Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello.
Peanut had her surgery 9/16/09. Everything went well up until about 1 week ago. Her remaining front leg was swollen, and she seemed ill. I took her to the vet at that time. The vet determined she strained her leg through overexertion, and she had a fever and infection. She got meds for all of it. She's since finished her Carprofen, and has about 1 week left on her antibiotics (Cephalexin).
A few nights ago, I was terrified that she had bloat. She was exhibiting all the signs of it... vomiting but producing no actual vomit (dry heaves, I guess). Restlessness, panting, rapid heart & pulse rate. I contacted CareCredit to up my limit and was getting ready to rush her to the vet, when she calmed down and drank some water and ate a cookie. Which, as I understand, she wouldn't have done if it was bloat. In fact, she'd be gone by now if she had bloat.
But since then, she's been showing those same signs. For the past few days. Intermittently. I've also noticed that although her leg swelling has gone down significantly and her mobility is back to normal, she cannot do more than a potty outing without exhausting herself.
She frequently just lays around and grunts. She's never been a vocal dog, so this worries me.
Last week, while she was at the vet, she had numerous tests done. At that time, everything was normal. Blood work was normal. Chest xrays were normal. No lung mets. Heart was normal.
So I just don't understand why she has been so ABnormal these past few days. I'm thinking it's either her heart, or cancer has spread to where it's not showing up in xrays, or stress has just really effected her? I'm sure these are all possibilities.
She has another regular follow-up xray appointment in a couple weeks. But I don't know if I should wait that long. I also don't know if she's just having an "off" few days and I should wait it out and keep her comfortable 'til the schedule appointment. Last vet visit ran me $500. I do not want to take her in again just to be told she's stressed, and rack up another $500. Nor do I want to risk ignoring something potentially serious. I'm at a loss, obviously.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
-Melanie
~*~*~ Peanut is strength, love, and happiness. ~*~*~ 11/30/03 – 12/26/09
Oh Melanie,
I don't know what to advise you... I know how hard it is financially with all the vet visits... My Jake is gone, but I'm still paying for them! Any chance you can call your vet to discuss all the symptoms?
Angel Jake's Mom
Jake, 10yr old golden retriever (fractured his front right leg on 9/1, bone biopsy revealed osteosarcoma on 9/10, amputation on 9/17) and his family Marguerite, Jacques and Wolfie, 5yr old german shepherd and the newest addition to the family, Nala, a 7mth old Bengal mix kittie. Jake lost his battle on 11/9/2009, almost 8 weeks after his surgery. We will never forget our sweet golden angel… http://jakesjou.....ipawds.com ….. CANCER SUCKS!
Peanut and Melanie
So sorry things have not improved. No insight to offer. Just sorry this is happening, especially this week. (It is too bad we keep having to pay when the vets don't figure it out, but I realize the system has to work that way. Talking to your vet on the phone sounds like a good start.) If she has bloat but not torsion, could she have the symptoms you describe? Although if there is only bloat, don't they only have a distended stomach and a 'full' feeling (not the other problems you describe).
Susan
Melanie and Peanut,
The mere mention of torsion runs chills up my spine. My two white standard poodles (liter mates) suffered torsion just three weeks apart and you are absolutely right - if it had really been torsion, Peanut would not be with you today. My limited experience with the difference between torsion or bloating (excess gas) is that when my poodles suffered the torsion, their entire rib cage balooned.
Oddly eneough, Cherry did suffer a bad case of bloating and extreme diarea approximately 3½ months after her amputation. It took her nearly a month before she fully recovered. Like you, we visited the vet where an x-ray confirmed that it was not torsion or any other blockage. We will never really know why it happened, but time did heal this downturn.
Like Susan, I am not sure that I can add any specific insight except that these things do seem to happen. With those of us who have opted for chemotherapy, there also seems to be an issue that their imune system has been insulted by the chemicals. This makes it much more likely that Cherry will catch any "bug" that is around. It has and continues to be a real battle. Hang in there - you are doing all the right things - unfortunately the journey really never gets easy.
Paws Crossed, Sending Pawsitive Thoughs and Prayers
Bob & Cherry
Dear Melanie: I'm so sorry Peanut is having a hard time. I constantly worry over every little thing about Romeo so I just know how hard that is---and I also agonize over the financial aspect as well (I know the should I spend the money to take him/is this serious dilemma well.....). It does sound like something is a little off with Peanut, but I think Marguerite is right---try to do as much by phone as possible.
And from little I know of bloat---I have to agree with Bob--if she truly had bloat it would be very clear you had an emergency on your hands.
I wonder if her low energy is just due to her leg still recovering from the strain/sprain? And is she on any steroids?--they made Romeo pant and have a high heart rate.
I don't know how long you've been with your vet, but if you are worried about maxing out your Care Credit and/or need to keep an emergency reserve---could you talk to them about a payment plan? I'm biased, but I always feel like people in Vermont tend to be more understanding about such things. We have used Care Credit as well, but our Vermont vet has also let us stretch things out over time with post-dated checks etc. Obviously it's still $, but it might let you keep a little in reserve on Care Credit for emergencies. I say this as someone who is very stressed financially as well!
