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Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

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Update on Fuzz
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Member Since:
3 August 2019
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29 September 2019 - 5:48 am
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We are now one week plus 2 days post amputation and Fuzz is doing so much better than I expected.  He has had a voracious appetite apparently since right after surgery and eats for me every time I feed him ( 3 times per day), however, he is going to be super spoiled and now only eat wet/moist food as he snubs his nose at the dry food I have out for him at all times!  He is actually eating 2-3 small cans upwards of 2 large cans of moist food per day.  I have started him on gabapentin at only 2x per day now.. they actually said stop after 5 days of 3x per day but from what I know and even in humans it is better to gradually ween down so we are trying that for a couple more days until he goes back to his 2 week post operative follow up/staple remove.  He is active in that he meets me at bathroom door most mornings for breakfast and then proceeds to love and purr and rub on me for as long as he feels ( he is a cat lol)  yesterday he crawled up on my chest and laid and purred and gave me kitty kisses for the better part of 30 minutes until he felt like eating more and slid off back to his food.  He is still using letterbox like a champ.  He is hesitant to come out of the very small recovery room I have him in. He has went in to the larger part of bathroom but will hurry back to his bed in corner.  I still am reserved about him tackling my very large house that he once had free roam over and will be a bit shy when I get the all clear to give him free reign again.  Murphey _ my 95 lb black lab aka his best buddy_ has been popping in bathroom to say hi lately and that he misses sleeping with Fuzz every night ( they cuddled together every single night).  I have included some pictures 2 are from yesterday when he climbed on me and was loving me and the other is his incision at day 6.  In my opinion his incision has looked great, never any seeping or real puffiness, no redness or even bruising.  He has left it alone so I have not had to use a collar or a t-shirt to keep him from bothering his incision.  I can't wait to just have him back out in the house and figure out then what I need to do to adapt things for him- he was all over my 3 story large house.  I already have scatter rugs on floors ( for dogs) and I am just unsure about him tackling steps up and down where food/litterboxes and he liked to hang out I have letterboxes on all floors but his preference was always in basement and up on top floor ones.  Food was upstairs too because of Murphey!  I had some great video of Fuzz moving around and purring loudly from yesterday but I don't know how to attach video.. it took me a bit for pics!  Thanks for all the love and support, Fuzz and Melissa

[Image Can Not Be Found] cuddling with mom in morning on 9/28

[Image Can Not Be Found]-incision at around 6 days post operation/removal of fentanyl patch under the neck bandage

[Image Can Not Be Found]cuddling with mom first thing in morning on 9/28

Member Since:
3 August 2019
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29 September 2019 - 7:41 am
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I am not sure what happened to pictures.. this site seems to drag and have major delays no matter what system or type of internet I am on... kinda frustrating to post and look things up.. the pictures were there and now gone.. not sure what happened...I am trying to get back in my blog where they are but again it just says "waiting".... this is such a frequent occurrence on this site...if I can ever get the site to open I will try to post them again.. 

Member Since:
4 April 2019
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29 September 2019 - 8:15 am
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Your kitty is adorable. I k ow to post pictures and videos you have to post them online somewhere first. For videos I use you tube. Then you copy the link. Then in your post you select insert link  and paste. But you can start a free blog and upload video and pictures from your computer. That is much easier.

My Beautiful Beloved Brownie was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on February 26, 2019.  With all odds against him he lived an additional one year and eight days with amputation, love, and prayer.  I was honored to be his mom, and I have never been so proud!  He will live forever in my Heart!

Brownie Bubba Bell

04/01/2007 - 03/05/2020

"March Saint"

Member Since:
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29 September 2019 - 8:17 am
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Oh I'm sorry. You already have a blog. The admin guy will be able to help you.

My Beautiful Beloved Brownie was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on February 26, 2019.  With all odds against him he lived an additional one year and eight days with amputation, love, and prayer.  I was honored to be his mom, and I have never been so proud!  He will live forever in my Heart!

Brownie Bubba Bell

04/01/2007 - 03/05/2020

"March Saint"

Member Since:
3 August 2019
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29 September 2019 - 8:27 am
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I give up... the images are in my blog in the library.. it has taken over 25 minutes of wait and delay for this site to open/post/so not sure what is happening..  

Member Since:
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29 September 2019 - 9:39 am
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From the blog I just copy and paste, of I remember correctly. I don't know what kind of device you are using, but I heard it's difficult from a phone. I believe there is a forum for technical issues. You will get an answer within a day if not sooner, or go to the chat and describe what is happening. Sorry, I'm not very technical.....

My Beautiful Beloved Brownie was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on February 26, 2019.  With all odds against him he lived an additional one year and eight days with amputation, love, and prayer.  I was honored to be his mom, and I have never been so proud!  He will live forever in my Heart!

Brownie Bubba Bell

04/01/2007 - 03/05/2020

"March Saint"

Member Since:
4 April 2019
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29 September 2019 - 9:44 am
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Yes, there is a forum named "technical support"

My Beautiful Beloved Brownie was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on February 26, 2019.  With all odds against him he lived an additional one year and eight days with amputation, love, and prayer.  I was honored to be his mom, and I have never been so proud!  He will live forever in my Heart!

