Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Yesterday, Abby seemed absolutely fine. We went to the beach for our usual walk/play session for an hour. We went by the oncologist's office to pick up more Masitinib (we just started it last week and are trying to ease her into it). She was fine, hopping in and out of the car like usual.
Then last night she couldn't jump up on the bed. I had to help her. This morning she was making some little "I dont feel good" noises. I helped her down out of bed and she was walking very slowly, favoring her back left leg. I thought maybe she just overdid it last night barking at some kids making noise outside. But a little while ago her back legs started trembling. She is just curled up on her dog bed, trembling every couple of minutes. I didn't give her the Masitinib this a.m., although as far as I can tell muscle weakness is not supposed to be a side effect. I gave her a tramadol and am thinking of giving her some piroxicam - I still have a few left from her Cytoxan/piroxicam days.
Just now I helped her outside and she peed and hopped around ok and pooped. She came back in on her own and laid down, she doesn't seem to be trembling as much now but I searched the forums for tremors and saw posts about spinal mets and am freaking out a little. Ok, maybe a lot. And of course it is the weekend so we can't talk to her onc until Monday and he won't be in the office until Tues.
Ideas? Advice?
Thanks
Jackie, Abby's worried mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
We never experienced this with Max, but read about it here on the forums. Is there no other onc at your vet's you can speak to? Where we took Max, there was always an onc on duty on Saturdays (but not Sundays or Mondays). I would still give a call to your vet; describe what's going on, and see what they suggest. It's possible there will be someone there who may have some experience or knowledge with something similar. I'm sure all of Max's doc's got sick of hearing from me, but I always made a phone call if I wasn't sure what was going on with him at any random time.
As always, sending positive thoughts to your girl. Please keep us updated as you can.
Oh Jackie,
This is scary- I don't have any advice but lets hope its something minor from running on the beach. I know from experience I get right on the computer and google symptoms and scare the beegezzus out of myself. I hope Abby gets a little rest over the weekend and she gets an A-OK on Tuesday.
Julie
Spirit Samson was Spirit Tripawd Daisys four legged "brother" and ruled as the self proclaimed head of the Monkeybutt Federations East Coast Division. Lady Chunky Monkey stayed from Oct 2011 and left for the bridge in Apr 2012. Miss Perdy is left and has some big pawprints to fill.
Do you have what it takes to be a Monkeybutt? Find out more at the Monkeybutt Federation
Oh, Diane... Good idea. Your message jogged my brain and I remembered they have an LA office that is open on the weekends. I called just now and the onc on duty is going to call back. The trembling has stopped, maybe because of the tramadol?
Praying this is nothing more than a minor setback or a weird side effect of the Masitinib.
Hate this.
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Oh dear!!!
Big kisses to the Abbster! BIG KISSES!
Okay, here's what Dr. Pam wrote once regarding shaking legs. I bolded the part that seems more fitting to Abby since she was running at the beach.
Shaking could be anything from muscle weakness to spinal mets. If mets are present you would see fairly rapid deterioration/ loss of limb function and often pain. Spinal mets are rare. It is much more common to see shaking due to overuse or muscle atrophy. Your vet could xray the leg and spine but often mets can only be found with an MRI (see PEZ).
Pam
As you probably already know, if it is just muscle strain, the anti-imflammatories will help. Inflammation causes muscle spasms (vice versa). You can also try a heating pad on her back to see if that eases the tension. Or even just a wet dish towel heated in the microwave (not too hot, of course) and lay it on her back and hips until it cools. The moist heat can ease muscle tension also. If you do a heating pad...I put heavy towels on top of it to weigh it down and then stuck a fan in Comet's face so she wouldn't get hot. She'd go to sleep and enjoyed it.
