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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Stopped Pirox. starting last Tues.
Took her in Wed....noticed change in urine color.......UTI..gave her Clavamox.. 750 mg twice day "listened" to chest and lungs...for circumstances everything good....----felt all over her, didn't "feel" anything. I told him i thought she looked "fluidy" around tummy and base of tail The problem with having a "fluffy" dogis he always just says she's fat.........she's eating less than she ever has
May be confuse on days now....Thursday night and into Friday..HORRIBLE time...restless, shallow breathing, would not lay down more than mnutes st a time. Exhausted and weak versus tires easily and rests co fortably.
Fri. vet says start her on Pred...he's headed out of town til Mon. and diazepam.....I jist didn't want her journey to end like this...not in a crises mode.....but HAD to try to at least turn her around to comfortable and then do what needed to be done
Also, had to TRY because I was afraid by me creating the wash-out period this could have thrown her over the edge...jist seemed too coincidental.
Finall "settles" Fri. night...btw...still waggin and eating some this whole time...still jas light and sparkle in her eyes.... NOT "the" look"
Start seeing if I can find one of her vets to "come to the house".....not going to let her journey get any worse, although she was improving.....as fate would have it...could get no one and would NOT do "this" at unfamiliar ER with People she didn't know IF at all possible.
Our good friends Sassy and Michelle reminded me that if it got bad enough, I would go to the ER.....somehow that gave me confidence that it wasn't "that" bad yet.
Had her vriend come over to evaluate my perception of how she's doing....Happy Hannah gets up, tail waggin', stuffy in her mouth gretting her like normal. She thinks quality is still good and "this" can wait til Mon. when her regular vet can come to house. I jist wanted so badly foe this to be at "home" with "her" vet and while there was still some quality
Dr. Pam, but Sunday...uesterday.....she's back to almost as good as before this wash-out period!! Fri. night she could barely get upher ramp without stopping every three steps from exhaustion......Sunday..-.doing it with "relative" ease.....even barked at a friendly buzzard roosting in a tree...she goes out every evening and barks at him when he tries to settle in for the night.
As it turned out, my vet called me first thing to check on Happy Hannah and he wouldn't have been able to come out anyway due to a passng of a family memberZ!
There IS fluid in thei side of her rear leg at top...there IS fluid at base arond tail and bout three inches down tail Could be lymph stuff, even though he didn't feel any swelling Wed.......I "know" I "saw" it thoughin her tail.
She's currently today on 20 mg of Pred TWICE a day.....I stopped the clavamox Friday due tothe "crises".....he said start her on that agiain.....
She did have very dark stool Sat....but now normal color
You would not believe how I tried to keep this succnct and providing only the facts you might need! Oh well..-best intentions.....-
Input? Advice? Can you feel my gratitude??
Sally snd Happy Hannah
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!
Sally, there is nothing more in the world, I would love to do, is be able to help you with this little setback with Happy Hannah. I have absolutely no experience with these drugs and symptoms, but Hannah still seems like she has a spark and love of life.....even eating, tail wagging and barking at her ugly feathered neighbor in the tree. I do, however, want to send my absolute love, hugs, super positive thoughts, and just general happy, good wishes for you and sweet-faced Happy Hannah, today and always.
Much Love,
Bonnie & Angel Polly
I've now caught up with all my special friends while away. I'm SO glad Hannah is still here and still sparkling away. She's got the light in her eyes and we love her! So....she's better these days then last week? Tail wagging? Eating? Pooping? Drinking? Sounds ideal! The fluid buildup is concerning, though. What are we to do about that? Can you massage it a little, to get it moving?
You're doing GREAT, Sally! JUST GREAT! Hang in there, as Hannah adores you and loves to have her momma by her side!
HUGS
~ Katy & Jackson
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
I'm w/Bonnie..... I don't know anything about all this BUT I can send you lots of love and healing energy and prayers .... Hannah still has her spirit and spark. I hear you on the fluid - it freaks me out too but Katy is right, massaging can help. Shelby had some cankles in her hind leg from lack of use and I would massage from the toes up to her hip and it seems less. Maybe if Hannah isn't using it as much, it's getting swollen? Or is it just her belly that looks swollen?
How is she feeling today? What does her vet say?
Keep us posted!!!
Hugs and love!
Alison and Shelby
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Thanks sweet Bonnie! Words of support DO help and I thank you
She just had another STEAK topped off with a cookie...a gooey human cookie!Can't imagine what "triggered" al this unless it was the "wash-out" period.....I'm soooooo thrilled that's passed.
I hope that's what it was...I would not want ths to hapen again...especially with no warning or with frequency...nope, not or defnition of quality.
I can say, thankfuly, for now' she's back into the "quality zone" she and I have defined for her. Guess she snd the Universe knew I just had to give the Pred. sometime tl work so "they" made sure I didn't take any "actio " that differed from "their" plan!!
I have to say, to get ro tnis point in her journey and to make the VOW to not let her QUALITY go below a certain level...and to have this happen? To jave regret seep in for the first rime? Ugh!
This experience reminded me...and I hope I can use it to remind others.....as well-intentioned as we are, this is one of the nastiest, most unpredictable crappy diseases on the planet...With all the kowledge' trestments, etc......it still does what it wants when it wants.
To have regret over something as unpredictable as this is to give "it" even more power to be cruel and brutal. No! That's where WE have control and that's where its brutality stops!! Regret is another "weapon of mass destruction" it tries use. We do have the power to smash that weapon to smithereens!!
Let's all get out our erasers and remove that word permanently fromour vocavulary!!! ERASING.....ERASING.........POOF! Gone!
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!