Brownie Bubba Bell

04/01/2007 - 03/05/2020

"March Saint"

On The Road


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24 September 2009
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29 September 2019 - 10:32 am
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We sincerely apologize about the delays and feel your pain. Our server has been having technical issues lately that cause a delay and we're working hard to figure out what's going on. Thank you for your patience while we try to figure this out. 

If you ever have problems you can always message us and we will respond immediately.

But meanwhile, here are a couple of your photos from Fuzz's blog.

HPIM0230.jpgImage Enlarger

IMG_9090-2-e1569756943166.jpg

41613F50-6C6E-451B-BEDA-8720DD20F48F.jpgImage Enlarger

56535A53-7D7D-4F7F-9AE2-F1AB2C8B9019.jpg

As for attaching photos....you need to:

  1. Go to the image where it is hosted on your blog
  2. Copy the image
  3. Return to your forum post 
  4. Paste the image

When it comes to video, because of the huge file size it's best to upload directly to YouTube then come here to paste the video URL into your Forum post.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

On The Road


Member Since:
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29 September 2019 - 10:41 am
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For more specific questions please post in Technical Support as Brownie's mom recommended. Thanks.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Member Since:
4 April 2019
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29 September 2019 - 10:44 am
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What adorable photos of Fuzz! I have to know, did you put him on the tree, or did he climb in?

My Beautiful Beloved Brownie was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on February 26, 2019.  With all odds against him he lived an additional one year and eight days with amputation, love, and prayer.  I was honored to be his mom, and I have never been so proud!  He will live forever in my Heart!

Brownie Bubba Bell

04/01/2007 - 03/05/2020

"March Saint"



Member Since:
27 July 2014
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29 September 2019 - 11:18 am
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That's great news that Fuzz is doing so well. 

Fuzz will adapt to new systems that will work better for a tripawd. Mona continued to jump up to my high bed (a bit over 3 ft high) and took flying leaps off. After a few of these leaps I showed her how to use the cardboard banker's box to the chair to the bed. After that, she always used the chair and box to get to the floor. Mona has boxes all around the house to access the couch and chairs. Some people put upstairs but Mona seemed to prefer the boxes with more depth.

Mona continues to use the stairs - she runs up and goes down slowly.

Life will be so much easier when the staples are out. Mona didn't wear a collar either but I think she wanted to lick the area when her fur started to grow in. It probably got itchy so I would sooth the area with a cool damp facecloth and distract her by brushing her. 

Fuzz will be your guide and let you know what he wants. Mona moved easily from the wet food to the dry food by me giving her less and less wet food each day. I still give her a tablespoon of wet food daily and she's happy to eat her dry food.

The system seems slow for all of us accessing the blogs. I believe Admin is working on it.

Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona

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1 October 2017
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29 September 2019 - 11:34 am
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Oh my CAT!! How totally adorable!!  Videos are easy, upload to youtube. Once it is complete, take the link and copy/paste it here or in your blog. It doesn't take your space too so it's a double win.

The site is having technical difficulties, so sorry. I know it is frustrating but they will work it out, always do. In the meantime, it is going to take a while to load but it will load eventually. 

Fuzz is gorgeous!!! He looks a little like my Andy but with more stripes. Andy is like the Sta Puffed Marshmallow Man, mostly white, lol.

As far as the house goes... it sounds like little by little he is adjusting. I am tickled that he is going back to his "safe spot". That will work itself out, really it will. I did not give Huckleberry free reign of the house until a couple weeks after staple removal.  Fuzz is still very early in recovery so keeping his activity level real low key is still the best for him. 

I waited on Huck for several reasons. One -  he was feral, Two - he was early in recovery, Three -  we have stairs and I wanted him as recovered as possible before he started using the stairs. 

You are doing all the right things... you really are sp_hearticon2  Huckleberry was not weaned off of his meds until 3 weeks post op. This is the time that phantom pain can really kick in so don't be too quick to lower the dose. Nice and gradual .. watch how he does as the med levels drop in his system. 

So.. one thing I learned from somebody in here, a super duper cat person!  Wet food is actually really good for cats. You want to make sure he isn't eating so much that he is going to gain weight, but cats are obligate carnivores.  Dry food and grains are what can cause feline blockages. I feed all three of my boys twice a day, dry in the morning and wet at night. Grain free. I am thrilled that Fuzz has not given you any appetite problems, I really had to spoil Huck there for a while right around this part of his recovery. Andy blocked twice on me since we adopted him. It was really bad. Dehydration can be key to them blocking. Wet food is about 80% water so with them eating the wet food they are also getting the hydration that they need to keep their urine from becoming too concentrated. It helps keep them flushed so that even if they have some crystals they can pass them. I took Andy off the prescription diet and since I have gone grain free and make sure they always have canned at night and plenty of fresh water he has been wonderful! I know this has nothing to do with the amputation, but I thought I would throw it out there for you. Here is a wonderful site on feline health and diet. I was amazed by what I learned here.

