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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I have two from Friday. I don’t know how to post them here though. Can I post them from my phone?
Im glad you were able to scooch her out. We see a difference with no pain meds.
Ditto Jerry. Hiding is a pain signal. Cats want to hide when they are unwell or in pain. Not all cats vocalize pain. I hope to hear the meds back in helps.
Do you have a heating pad? You can slide under the blankets to help her stay warm. As long as you are there to ensure it does not get too warm since she is not up and able to hop off easily. I have little pet heating inserts to put in our cat beds.
I understand & know surviving on little sleep and caring for our furmily it is exhausting & a constant worry.
We have to take care of us to take care of them. Try to rest when Petunia is. Lay beside her; you will hear and or feel if she needs you. It's our nature; trust me, you will know.
I have two from Friday. I don’t know how to post them here though. Can I post them from my phone
We use YouTube, and yes, you load from your phone. You will need the YouTube app. Upload the video to YouTube. Ensure the video is NOT private; list it as public or unlisted.(unlisted means anyone with a link can view it) . Get a shareable link, come back here, and paste it into the forums. It should automatically show up.
I hope that helps. Let us know if you have issues doing so.
((Hugs)))
About 2 hours ago, I put Tuni in the bathroom and ran the shower for 5 minutes. Immediately after I fed her Fancy Feast Salmon Gravy Lovers (I only give this to her when she’s not eating cause she’s obsessed with it), and she ate the WHOLE thing! I think the steam from the shower helped open up her nostrils
I also just took her to the vet. I called to see if the eye ointment is supposed to make the eye look worse than better at first and they said they want to see her. The doc is now prescribing anti-viral med (instead of an anti-bacterial that she’s on right now) and also eye drops. She thinks it might be herpes, something that can come about in cats being stressed after surgeries and many vet visits in a small amount of time. She said her lungs sound good. I’m feeling better that I brought her here cause maybe we weren’t on the right meds, or need both. And they didn’t charge me for the visit. They even squeezed me in cause they were booked. I’m feeling much more relief!
I will get them on YouTube a little later. Thanks for the suggestion! And THANK YOU for all of your support!!! It means SO MUCH!
YAY for Fancy Feast Salmon and Gravy, and yay for having a stash for such occasions. Yes, im sure the steam helped too.
I wondered the same about a herpes flare acting up after such a stressor on the body. Im so glad you called and took her in. I am also happy to see they did not charge you.
RELIEF with all the above is understated; a truck has been taken off your shoulders. Go snuggle up beside Petunia and try to rest with her!
You are very welcome. 🫂🫂🫂
💝💝💝
Here is the YouTube video. I made it with TikTok so I can add the cliff notes of there journey so far. It’s just under 8 mins, but the walking is in between 3 min and 5 min mark, so if you don’t care to watch the rest. I threw it together super quick, but it’ll be a nice memory to have.
Let me know if you can view it. I didn’t make it public, but I made it where those I share the link with can view it. I’ll make it public if you cannot watch it.
Hi, I've been following your journey. Glad you are getting advice from Holly, she's the best!
I can see the video fine. Petunia's walking looks good to me. It's still early, she'll find her strength and balance soon enough.
Interesting about her illness that's possibly herpes. I wonder if she got it from the vet's office? Also, hopefully Possum doesn't get it.
Hang in there!
Brad & Jet
Yes, we can see it; great job getting posted and making this !! An excellent journal of Petunia's recovery. I honestly did not expect to see this from all your descriptions in your posts. I am thrilled to see her up and about !!!I think she is doing AMAZING 16.5. You go tunia! Purrkins is a front legger, so his relearning was much different, and he would face plant forward so this looks normal and relearning her new gait to me. (im no expert) . She will continue to gain her strength and balance. It takes time and a lot of work for them. I'm glad you moved the steps; she is not ready for those yet, and I love the idea of a wider ramp for her.
Her setup for recovery was purrfect, and expanding it was also purrfect. We all do things differently it is what works for you and yours. This was excellent. You have done a amazing job setting her up & continue. I do hope she continued to eat for you yesterday. Keep the high-value foods in stock and any others she can't resist you might need them.
