to get our Saxton safely to the Vet. Saxton also had a high tolerance, and Petunia may not.
Im glad you called and got their input, and they want her on it. It makes sense that they do for many reasons. Pain and anxiety both. You are exactly right; she had a rough recovery, and has come leaps and bounds in little time, and yes there are worse things; this is not harmful but helpful for now; get their input and advice and take each day as you can!
Petunia is doing great !!! Do I hear make a mew in the video? Have you tried having her hop along there, SOLO, meaning having Possum in another room? I know Purrkins was more guarded after his amputation. Petunia might do better without Possum hovering. Give it a try and see if you notice a difference. She is making a lot of progress.
(((Hugs)))
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That was Possum that you heard! I don’t know how to describe that sound, not meow, but she makes that sound when she’s like, “oh, Hi Mom!” 😊 It wasn’t because of Possum there that she stopped, she really doesn’t walk a lot and when she does, she only gets a few hops in before she sits. Yesterday her back leg was extended more, and her back end was higher, than in the video. Her “turkey leg” appearance of her back leg is showing more in this video, i.e, not fully extended. And it looks like her back paw is turned a bit. Not sure how good that is. Not sure if that is because of the pain meds. Yeah, i totally get that 50mg shouldn’t do a lot, but it was night and day last night after giving her one. I didn’t think about the anxiety part at the rehab. I bet that is one of the main reason they want her on, cause many cats hate going to the vet. Possum and Petunia both do very well, such sweet kitties to strangers. But, I get this will be a bit different, so who knows.
It very well could be the gaba altering her hop and explain all this to rehab. They will have input on whether you should continue or not. It is double-edged right now as you don't know for sure it's NEEDED. I would rather see her have it until your rehab appt. Wed!
They will also tell you how much she can do in a day and what's too much right now. I would just let her do as she wishes and keep her on 12-hour dosing. She ate with her gaba in so thats a win. Figuring out the rest will come with a lot of insight on Wed, whoo hoo.
I know that chat, Possum. I wasn't sure who was Mewing Petunia's back was toward us when I heard a very faint mew, not meow;) What i call mew anyway;)
Hugs
Scratches to both kitties, please
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Mew! I love that! Also, 100mg for both dental and amputation surgery, wow! Purrkins must have been in a lot of pain. What was it that you knew she needed a heavier dose? I’m actually really surprised by 300mg! I don’t know, I see big numbers and think, “can a cat handle that?” I actually called the vet when I picked up Tuni’s antiviral meds cause they were 250mg pills. I mean, I’m no chemist, so I should just trust that it will be all right. 😂
I feel bad cause I didn’t give Petunia all her gabapentin meds after her dental surgery. I wasn’t used to the effects of anesthesia and that it lasts 24hrs so I was so nervous when she wouldn’t close her eyes for the first 24hrs that I thought the pain pills were making things worse. I probably only gave her 3 days worth. Even after her amputation, the anesthesia effects freaked me out. Now I feel like any surgery from here on out (Possum does need dental, but it’s been put on hold cause of funds due to this unexpected bone cancer), I won’t be phased.
Wonderful video! Petunia is so alert and interested in her surroundings. I love how she maneuvers herself to stay on the mats. That really was a great investment
Seeing Petunia and Possum together was a double load of cuteness.
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!
Thanks Sally! Yeah, they are my babies!! They grew up together, they are exactly one week apart in age, and I got Petunia a month after Possum! She was very alert … not so much now, she is PASSED out!
Mew! I love that! Also, 100mg for both dental and amputation surgery, wow! Purrkins must have been in a lot of pain. What was it that you knew she needed a heavier dose? I’m actually really surprised by 300mg! I don’t know, I see big numbers and think, “can a cat handle that?” I actually called the vet when I picked up Tuni’s antiviral meds cause they were 250mg pills. I mean, I’m no chemist, so I should just trust that it will be all right. 😂
The 100 mg after amputation and dental are standard for us. We now have a feline vet; as I mentioned before, this makes all the difference in our cats and what is prescribed. They know cats!!!
The 300 mg total was NOT and scared me to death; this was for Saxton, who had heart disease; I asked our fairy godmother vet here because I was so nervous when that dosage was prescribed. Our vet has used more on some cats, fyi, thats how safe it is!
Gabapentin 200 mg dosage for cat with heart?
I share all this in hopes of changing your mindset IF the meds need to continue. The rehab and vet will be your guide on this.
I feel bad cause I didn’t give Petunia all her gabapentin meds after her dental surgery. I wasn’t used to the effects of anesthesia and that it lasts 24hrs so I was so nervous when she wouldn’t close her eyes for the first 24hrs that I thought the pain pills were making things worse. I probably only gave her 3 days worth. Even after her amputation, the anesthesia effects freaked me out. Now I feel like any surgery from here on out (Possum does need dental, but it’s been put on hold cause of funds due to this unexpected bone cancer), I won’t be phased.
I know these meds are scary when we don't know and feel we are on our own. We are so fortunate our vet is there for us 100%. It makes all the difference to give the meds and know if something goes awry. We are not alone and scrambling.
I would have done the same on the antiviral and called to confirm.😘
If you are asking me about pain after the amp and dental, it was prescribed, and I gave it as I did not want them to suffer in any way. If you have not seen this post on pain signals , here is a great link that will cover everything Tripawd Cat Pain Management Tools Make Recovery Easier
In my experience with Purrkins having breakthrough pain in recovery from his amp, it was apparent he hissed and swatted at me (thats never Purrkins). He was in PAIN! Purrkins did the same after a vaccine. PAIN ! Not all cats display pain this way or make it evident, and many suffer. We have to be dang detectives.