I realize you probably have a great vet, but since you're in Vermont I will just throw this out. Whenever possible (even though we have lived in CT for 5 years now) we take Romeo to the Animal Hospital of Hinesburg. Their number is (802) 482-2955. Our primary vet is
Rich Armstrong. Not only is he an amazing vet, he is one of the kindest, most compassionate people I have ever met. He was the first person I called when our CT vet gave us the cancer diagnosis. He is everything you could want in a clinician---I wish he could be my daughter's pediatrician as well!
There is also a great vet there who practices acupuncture/eastern med Marv Greenberg. They all know Romeo---just tell them we sent you. Again, I realize you probably have a great vet. I just thought I would throw this out since you are in VT.
Romeo has been much more vocal since the surgery which I've always wondered about. Sometimes he'll moan a little in discomfort
if he's overdone it----most of the time he started to use it to get what he wants (mainly the food my daughter is taking a very long time to eat)--who knows?
Maybe try posting to Pam in "Ask a vet." I wish we could be more help. Give our love to Peanut (and Bubba too.)
Hope she feels better soon. You take care too, Eve and Romeo
p.s. How is hunky Oslo feeling?
I am so sorry that Peanut is not feeling well. Has she taken Cephalexin before? My French Mastiff Loki does gets the dry heaves from this antibiotic after about 7-10 days. It helps if I give him 20 mg of Pepcid twice daily but I try to avoid using antibiotics whenever I can since he is so sensitive. You are right that a dog with torsion (a twisted stomach) or bloat (a distended stomach) will not want to eat or drink, so maybe she just has increased acidity. Esophageal reflux causes a burning sensation which often results in dry heaves.
Can you take her heart rate when she is sleeping? A giant dog often has a slow heart rate of 60-100 beats per minute at rest so if it is higher she could either be experiencing pain or heart issues. Unfortunately the only way to get a good idea of heart function is with an ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram) since the heart can look normal on an xray.
I would also be concerned as to the cause of her fever. Normal chest xrays rule out pneumonia or obvious lung tumors. We do not see much canine influenza (doggie flu) on the west coast but it is more common back east but she should be feeling better now if it was just a virus. It is true that cancer can cause a fever so if the OSA is lurking somewhere that could have made her feel ill and caused leg swelling. The Rimadyl would have helped the fever and the swelling but she could be feeling pain again without an NSAID.
I would at least talk to your vet again. I know how pricey ultrasounds and furthur testing can be. If her temp has remained normal I would be inclined to stop the Cephalexin and see if her stomach improves and then consider starting Rimadyl again for another week if she is still grunting (unless she is still retching then I would try Tramadol).
I hope that Peanut feels better soon! That would be an excellent Christmas gift.
Pam
Thank you all, for your kind words and advice.
I called my vet this morning and the desk staff relayed a message to him that I had questions about Peanut. I just got off the phone with him.
I explained all of Peanut's symptoms to him, and expressed how worried I was because everything seemed normal just 1 week ago. He agreed everything seemed rather sudden.
For now, she does not have to finish the Cephalexin (and yes, she has taken that before, with no ill effects). Tomorrow, I pick up some Tramadol. Per the vet's advice, if she does not seem to come around after taking the pain killers, then she needs to go back into the clinic for more xrays and such.
That's exactly what I was trying to avoid. But what else can I do? I'll get the Tramadol tomorrow and see what happens, then go from there.
For now, I need to have a cup of tea and relax. Thanks, again, everyone.
-Melanie
~*~*~ Peanut is strength, love, and happiness. ~*~*~ 11/30/03 – 12/26/09
I want to add my thoughts and prayers to everyone elses. I'm sorry Peanut is not feeling better. It is so hard to watch our babies not feeling good and not being able to figure out why. I hope that the tramadol helps. I feel for you on the financial stress. Its hard to keep coming up with more and more money but I have to tell you I wish we still had to keep doing it. I miss Em. Give your Peanut a hug from me.
Debra
Debra & Emily, a five year old doberman mix, who was diagnosed with an osteosaecoma. She had a right rear leg amputation on May 19, 2009. On November 10, 2009 she earned her wings and regained her fourth leg.
Thanks again, everyone. I've been giving Peanut all kinds of love lately.
She has seemingly lost enjoyment in everything.
I have to do backflips just to get her to eat or go out to potty. For both of these situations, I literally have to sweet talk her and act like eating and going potty are the best things ever. I keep it all positive to help encourage her. So I am now feeding her anything and everything, but she turns most of it away. When she does get up to potty, she'll go as far as the curb, squat, then come right back inside.
She lays around grunting or whining most of the day. And she frequently vomits but produces nothing (again, dry heaves). Her eyes have lost her normal twinkle.
My boyfriend commented today that she seems to have lost her spirit, or has given up.
We've been contemplating what we didn't want to contemplate quite yet. But it's there on our minds. And at the same time, we're just hoping for a quick recovery.