My heart breaks for tunie, having this herpes flare on top of the amputation. Is this her first time having one?
Are the viral drops helping her eye since the switch? I sure hope each day shows improvement. Herpes flares can last days and weeks. Im hoping she can kick this quickly. Do you give her any probiotics? They can be helpful in herpes; a good one helps balance the gut and has some antiviral properties.
Some people have used Fortiflora sachets with luck in herpes. Purrkins used to have little herpes flares also, and it did nothing for him. He loved the taste, though;) He had a weeping eye as well and some congestion. Our vet recommends Visbiome - A High Potency Veterinary Probiotic Intended For Use In Dogs And Cats To Support Normal Inflammatory Responses In The GI Tract. Visbiome Vet Also Helps To Support The Protective Layers Of The Bowel, Maintain Gut Health, And Maintain Normal Kidney Function.
It's VERY PRICEY !!! She sent us home with a bottle to try over a year & and a half ago for our boys; Purrkins eye has not wept since. If you can swing it, I highly recommend to get her feeling better quicker. If your vet stocks it - they may sell the individual sachets or one bottle (not two). It is more affordable that way. They send it in a cold pack, which must be refrigerated.
Did the vet recommend using warm compresses on her eye? I would do it several times a day if possible; she may enjoy it, and it will be soothing. Use a dry one afterward. Keep it clean, and continue doing what you are doing with the shower steam.
I SO HOPE you were both able to get some rest last night.
(((HUGS)))
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BRAD, so good to see you !!! (following along) 😍 thank you for posting!!! 🫂
Hi Brad! Thanks for commenting! She hasn’t walked as much since getting really sick. Doesn’t seem motivated now, even with treats. I don’t blame her. She’s been so miserable, but I love that she wants to still cuddle with my on the bed at night. She woke up me at 2:30 this morning just purring and wants some scratches. She does that ever night, in the middle of the night. Partly why I haven’t had a good nights rest, but it’s worth it. I know she loves to be by my side, especially now. I definitely have kept her away from her sister, and it’s been breaking my heart for Possum cause she just wants to be with me all the time. My mom is staying with me, and so she at least has someone to sleep with at night. 🙂 And, yes, Holly has been AMAZING!!! I’m so grateful for her!
I also wondered if she got it at the vet’s office, but they explained it to me that herpes can appear in cats when they are in very stressful situations, especially having surgery. She had her surgery 13 days ago, and I’ve brought her to the vet 3 times since! One of the was to get an enema, which probably wasn’t an enjoyable experience. (Her sneezing started the day after.)
Holly,
She hasn’t gotten the meds yet. I’m picking up the antivirus one at a local grocery pharmacy tonight cause they didn’t have any at the vet. The vet also didn’t have the eye drops, so I had to order it from their online pharmacy. That price was $60, but after all the fees and shipping, it came out to $91. *cries* I should have it in 2-3 days, which is a bummer. I’ll have to take a look into your recommendations, but I wont be able to purchase it now cause funds are really tight right now.
She has been this sick one other time, congestion and eye irritation. Back in 2017 when I moved them to WA state. Both my cats got sick, and I thought maybe it was from different pollen in the air, opposed to IL. It also could have been because of the plane ride. They got sick about 2 weeks after I moved them there.
I have been doing the warm wet rag since the weekend, but should do it more often. I think the showers have been helping … I hated how she was breathing at 3:30am so I took her to the bathroom in hopes it will help. I think it did a little, but I’ll take “a little.”
Right now I just hope when she is better, she will be more motivated to move more. She ate some this morning, and seemed to have walked to the litterbox to pee. When I got back in the room, I saw her laying on the side of the box … I think she fell out of it and just didn’t want to move. Poor girl. I’m sure litterbox is tough for a back leg amputee to get used to. But I’m glad she goes on her own (or if I’m in the room and help her a bit to stabilize).
Awww Purrkins and his face plants. When did he get his surgery? How long do you feel it took for him to master walking with a minimum falls?
