Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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thank you, kind readers.
i don't know if martha is better...we haven't given up, though. she's still eating. at this point not her usual home made salmon with veggies, what she'll eat has changed. In the past few days she's become fincky--a first for her. anyway, happy sh'e eating! mac and cheese.is a new dish for her; a suggestion from her general vet. lucky she's eating, at all; we are told.
she's still groogy, little wobbly, a week after her amputation she was moving better than now; three weeks later. okay, so, my poor girl is still managing to get out to the sidewalk to eliminate. more diahhrea this morning, but her urine was NOT dark; a positive change. for the last three days it's been quite dark. she will only check her bowl on the way out the door. through the night she doesn't move much. she is finally lying on the surgery side, though. she pants off and on. i give her lots of water. she drinks it. her breath has changed a bit. it doesn't smell bad, just different. also, she seems a bit uncoordinated. her rear tripod leg at times lacks nuerological connection. my fear is either gabapentin dosage is too much (1800 mg a day) or dreaded brain mets. i took it on myself to lower gaba to 1200 mg. anyone out there w/experience lowering gabapentin?
yesterday i kept updating her main vet. i'm now GUESSING all this sickness is her liver disease. found it during pre-op ultrasound for spleen removal. vet called gnarly--with possible cancer mets from the spleen. they biopsied both with spleen removal and there was no cancer, but the liver disease was apparent: "old age" liver issues, also cirohosis and hepatitis. this was prior to AMC finding the walnut size inconclusive liver mass. i have been dosing her with milk thitle from holistic pet store but today will give denamarin a try. anyone tried it? western vets say it is more absorbable due to added chemistry.
lastly, i'll be picking up an antobotic regimen from the vet. i'd like to get your feed back (or anyone else w/experience). since martha still has diahrrea. afraid it'll make it unstoppable weakening her even more. find vet instructions below:
"The antibiotic regimen for hepatitis consists of dual antibiotic therapy:
with an aerobic antibiotic and an anaerobic antibiotic. The second one is
Metronidazole and that will have the good side effect of helping her loose
stool. The aerobic one is Zeniquin, and you can wait to start that until the
diarrhea is controlled. "
vet advised to cut Metacam dose by half. confused as to why she didn't remove it all together. is it okay to stop cold turkey?
SO GRATEFUL FOR GUIDANCE.
amalia
Hi Amalia.....Poor Martha, she is having a rough time right now.....as far as her regimen for hepatitis, I am only familiar with Metronidazole, very good for curbing diarrhea. And you mentioned you were going to give denamarin a try, I have used the sister drug for this in Denosyl for Polly several years ago when her liver enzymes were extremely high, I do believe it helped her greatly for liver support while helping to lower enzyme levels, but that was also in conjunction with lowering her pred. I think denamarin my be a little better to use than Denosyl for Martha. It is really worth trying in my opinion.
Did your vet mention possible IV fluid treatment to help her if she is having so much diarrhea? I would definitely check on that, especially due to her age and having these liver issues. Those senior pups surely can dehydrate easy, so that would be a real concern if it were me.
Continue to keep us all posted, and I will continue to keep you and Martha in my thoughts.....
Bonnie & Angel Polly
denamarin is a good combo drug for the liver. I agree that stopping the Metacam seems best and her gabapentin dose should be closer to 900 mg daily but those things are up to your vet. I usually use Baytril and amoxicillin for liver disease but Zeniquin is okay. Metronidazole is okay as long as the dose is low since higher doses in dogs with liver disease can increase the chances of neurologic side effects (weakness, ataxia, lethargy).
Pam
Is she on chemo too? I forget... Shelby had slightly loose stools and we put her on a probiotic that helped. She was also on Flagyl when she was suffering from colitis. I don't know if this will help or not but it's worth mentioning that it worked for us.
Also the bland diet, rice, etc... and canned pumpkin helped Shelby!
Keep us posted!
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
thank you
pam, metronidazole dose is 500 mg twice a day. is that low dose or high? also how much can i lower the gabapentin? how slow should it be a day?