After any surgical procedure, we give pain meds. It's no different for us humans. Having our teeth pulled or surgically removed we need pain meds. Having surgery, we need pain meds, an amputation, we need mega pain meds. Our animals are no difffernt. But they can't say hey, this HURTS HELP . They go and hide and suffer or sleep and suffer or they show us when they have NO choice; this hurts, limping, displaying pain. You can see in their eyes and ear position, demeanor.
I 100% agree, anesthetic is very scary for us, and watching them come out of it, they are wired and so tired both, wide-eyed and nodding off, but can't sleep. They twitch and all sorts of scary things. It's a very stressful time. Our vet makes herself available if we are in NEED through televet, email, text, or phone, which takes down my anxiety level 90%. I wish everyone had a vet like we do. She cares and is thorough and open to listening to my input. She is priceless. I have NO IDEA how we would have managed many times without her. Not too good.
If you ever want or need to change vets. I can speak highly enough of the difference in care we have received.
Use this tool to search Find a cat-friendly vet and you may be very happy with where you're at. Its nice to know regardless if your in need or want to find someone new.
I hope today is a better day for you all! TOMORROW IS THE DAY WHOO HOO!
(((Hugs))) & SCRATCHES TO BOTH KITTIES PELASE
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Yay glad you talked to them! Great job being an advocat!
I agree, it's not fun to see our pets acting foggy and out of sorts. They are so strong, they're our role models and when they're not 100% it hurts us more than them! But it's not furever though, she really is making progress!
I hope today goes great for you!
So Petunia had her rehab appt today! First of all, she did AMAZING, as in she was the sweetest and although made sounds as the doc worked on her, she was very complacent! Multiple times throughout the session that said how amazed they are how good she is. I was so proud of her! Not to say she enjoyed it (although some parts of it I think she did!), 3 times she walked and jumped into her carrier (top loading/soft carrier), which again impressed them. Wasn’t the prettiest jump, but seemed painless! It was as if she was saying, “I hate the carrier, but I know it would mean that we are LEAVING!” 😂
They laid her on what I think was an electromagnetic “pulsating” mat while she was examined. It is supposed to relax them while getting examined. Although humans wouldn’t be able to feel it, they believe animals can. I’ll have to ask again what it is called, but I’m pretty sure that is what they said (I should have brought a pen and paper). Her leg muscles are pretty tight, and she can tell her back is a bit uncomfortable, most likely due to her posture while trying to figure out how to balance on 3 legs. She said her knee does make a clicking sound, moving patella, but grade 1 and a sign that there can be arthritis. She also said she has reduced hip extension and reflection. She gave her massages, which Petunia really seemed to enjoy! She answered many questions I had, and one being about gabapentin. She agrees with the continuous use of it. She decided to give her acupuncture and told me it’s free of charge, which I really appreciated it! I told her my concerns for money, but that I’m just gonna have to make it work cause Tuni’s recovery is so important for me. We decided 2x per week for a few weeks (30 min appts) and we will see if we can go once per week. My thoughts is tackle it hard in the beginning so it will have the best results. I told her my end goal is for her to have her freedom back with a good walking posture and pain free.
After her acupuncture, we had her walk around and she looked really good!!! I wish I took video of it, but I was just so excited! It only lasted a bit, but I think keeping up with therapy, we can get her where she needs to be. She mentioned laser therapy, but said that laser therapy can “awaken” cancer cells in animals who had cancer, but that because Petunia had her whole leg amputated and cancer wasn’t seen anywhere else, that she should be okay, if I’m okay with that. I called and left a message to her regular vet doctor to get a second opinion. I’m thinking that if other therapy methods can be successful, then maybe let’s not take the chance. But, I’m also not very familiar with laser treatment and it’s benefits.
I should be getting a report in a few days, and I’ll share more. Since coming home, she does slightly seem more “alive” and relaxed which I’ll take as maybe this is what she needs! Can’t expect a miracle after one session! Our appt was just under 2 hrs long. This rehab facility has been opened since June, so still very new, but the therapist, at least who I was with, has been doing this for much, much longer. They all have certifications. The room was their one-and-only designated cat room (I can only imagine mostly dogs go through rehab), and it was very comfortable. They put in a nice leather couch so the kitties can lay next to their parents if wanted, and all the floors (even in the lobby area) is padded, so very impressed with that!
I will continue to share her rehab story with every appointment!
Holly, thank you for sharing that link to find all cat hospitals/vets in the area! It’s crazy cause I never knew they existed until, I believe, was a post I read here about an all cat vet. Heck, that might even been you (it was in the early days of posting that I saw that). I put my zip code in the site and there are THREE all cat vets within 5 miles of where I live!
The animal hospital I go to is actually their temp location. In 2020, and F1 tornado came through my town (and my street from what I’ve learned - this was one year before I bought my house) and it ripped off its roof. They are re-building and just a few weeks ago, the building was torn down and it should reopen within a year. The nice thing is it would reduce my driving time from 10 mins (from its current location) to 3 mins. 😂 When I picked up Petunia after her leg amputation, I asked the people in the lobby what their plans were for the new location. They said they are still figuring it out, but they are thinking of having a “cat ward” or something like that. I’m hoping it would be more than just an area that is completely separated from dogs, but maybe have all-exclusive cat only veterinarians.
I wish I knew that there are all-cat vets out there. I actually *really* like the vet docs at the place I go to. I trust their experience. They never gave me a hard time to get pain meds when I wanted a refill and everything they have told me ended up being spot on. But, it is nice to know these vets exist in case I feel like I should change. Only thing about these vets are their limited hours, opposed to the vet I go to.
So again, thank you for making me aware! And I am SO HAPPY that you got so much support for Purrkins! I love love love that!!! 💕
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