We understand tight funds. If we were closer, I would give you seven days' worth.
Petunia feels like crap, so I'm not surprised she does not want to get up and go. If you are not giving her the gaba please (do). This is still very early in recovery, not to have pain management ; it will help her heal in all aspects. Purrkins was on pain meds for two weeks after his hospital stay.
Purrkins's surgery was in 2016. He was only six years old then. Thats a massive difference to compare Petunia to. Senior kitties do take longer to recover & get their hop. To answer your question, I felt comfortable with Purrkins one month after surgery. He learned his hop in recovery but no mastery;) I did not have to assist him in his litter box after day 4, and we made modifications to his litter box. I was right there in case he needed it. We altered the We documented all of Purrkins recovery here If you wish to read about his.
Do your best not to compare Petunia to other kitties; they are all individuals and recover on their timeline, and most don't have the added wallop Petunia is dealing with. Thats a lot on its own. Add in the amp. It is A LOT for her little body to recover from!
I did notice Petunia's litter box set up. Are the pellets what she used before the amp? I would try less litter in the box to see if that is easier on her. We had the same litter box in recovery but cut the front out for Purrkins to hop into easier, not flop into.
Yes, she likely had the herpes flare from the stress of the move and flight back in 2017. This lays dormant in some cats and rears its head under stressors.
Crap on the meds & having to order & the added cost.
(((HUGS))
💝💝💝
Do you think maybe I should cut the 50mg in half and give that to her every 8 hours? I only ask cause I am running low and wouldn’t mind letting it last for more days. Right now I’ve just been doing 50mg every 12 hours.
Yes, she was using pellet litter prior to the surgery. I have their normal litter on the bottom and put the newspaper litter on top. I could put less litter, however I feel like she would slip on the bottom of the box.
I’ll take a look at Purrkin’s story! I feel like I would not have compared Petubia to other kitties if her regular vet doctor didn’t say, “Make sure you keep her walking or she’ll lose muscles in her back leg.” I keep thinking about that comment, so it has freaked me out that if I don’t have her walking a lot in the beginning, she’ll never be able to walk again.
Do you think maybe I should cut the 50mg in half and give that to her every 8 hours? I only ask cause I am running low and wouldn’t mind letting it last for more days. Right now I’ve just been doing 50mg every 12 hours.
My opinion is NO. I would not reduce the dosage and give the prescribed amount; please call the Vet for a refill.
We want her up and trying in normal circumstances. This is not the norm. I would not expect much until she feels better. Getting to the litter box is enormous, and standing up to eat, I would be happy with those until this virus sheds some. Let her decide for a few days at least.
💝💝💝
I didn't have much time earlier,How is Petunia doing today on the every 12-hour dosing? Is she still wanting to hide? Stating for the record;) I'm not a vet or giving vet advice. I was giving you my opinion. My opinion to not reduce her dosage was because - Petunia was showing pain signals
the first day you did not provide pain meds or stretched the pain meds out. She wanted to hide under the bed. Plus, 25 mg of gaba won't do anything to assist Petunia, and you would be wasting the dosage you do have. The worst part is Petunia suffers. Stick with what was prescribed. The vet said to see how it went you did. Not good- Thats why I say call and get it refilled.
((Hugs)))
Thanks for checking up on her! She’s been staying in her cat bed all day. I picked up her anti-viral meds and the pills are HUGE! She needs to take 1.5 pills every 12 hours. I ended up giving her (3) 1/2 pills cause I’m nervous she will choke on the big one. I’m anxiously waiting for the eye drops … her eye is just so bad, and it makes me sad.
She hasn’t gone under the bed since that day. I’m wondering if she was just cold cause I would put a blanket on her and she wouldn’t budge. The room does get cold, even when the heat is on 70 degrees.
She’s still congested … you can hear it in her breathing.
I totally get that is your opinion, but I’m glad you mentioned how the 25mg won’t do much and it would be a waste. So thank you!
Tomorrow marks 2 weeks since her surgery, but it surely feels like a month!!!
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