She just started Tramadol this afternoon. She's had her afternoon and evening doses, so far. I know it could take 24hrs to show any results, if she does indeed benefit from the Tramadol.
I talked to my vet again tonight. He said if her situation was caused by a negative reaction to the Cephalexin, it could take up to 1 week for it all to leave her system. I didn't expect it to be that long. I really hate the thought of letting her be like this for a whole week. But my vet said she probably isn't in pain, and may just be feeling crappy. That's a lot of crappy!
He confused me. When I mentioned how she has lost her desire to really eat or do anything, and we were begininning to wonder if we should prepare for her end days... he agreed that it may be time. But then he said something to the effect that maybe she isn't really in pain and we humans tend to feel worse than the dogs in these situations. I don't know if he was trying to make me feel better or if he was encouraging me to hang in there.
I just know I know Peanut. And Peanut has not been Peanut for days.
And I know myself - I've mentally prepared myself for this. I am not projecting any feelings onto her. I'm just doing my best to care for her and keep her comfortable.
She's sleeping now. I'm taking this issue one moment at a time for the next couple of days. I'm hoping for a good response to the Tramadol. If there isn't one by Saturday morning, then I feel that I must take her in to see the vet. Then we can hopefully get some answers.
On a lighter note, Merry Christmas to everyone. Count your blessings, and cherish your memories.
-Melanie
~*~*~ Peanut is strength, love, and happiness. ~*~*~ 11/30/03 – 12/26/09
Melanie,
You know Peanut better than anyone does. When it is time I think she will tell you. As hard as it is, I know that when the time comes, and I hope it is not for a very long time, you will let her go because of the love you have for her. I am praying that she is having a reaction to the meds or that she caught a bug and that these issues are premature. Please give her a big hug for me.
Debra & Angel Emily
Debra & Emily, a five year old doberman mix, who was diagnosed with an osteosaecoma. She had a right rear leg amputation on May 19, 2009. On November 10, 2009 she earned her wings and regained her fourth leg.
I sort of scanned over the posts here, so may be repeating something that's been said. First let me say that I am so sorry that Peanut doesn't feel well. And crappy timing with Christmas and all. 🙁
I go through this all with Raven. But I hope to encourage you by saying that Raven has appeared to have "given up" twice and I toughted it out and he rallied. It's an emotional roller coaster Iknow.
Two suggestions: Get an ultrasound by a board certified radiologist (as opposed to an in house U/S by a GP vet) if you can afford that. If not, do the regular U/S by your vet. Raven was getting xrays before and after his cancer and they were always clear, even by the oncologist and radiologists. But, it turns out he had this mass in his liver that wasn't visible in the xrays due to being soft tissue and being behind the stomach. We had about 6 sets of xrays over 8 months and never saw it and they think it's been there that long. But it is very obvious on an ultrasound. If you can see a lesion or tumor on the U/S, it maybe treatable!
Second, the thing that often helps Raven rally when he's really feeling poorly, not a fix, but a bandaid that helps him get that "spirit" back and his appetite especially: A liter bag of fluids injected with Dexamethazone and B Vitamins, given sub-q. Dex is a short acting steroid and the vitamins just give them a real boost. He perks up, eats well, then the nourishment gives him his energy back, it's sort of a Catch 22 when they stop eating. You can give the injections without fluids, but the fluids also really help if you can afford it as a package.
Hang in there. Pepcid does help, as does metroclopramide (a gut motility drug given to cancer patients for nausea), Raven is on both of these twice a day. Sucralfate is another you may ask your vet about for nausea.
You and Peanut are in my thoughts and prayers, I hope to hear good news soon.
Dawn and Raven
Rottie Raven, osteosarcoma at 8-1/2 years old, amputation in October '09 and in February '10 due to liver mets he went back to heaven where he came from. raven.tripawds.com
Now I have Miles, rottie mix amputee from a shelter and traveled 1500 miles to find his way here through the Rescue Railroad thanks to tripawds.com. miles.tripawds.com
Peanut, we send our love and prayers your way. It breaks our hearts too to know that you're not feeling good right now.
Dawn, you are right, Vitamin B is definitely worth a try. It's something that we didn't know about until we did some reading about pet nutrition recently.
Melanie, we hope things get better for you both. We know how hard it is to walk the line between hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. Just remember, ask yourself, is she having more bad days than good days? How much can she do of the things she loves doing best? There's a good grief support discussion in our Coping with Loss Forum that might help you.
We are all rooting for you Peanut. Keep us posted OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I hope that Peanut is feeling better. If she is still doing that retching/dry heaving on Saturday then you might want to ask for the Carafate (sucralfate) to coat her stomach or try Cerenia instead of metoclopramide for nausea. It is true that it could take up to 1 week for the cephalexin to leave her system although most dogs feel better after 3-4 days.
You know Peanut better than anyone and in my experience most people know when it is "that time" but I sure hope that she can rally again! I have a soft spot for the giant breeds and she looks so beautiful in her pictures.
Pam
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