Giant paws crossed that Abby is only having muscle spasms!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
I turned on the fireplace which her bed is right in front of so she would be cozy. I might try a hot towel if the shaking continues. Right now she is sleeping. Really really really hoping it is just overuse. Worried cuz we went to the beach yesterday mornign and she seemed absolutely fine yesterday until about bed time. It's that 'rapid deterioration' thing with the spine mets that worries me...
overuse injury. overuse injury. overuse injury. (my new mantra.)
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
paws crossed for 'too much beach fun'!!! we definitely recommend the warm moist heat!
charon & gayle
Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included). She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.
Love Never Ends
Oh yuck. I'm so sorry Jackie, this stuff is so hard to deal with.
I know Lylee when she does too much exercise has trembling with her hind leg on the side she had her amp.
I'm joining the mantra - 'overuse injury'
hugs all around
joanne & Lylee
http://lyleegir.....ipawds.com
I am with you, overuse injury, overuse injury, overuse injury.
I will be keeping Abby in my thoughts.
Jo Ann and Angel Tasha
Tasha 8 years old, First cancer diagnosis 6/26/09, Last cancer diagnosis 9/26/09, Amputation 10/01/09, Loving our girl moment by moment.
Tasha lost her battle and became my Angel on May 4 2011. Forever in my heart….
I know you must be so worried! And I wish we could help somehow. if this helps, it is extremely rare for spinal mets to occur, so try to put that out of your head. Pinched nerve maybe, muscle spasm…could be lots of minor easily alleviated things…
OK everpawdy repeat after me….
overuse injury overuse injury overuse injury overuse injury
overuse injury overuse injury overuse injury overuse injury
Thanks for digging that info up Comet.
overuse injury overuse injury overuse injury overuse injury
overuse injury overuse injury overuse injury overuse injury
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I have some hope to give you, remember when Sammy couldn't walk and was holding up his back leg, it was trembling? It turned out (after x-rays) that he probably twisted something in his neck.
He still isn't 100 percent, his leg still shakes, but he is doing okay 🙂 I hope it is the same for Abby 🙂
Diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the right front leg 8/23/10,
leg fractured 8/27/10,
leg amputated 8/30/10
http://sammyand.....pawds.com/
I couldn't begin to say how special Sammy is to us. Living and laughing with and loving this wonderful boy is priceless.
Yes, now that you mention it, I do remember when Sammy had that problem. She has been shaking any more today, but she is still very slow getting around and she can't jump up on anything. She goes and stands there by the bed and waits for me to come help her up. I've also been helping her down.
The onc's office still hasn't called back. This happened the last time too that I called a diff office other than our usual one - we didn't get a call back until the end of the day when all the patients had been seen. Hopefully she will still call (mainly because I want to ask her if she thinks this could in any way be related to the masitinib!), but I'm assuming it's a good sign that she didn't think it was anything urgent she needed to call right away for.
Hopefully it's just a pinched nerve (or "pink schnerve" as my hubby always says) or a pulled muscle and she'll literally bounce back SOON.
I don't like seeing my girl down!
Thanks everypawdy for the good wishes and for repeating the mantra with me! I'll keep y'all updated.
Jackie
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
We're thing about you all! Paws crossed: overuse injury overuse injury overuse injury. Keep us updated!
The oncologist called back. She said this is not a reported side effect of Masitinib but it is a side effect of Palladia (muscle weakness or neurological problems) and since the two work similarly, it's possible that this is from the new meds. So no more Masitinib until her usual onc. is back in the office on Tuesday and we will see how she's doing then and I guess try to figure out what's the root of the problem here. Hopefully just an overuse injury, but I guess next best scenario is that it is the meds and then we will just go back to Cytoxan.
We made pizza for dinner, and were delivering little bites of the "bones" to her while she lay in her bed on the other side of the room, but I guess she didnt think that was enough, so she got up and came over to beg. Good to see she felt well enough to get up and come over for pizza 🙂 ... but she really struggled to get up. 🙁
Anyway i am not freaking out quite so badly anymore. I will keep you posted.
Thanks everybody!
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Begging is always a good sign! Let's us know how she is in the morning PLEASE!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
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