WOW! What a team!! I can't even finish one reply without you speedos being rigjtere with love and support!
Yeah, thanks Katy and Alison...massage is a good idea.
Vet says could be some lhmph stuff going on..--also zPred can cause swelling....don't think it's edema cuz does ot leave a thumb print when I push in.
Yes, she's dong "well" today QUALITY s still winning!! Kocking on wood over here!
O,ay.--I'll be back.....
I google REGRET and this is what I found............wakt forit...-.wat forit.....
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!
If you can't GOOGLE it.....then it doesn't exist!!
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!
Sally I'm so sorry you both had such a scary weekend but VERY glad things are good again. I do recall many days like this, it's just like you said, some days cancer is nasty and other days it plays nice. You just have to go with the flow, but hang on even harder 'cause it gets bumpy at this time. I'm so sorry.
I wonder if the swelling can be reduced with a diuretic like Lasix?
Next time you're feeling this way please please please come to the chat room and talk OK? You can usually find folks in there during the evenings. I was gone a lot of this weekend but am not going anywhere for the next month, so I'll try to be more available in there. And you can always call me too OK?
Hugs to you both...
xoxoxo
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Sally,
I am so glad Hannah is doing better. We love the both of you on this site. There will be ups and downs but I'm sure you will be a great advocate for your sweet girl. Hang in there.
Penny, Blink, Hank and Spirit Maggie
So happy that Hannah is feeling better. Ty is now on something for fluid???? not sure what it is or if it will be added permanently to the ever increasing array of meds. Maybe you could try something like that. NSAIDS can cause some of the things you were describing. I think I am staying with the Pred now and leaving it. Deramaxx is a no as is Rimadyl. Good old Prednisone....used for everything. My vet says there are some risks, but I had a dog on it for years for an autoimmune thing. Her skin itched awful. She lived to be 14. So if it makes them feel better NOW, then I say use it. Glad to hear she is eating. After all eating is a BIG thing for dogs. Sounds like she is still enjoying her stuffy. And the neighborhood buzzard. You go Hannah, those buzzards are ugly birds! Sounds like our med protocol is almost the same. Clavamox, Pred etc.......etc. Are you giving her anything for her stomach? Carafate or Pepsid? Sometimes the belly hurting will put them backwards a bit. Sounds like she is perking up though! So glad to hear. Hey , don't tell TY you get more than one steak per day Hannah
Lori & TY
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
Why does the crappy stuff always happen on the weekend??? Ugh! BUT, I'm so happy to hear things are going better and you are having the quality time you want.
Libby had a wash out of the Rimadyl for 2 weeks in January and I couldn't wait to get her back on it. She just seemed to slow down a bit without it. I'm glad Happy Hannah is more comfortable with the prednisone now.
I'm with Rene...don't hold it in....go to the chat or let it out in the forums. Sometimes when I'm right in the middle of a "crisis" I don't like to share it with others but if I have a question as to what to do, I head straight to chat. You're always here for us, now let us do the same for you.
Some of my friends here can tell you the one thing I always said was "NO REGRETS". You can borrow my giant eraser if you need to but it looks like you've got it covered. 
Steak and cookies?? I'm covering Sammie's ears so she doesn't pack her doggy bag and head to your house!
Sending you hugs and belly rubs for Happy Hannah,
Amy & Spirit Libby
Liberty (Libby) was diagnosed with OSA on 1-22-13. Right front amputation on 1-31-13. No IV Chemo. Metronomic Therapy started 2-19-13 along with supplements and some home cooking. Lungs clear until 1-06-14. She's still her happy, hoppy, bossy self. Living the dog life to the fullest and a proud Winter Warrior. :) RIP my Libby 4-21-03 to 3-19-14
Dear Sally and Hannah,
Sorry to hear you had such a rough weekend. It's scary we've been there with Snoop also, where he seems more uncomfortable and not moving well. Last week more labored breathing when out for a walk. Departing about going to vet to see Then an abscess on lip found (waiting for biopsy, called no results today, hopefully tomorrow) found a sore between toes but I think a sore from running across some shells. Vomited this am. But then things change. Today moving and breathing better. Ate dinner like a champ, pooped and peed well.
So I figure this lousy disease keeps us all hoping on some level. As you I don't want to give it more power but it forces us to be more vigils for our babies as it does have a mind of its own. But with that being said we still have the power to decide what we need to do.
I hope Hannah is staying more comfortable. I've noticed with Snoop we are more temperature sensitive then we use to be. So we use fans as needed! Give water with ice cubes which ends up being a game to the boy but he loves it so what's a little moping for Mom! Whatever works! And I'll take a happy boy over anything .
I know you do all and everything for Hannah. She's a very lucky girl to have such a loving and caring Mom.
We are sending you good thoughts and love,
Esther and her Snoop
Tucker and I are so glad to hear that the lovely little Miss Happy Hannah is feeling much better after her troublesome weekend.
I'm not a vet - nor do I play one on tv - but I have to believe her "dip" was caused by the washout period from the one med before you could start prednisone.
A collective sign of relief is echoing across the tripawds nation!
Now...go have cake, ice cream, steak.....
Many hugs and lots of love
Linda and Tucker
oh sally.. sorry to hear you had such a ruff weekend! I'm glad Hannah seems to be back to her zone. It's so great of you to constantly think about her and her quality of life! That's what we are all after. you are doing a great job she is SO luck to have you!
Hugs
Cody and Family
Cody is our 7 year old Australian Heeler mix boy. Diagnosed on 2/20/14 and became a tripawd 2/21/14! We chose a homeopathic approach and he is being treated by Dr. Loops our of NC.
1 Guest(s)
