Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi,
My cat, Simba, had a hind leg amputation four days ago. Yesterday he started walking backwards. It seems to happen when he first wakes up from a nap. He'll wake up, take a few steps backwards, then lose his balance. He vocalizes and sounds upset while it is happening, too. I have read that gabapentin may be helpful, and he is already on that to keep him calm during the first 10 days of recovery. This makes me worry that when he stops taking gabapentin it could get worse. The onset of this coincided with the time his last opiate dose would have been wearing off, so I wonder if it is pain-related or if that is just a coincidence. What has helped other tripawds who have struggled with this? It breaks my heart to see Simba so helpless and upset.
Hi Madison and Simba. Your future posts won't need to wait for approval so post away.
Unfortunately yes others have been through this! Here's an article you'll want to check out:
How to Help Amputee Cats Walking Backwards
also see this string of search results:
https://tripawd.....;include=3
Four days out isn't a long time, and this could subside in the next few weeks. It is often attributed to phantom pain , and it's something we usually only see in cats. Have you talked to your vet about it yet?
It's good he's on Gabapentin, that can really help bring it under control. Sometimes other methods are needed like acupuncture, but sometimes it goes away without any other intervention.
How is his eating and eliminating? Is he using the litterbox? Any other pain signals ?
Thank you for the article! I called the vet but they were busy so I was only able to speak with the receptionist. I will be calling back today. He is doing great with using the litterbox, but since the backwards walking started he has been eating about half the amount that he was before.
You are so welcome. That's an interesting tie-in with his decreased appetite, good catch! Definitely let them know he's eating less. Remember to keep him hydrated too. Spike his water with some tuna water and that should encourage him.
Paws crossed you get to hear back from your vet asap! Keep us posted.
As you can see from Jerry's response and links, this is not an uncommon "behavior" in newly amputated cats.
It could be that he needs an adjustment in his pain meds as the walk, the less interest in food.....may....may....be related to some pain.
As Jerry said, four days is still very early in recovery from MAJOR surgery. All the strong hospital meds have worn off by now. If adjustment in his Gaba doesn't seem to help after a few days, you can also ask your Vet about another type of pain med.
And to be handling the litter box thos early is a HUGE victory!! It takes a lot of cats weeks sometimes to fet that figured out! Good job!
What's your cats name and reason for amp?
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!
Hi Madison and Simba!rnOur cat Oscar is also experiencing something similar. He’s 8 days post op to remove is front leg after an accident with a car.rnHe seems to be doing well with everything else, but has these episodes where he walks backwards and then falls.rnI’ve read through all the wonderful information here on Tripawds and feel confident this will all pass, but it seems to happen to rear legs amputations not front. It’s very strange that it’s happening to Oscar too.rnWe’re going for a checkup at the vet later, so I’m hoping they’ll put him on gabapentin. rnI hope this soon passes for you and Simba. rnAll the best 😻. rn rn rn rn rn rn rn
Kate, I'm sorry that it's happening to Oscar too (lucky cat for surviving the accident, yikes!).
As far as we have seen here the backwards walking thing happens to both front and rear leg amputee cats. A rehab therapist on our recent episode of tripawd talk told us that when cats are in some kind of pain, or fear, they will crouch backwards and away from the source. Dogs don't really do this kind of thing.
So yeah, talk to your vet and let us know how it goes!
Oh and consider registering as a member so your future posts won't need approval.
Thanks Jerry!
It’s useful to know it happens to back and front amputees.
Oscar and I went to the vet last night for a check up. They’re happy with his recovery so far but didn’t suggest anything for the backwards walking. Apparently it’s too soon to tell if it’s phantom pain .
This evening the episodes seem to be happening more frequently which is very distressing. Almost every time he moves. My poor boy.
I’ll be phoning the vet first thing in the morning.
Hi Kate,
Thanks for registering as a member!
I'm so glad you talked to the vet, and will call them back. Poor Oscar! But way to go on advocating for his needs!
The backwards walking is such an unusual phenomena for most vets, they just don't see it as much as we do here. That's only because we have such a concentration of amputee cats and dogs here, so we tend to see it more often than a single vet would in their own practice.
But if these episodes are happening again and again, yes, do call them and tell them he needs better pain control. Video is an excellent way to persuade your vet this is real, and he needs help. Shoot a few clips and send them over.
Let us know how it goes.
The vet told us to give it a few days and if he was still struggling we could call and he would work on altering Simba’s pain management . Thankfully he’s doing a lot better! The episodes have been much shorter and less frequent, and he’s been eating his normal amount again!
Hi Benny!
My cat’s name is Simba and he has injection site sarcoma caused by a rabies vaccine. We are waiting to hear about the biopsy on one of his lymph nodes, as he has several enlarged lymph nodes and the vet is afraid the cancer might have spread. He is recovering so well though! I’m surprised at how quickly he’s been able to get back into doing things that I thought he would struggle with.
Awww...so glad sweet Simba is doing better. It really is astounding how cats can handle life on three.
Yeah, so frustrating to see vaccine related sarcoma. Unfortunately it's not that uncommon. And while we hope lymph nodes aren aren't involved, often it doesn't seem to impact the outcome in a negative way,. Ypir Simba has already shown he's a Warriormand a fighter and that type of personality goes a long way on this crazy journey!
Simba IS recovering well, his quality is returning quickly and he is living in the NOW with no concerns about the past or the future. Such a great lesson from Simba for you👍
Thanks for the update. So glad things are on the upswing.
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!
That's really good news about Simba getting around better. I hope the pathology report comes back with good news. Either way you'll see that Simba won't let anything stand in his way of enjoying life. He is an inspawration!
Also keep in mind that you may be able to get surgery costs paid for since it was an injection site sarcoma amputation. See:
It’s great to hear Simba is doing well!
Oscar is two weeks into his Gabapentin treatment and the ‘moonwalking’ is happening a lot less often now.
He seems to be managing the urges by arching his back slightly which seems to help. I’ve also noticed him lean his wound into something solid when an episode happens. The contact seems to sooth the sensation.
He’s doing so well considering everything he’s been through and seems very happy with life 😊. Phew!
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