https://catinfo.....-diseases/

You are doing great!! Huckleberry races the stairs now with no problems. He was a little slow at first, but he got it in no time flat. Of course the first bunch of times I was a nervous wreck, but he has no problems with the stairs, his cat tree, couch, desk... we just started slow and I really let him go his own pace once I gave him free reign. I do have cat stairs for my desk and bed. I got nice sturdy stairs that are carpeted from Amazon and he uses them regularly. We put runners on the stairs, and I have washable throw rugs all over the house. I will see if I can find the stairs that I got and send you a link.

amazon.com/Armarkat-Steps-3-steps-B3001-Ivory/

Hugs,

Jackie and Huckleberry sp_hearticon2

Hugs,

Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry

Huckleberry's Blog

Member Since:
3 August 2019
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29 September 2019 - 6:42 pm
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brownie1201 said
What adorable photos of Fuzz! I have to know, did you put him on the tree, or did he climb in?

  

He climbed in the tree... Fuzz is a very ornery cat who thinks he is human and a dog! His feline tendencines shine through periodically.Has been this way since he was a tiny fluff ball kitten.. He is the most personable cat I have ever had ( I have had many) and he is not shy around anyone unless it is a huge house full of people.  

paws120 said

You are doing all the right things... you really are sp_hearticon2  Huckleberry was not weaned off of his meds until 3 weeks post op. This is the time that phantom pain can really kick in so don't be too quick to lower the dose. Nice and gradual .. watch how he does as the med levels drop in his system. 

So.. one thing I learned from somebody in here, a super duper cat person!  Wet food is actually really good for cats. You want to make sure he isn't eating so much that he is going to gain weight, but cats are obligate carnivores.  Dry food and grains are what can cause feline blockages. I feed all three of my boys twice a day, dry in the morning and wet at night. Grain free. I am thrilled that Fuzz has not given you any appetite problems, I really had to spoil Huck there for a while right around this part of his recovery. Andy blocked twice on me since we adopted him. It was really bad. Dehydration can be key to them blocking. Wet food is about 80% water so with them eating the wet food they are also getting the hydration that they need to keep their urine from becoming too concentrated. It helps keep them flushed so that even if they have some crystals they can pass them. I took Andy off the prescription diet and since I have gone grain free and make sure they always have canned at night and plenty of fresh water he has been wonderful! I know this has nothing to do with the amputation, but I thought I would throw it out there for you. Here is a wonderful site on feline health and diet. I was amazed by what I learned here.

Jackie and Huckleberry sp_hearticon2

  

I have enough gabapentin to get me through at 2 x per day until his post op check up- I am going to inquire about additional medication for him.  He has been on the gabapentin at .5-1 ml for over a month and at his surgery it was bumped to .5 3x per day for a week then they said stop but I moved him to 2 x per day.  If nothing else it keeps him a bit calm in his restricted area that he can rest and heal.  I have read so much on the gabapentin that long term it does not appear to have negative side effects or issues.  That is #1 question followed by #2 activity level/monitoring  I am eager to get my Fuzz back- I miss him cuddling up in recliner or always bieng in my lap or just flopping down and loving on his buddy, Murphey who is his 95 lb black lab best friend.  As far as his diet goes, my cats (and dogs) have always been fed grain free and the best quality food  I find.  I have been partial to Fromm which is my only choice along with Nulo for dry food.  My wet food are varieties of grain free , although I added some regular and even not my normal choice of foods for Fuzz's recovery in hopes of having a huge variety to get him eating if he came out with depressed appetite.. taht was not the case- he was eating everything they gave him in the hospital and that has continued here at home but he only eats the wet food options I am giving him.  Today he had a surf and turf buffet, seafood medley, chicken/turkey and beef/chicken/carrots at each of his meals.  The bowl of dry food remains out at all times ( as it always does in my house for the other cats too) in his recovery room along with a bowl of water but he not interested and truthfully I knew pushing wet food was good for fluid and hydration.. I even bought him some cat broths which he enjoys too.  He is using the litterbox regularly and adequately for his wet food consumption. I do feel bad watching him trying to cover/dig his potty hole.. that is a tough task now with one front leg... it also results in litter being flung far and wide with the current low profile/smaller litter box.  I have it sitting on pee pads so it is easy to pick up and then dump litter back in box from the pads. icon_lol

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29 September 2019 - 7:11 pm
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You are SO totally rocking thissmiley_clapThere is nothing i can possibly tell you except for be patient mama,  Fuzz will be up with you cuddling and back into his new normal routine soon.  

Sending big hugs ❤❤❤

Hugs,

Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry

Huckleberry's Blog

Virginia







Member Since:
22 February 2013
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29 September 2019 - 8:01 pm
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CUTENESS ALERT!!!   OMC!  SOOOOO CUTE!!! These pictures are such treasures.   

Seeing Fuzz peek out at the camera from the tree belongs on a Christmas card!

Fuzz is doing remarkably  well this early on. It great he has such a good appetite. I love that Murphy checks in on him.  They'll soon be  sleeping together and cuddling  with you on the recliner.😎

Thanks for the update AND the smile making pictures!

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!

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