How much does your dog weigh?
You should decrease gabapentin gradually over a few days but ask your vet first. If you are stopping the Metacam then you might need to keep the gabapentin higher for a longer period to control pain.
Pam
thanks everyone!
pam, martha's at 81 lbs. our vets okayed lowering gabapentin to 1200 (a day); tramadol now at 100 mg. a day; meloxacam (7.5 mg) lowered to 3.75mg. a day. ANTIBIOTICS: metronidazole (500 mg.) 1000 a day. zeniquin (100 mg) one and a half tabs. once daily w/food. denamarin (425 mg) once daily.
also, is denamarin really more accessible by the liver than milk thistle tincture?
alison, thanks. no, martha has had no chemo. we were waiting for her to get strength back after amputation. chemo wasn't recommended due to a walnut size liver mass found during pre-op for amputation but palladia was. tuesday was three weeks since surgery. we were in process of deciding between palladia (guess it's chemo, too) or holistic treatment when she took this turn. she went from a good recovery -- hopping on (mostly) alone, to not. at all.
tonight was a bit better. last night her front paws were very uncoordinated, couldn't set paws where she needed them. much like her rear remaining leg has been for a few dAys. it appeared, to us, to be nuerological which was why i fear gabapentin. martha is tall and long. she had disk problems five years ago at the front part of the spine. last week's readiographs show the disks fused together to compensate. a vet at the clinic thinks the nuerology symptom is due to this. my last dog was an old english who at 13 suffered a vestibular lesion. she learned to walk again. a trooper. she did, albeit lopsided. martha's symptoms hark back to those; not totally but somewhat.
we fear the walnut is now a mango mass and all toxins are streaming through her clouding her brain affecting every little bit of her! she'll never get a chancr at recovery from the pain we put her through.
today new york finally glimpsed spring. i hope you did too wherever you were.
amalia
I'm glad to hear this was an overall good day for you all. I'm sending my best for her to feel better soon. With spring finally appearing, hopefully this is exactly what she needs for better days ahead. {{{hugs}}}
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Aw Amalia, your strntgh amazes me!! Continue to sort through the maze. I just wanted to ofer some reassurance while you're waiting for Pam
I REALY feel like part of these "issues" will disappear once you get the meds sorted out. Did you see what Pam said about the Metron. possibly causing neurological sysmptns?? To me, that's a huge clue! There was a dog on here..Roxy..who had some sameissues. Her mom did some research and decided to stop the Metron, along with stopping someother things...the symptns cleared up as I recall..slowl but surely.
And the Gaba seems to be contributing too. Ya' know, the Onco place I took Hapy Hannah to never once mentioned "weaning" her off Gaba....I just took her off....maybe I did cut back on the dose first, just because I was trying to seeif she needed as much anymore...but not because of the warning aout weaningoff.....Grrrrrr.....thank goodness for this site, that's all Ive got to say!!
Okaaaaay now.......hold up.....we've got ro back off this walnut turning nt a mango, okay!! In reality, it probably has not changed size at all!! To think the worse right now is understandable...we all do that all the time. But the REALITY is you have a whole chest full of drugs that are probably the cause of at least HALF of her challenges! The other half are because of a MAJOR surgery that is very, very slow, with additional weakness because she's not eating very well. Have you asked about giving IV fluids under the skin at home?? That may indeed perk her up.
You are dong EVERYTHING possible formyour Martha! She would want you tomproceed exactly as you have to give her a chance! She wanted this chance and it is still worth it! This will get straightened out!!
I wish .love and support could help you and Martha right now...yo would both be feeling GREAT!! Stay connected...lean n us...keep askng questions...answered are being figured out slowly but surely!!
Thw whole Tripawd Universe is cheerng for you! We are here!!
Lots of love and hugs to you and the amazing Martha!!
