Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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HI All,
Priintz is on his 9th day of recovery and out of all the days so far, the last 2 days he has been crying alot, he has been very lethargic, doesn't hav emotivation and aside from everything healing & obvious amputation, which I get, I feel a part of his behaviour change has to do with the meds.
His remaining pills are gabapentin 100mg, 2 pills every 12 hrs and Rimadyl 100mg every 24 hrs.
I find with gebabpentin, I had to cut it in half and the Rimadyl has such a negative effect on him, he rolls his eyes in the back of the head when laying down, doesn't even want to move at all and I know its a powerful medication.
He is almost done his meds in general so I guess my question is, how do you know how to cut it back and how he should behave after such surgery.
I'm trying to look at his symptoms, spoke to the vet and she seems to think he will be ok and just to finish the meds.
I just want to help him ease his pain and at the same time not over medicate him so he can start feeling like his is getting back to him happy self.
Maybe my expectations are too high and I need to adjust my thinking into reality and whats best for him.
Any advice is appreciated.
He is almost done his meds in general so I guess my question is, how do you know how to cut it back and how he should behave after such surgery.
Smart, I'm so glad you posted here so Dr. Pam can give you some feedback. Hang tight for that.
I'm not a vet so FWIW but that's a pretty low dose of Gabapentin for a Presa Canario. Looking forward to finding out what Dr. Pam thinks.
Meanwhile, try doing things to give him something to look forward to. Is there a favorite person who can come visit and cheer him up? Or a mellow dog who he likes spending time with but doesn't get too wild? Even a car ride might be something that can lift his spirits.
Definitely we try to get him encourage and that's what happens when he sees oone of us or his dog companion. We toom him for a car ride to the vet and it's like he came alive again.
I was going to take him in town to do people greetings that he loves so much but we had an ice storm so tomorrow it will be.
I just hope this surgery didn't negatively impact his upbeatness for the rest of his life (I will never stop trying) but as a parent you second guess your choices and of course only future will tell.
Also I asked the vet if the meds should continue once he runds out and she said he should be fine but finding the right balance so he is not in pain either and how much antibiotic is too much.
And just to add he is 5 months young and weighs 70 lbs.
My concern is having, what looks like, a drugged up dog and he completely opposite from his typical behaviour, which of course I understand.
I'm thinking is it 3 weeks, 5 weeks or months when I could possibly se these improvements.
I'll do everything to make sure he has a happy life and not a difficult one.
We know how it hurts you to see Printz not be himself....yet.
As Jerry said, and Dr Pam can chime in, it really is a low dose of Gaba and I've never known Rimadyl to zonked dogs out like you described. Certainly Dr Pam can chime in on that.
As far as an " expectation " of where Printz should be after ten days. Printz just had MAJOR SURGERY and is trying to adapt to three and probably still having pain. MAJOR SURGERY and he does6 feel like running a marathon right now, that for sure. Recovery is about slow and steady, not pushing him to do more than jist potty breaks at this point.. It's about celebrating things like eating, drinking and pooping and being able to take a couple of good hos. Those are all victories this early on,
As you know vecause you are so bonded with Printz, your energy, your emotions, are all absorbed by him. Being upbeat and confident is hugely important. Having him so something he ,loves or being by people he likes is a great idea. It's amazing how something like that can perk them up. And celebrate that, even if it's for only short spurts.
Timeframe for recovery is such an individual issue. Imknow for me it was at least three weeks, at least, before I felt like Imhad made the right decision for my Hapoy Hannah. O think the day she greeted me at the door with her stuffy in her mouth was a huge sign ever would be okay.
Hang in there a
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!
You are definitely right about taking time, pacing, acknowledging small achievements. He can dfinitely feel my vide so I try not to show him but of course Printz is smarter than me...lol.
I'm giving myself that realistic timreframe of 3 weeks to see what you described. He is doing better for sure than having ongoing issues like others dog stories I'm reading. Sometimes one doesn't knnow what they will encounter, until you're there.
I know I'm overthinking it and I should just take it 1 day at a time and believe he will get better. It's a long road ahead of him and my over-protective mommy thinking is not making it better.
Thank you for your feedback !
OK him being happy on the car ride is a VERY good sign that his sparkle is still there! That's terrific. Stay pawsitive, he's going to get there and you will stop second-guessing yourself before you know it.
His doses of meds are low but your vet may have some reason for this. Typically for his size I would give him 75 mg of Rimadyl twice daily or he could have 150 mg once daily. Rimadyl is an anti-inflammatory similar to Advil so should not make him feel high; main side effects are on the GI tract such as vomiting or diarrhea but some dogs can get elevated liver enzymes (this is pretty rare). His gabapentin dose is anywhere from 200 to 400 mg but often is given three times daily for amputations.
All dogs are different but I usually give Rimadyl or other NSAID for 14 days post-op and gabapentin for 14 days or longer. Some dogs are very sensitive to gabapentin so you may just need to decrease the dose to see how he does; maybe consider 100 mg three times daily. I would expect a puppy to bounce back quickly so maybe have your vet check the incision for infection/swelling/local pain.
Dr Pam
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