Sally and 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, thank you for your optimism.
martha ate more. however, cooredination grew worse, again. it's like her legs are working against her. like the're numb, like they don't know where they are. disoriented legs. could she have had a stroke? also, her legs appear stiff like they're resistant. tense. trying to walk her, two of us; one holding up the rear with a sheet tied in a sling, and me at the front end kind of lifting and pulling her foward. martha resisting like she' putting the brakes then after a bit going with it and walking better for a few minutes then again resistant, and so on. that's what's happening w/sweet martha. maybe she's dizzy? she's scared then stabilizes?
also, when we squeeze her paws she doesn't react how dogs usually pull away. please, help.
amalia
Okay, she does get a YAAAY fo eating better. That IS good!
Interestingnthat she does walk a bit once you can get her up and moving. The "numbness" almost seems like a pinched nerve...slipped disc type thing. I'm sure you've tried massagng first before she gets up. Maybe her legs actually do "fall asleep" and she needs the massage to get the circulatin going.
Insist on an Orthopedic doctor and get them to check her oyt ASAP! Take a video..take that video to any vet you can fi d who will fit you in. When was the last xray off her spine? Heck, maybe a head xray too just to eliminate anything going on there.
Dr. Pam and others will chime in soon. Maybe post a video here too. Something just may click with somene.
We're all standing by your side! It's realy quite crowded now!
LOVE!
Saly and Hapy 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!
I'm sorry to hear this. It definitely sounds like an expert opinion from another vet is in order. I wouldn't let this go on any longer without doing that. Are you anywhere near a vet teaching hospital? They provide excellent, affordable care with the best technology and can quickly diagnose issues that private practice vets miss. Some require referrals from the dog's regular vet. Where are you located?
Lots of hugs to you both.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Amalia,
I know how scary this is for you. I'm so sorry you and Martha are going through this.
Sally is right, eating is a good sign. The coordination, maybe it's related to weakness? Or one of the meds? Hopefully Dr. Pam will be able to offer you some advice soon. I, also, think you should take her for a second opinion and try to get some answers.
Thinking about you...
Hugs,
Carol
Hi Amalia,
Is she being seen at AMC for all these issues or was that for the oncology and surgery? I might suggest having a call with the oncologist at AMC to explain whats going on and seeing if she thinks Martha should have some testing done there.
I'm sorry Martha is having such a hard time 
I hope things start to pick up soon!!
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
hi all,
coordination still off. her first "walk" today: front paw resistance. two of us inched forward. she urinated--normal, not dark. still no poop. her tongue dangles out since last night. oh, as of last night her tongue hangs letharically from her mouth when up on all fours...?
i am emailing w/partner vet at martha's usual clinic updating them. also, vet cc'ed email thread to ortho surgeon at AMC. he agreed w/decreasing GABA adding that senior dogs show senitivity to the drug sometimes. (started at 1800/day, yesterday was 1200/day) today we're at 600/day. she pulled her rear paw away from me jus minutes ago. hasn't done that in days!
hand fed her a human portion of steel. cut oats w/ almond butter. found some treats she'll eat, too. yesterday salmon. since high protein hurts liver, going back to grains. for the last few weeks she was off grain and on high protein/no cancer diet. hopefully, she'll stabilize and we'll be able to knock out the cancer, too.
sally, new radiographs were done last wednesday. rear leg still clean, spine, too; arthritis and dysplasia present but not bad. signs of past spine disease btween the shoulders. shows disks fused together in order to cope with weakness.
also, sally, did you mean Metronidolaze has nuerological side effects, or GABApentin?
jerry, we're in manhattan. martha had the amputation and oncology work at AMC (Animal Medical Center, Cornell University's School of Vet. Medicine). yes, agreed, they're well equipped and specialist staffed; but certainly not affordable by many.
erica, i did try to update AMC docs but didn't get much help. didn't hear
from surgery team until our vet emailed him, and oncology suggested we come back for another ultrsound. last week we spent $1000. at the our vet so i wanted to treat her w/antibiotics and alter pain meds before taking yet another image. i figure if the cancer has grown the meds won't help and that's the answer. anyway that was their one suggestion.
thanks for moving me forward.
amalia
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