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.
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First off, let me introduce my dog Remington. He is a two year old Doberman. He had been battling Osteomyelitis (bone infection) since June. We finally lost the battle and had to have his right hind leg amputated last Thusday. We have a very good relationship with our vet and they know I have experience with some veterinary care so we had planned on bringing him home the same day to my hospital area that I had set up at home. However, he bled out right as we were trying to get him that evening. They had to keep him overnight and as I was going to get him Friday morning, they called me and said he bled again and they were adding more staples. We finally picked him up (not bleeding, yay) Friday evening. Saturday was good, normal post-op behavior, but that night around 4, he managed to rub against a blanket and tear some staples out. I had to rush him to Banfield (against my better judgement) so they could rest apple him, as my vet is not open on Sunday. We got there and it took 4 attempts to get the most disgusting looking staples put in. They didn't even last 24 hours before they just fell out when we were going walking. Monday we were back at my vet for more staples. Some swelling had started and I made an appointment Wednesday afternoon for Thursday to have it checked out. Good thing I did because that morning, we woke up to what looked like a murder scene. Blood was everywhere on our bed. Rey bled through 3 comforters all the way to the mattress. Rushing to the vet was a hysterical me and my father. When we got there, we learned Remy has a blood clotting disorder. The re-stapled and re-glued and took lots of tests. He was very anemic but not needing a transfusion yet. Friday, I had a bad feeling and stayed home with him. We were back at the vet because he was slowly starting to bleed once again. They put a pressure bandage on after running more tests and giving an IV. This morning, we woke up to more blood, just not as much due to the bandage...only 1 comforter this time. I am so drained...has anyone had this happen? What more can we do to get this bleeding to stop? Labor day weekend and my vet is closed! I can't discribe how much ice we have used and bandages and towels. Remy is such a trooper through all this...I just want it to be healed!
My auto type messed a few words up and I was too into typing to catch all of them. 'rest apple' is suppose to be re-stapled. And Rey is Remy.
Oh dobiegirl, I'm so sorry to hear this is happening, especially on a long weekend! Hope you don't mind but I moved your post to this "Ask a Vet" topic with the hopes that one of our vets will see it and hopefully be able to give you some ideas. You must be so tired!
What is the name of the disorder? I wish I knew more about bleeding disorders. The only thing I know about them is that greyhounds are really prone to excessive bruising and bleeding after amputation surgery.
Did your vet give you a # you can call to reach him/her? Are you near a teaching hospital with a 24 hour clinic? When dealing with something this rare (it sounds like it is to me, I can't recall any Tripawds with this condition), it may be in your best interest to get help at a university.
The best suggestion I can offer you is to run to a store and get a plastic mattress cover, but do watch him carefully. If the fluid is more bloody than watery, it's time to get over to the clinic asap.
I wish I could help more! Thank you for joining us. Please keep us posted and remember we're here to help. I will be around later this evening after work and checking into the chat, feel free to stop by after 8pm Mountain time when I'm there, but you can always pop in earlier and hang out to see who else shows up. Good luck.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I just lost my Doberman a few months ago to Osteosarcoma. We now have another Dobe that is 1 1/2 years old. I've learned a lot about Dobes over the years and it sounds to me like Remy may have Von Willebrands Disease.(vZW) I guess its very common in Dobes. I don't think there is much you can do? If they have this disease their blood doesn't clot right. I'm sorry, but that is as much as I know about it. I would definitely try to reach your vet. We will be thinking of you...
Erica, Jeff, and Koa
Levi was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma 7-7-11
Ampuversary 10-14-11
Lung Mets Discovered 1-4-12. Chemo seemed to not be working so we switched to Artemisinin and other supplements. In May, Levi developed a sinus infection and started having seizures. The cancer had moved to his brain. We let him go 6-26-12.
Oh my goodness, how awful for you and your sweet pup. I'm afraid I've never heard of this before, so don't have any helpful advice, but just wanted to let you know I am sending pawsitive thoughts out to you and your pup. I hope the vet can figure out something to help.
Hang in there! We're pulling for you!
Jackie, Angel Abby's 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!
Hey everyone! Thank-you all for your support! I really needed that when I got online this morning. We were at the emergency vet all day yesterday and are going back again today. He does have Von Willebrands disease, which my vet suspected on last Thursday but was confirmed by the emergency vet. He got a transfusion of plasma to hopefully start some clotting but we had a gusher earlier around 4. Have you ever noticed the bad things always happen when its dark? We set the timer to flush his cath and while I was doing that, my husband was pressing ice to try and stop the bleeding. I feel so guilty about putting him through all this...it seems like we did the surgery to save his life from the infection only to kill him because we can't stop the bleeding. This disease is so sneaky and I wish there was some medicine or something out there to help it...its so hard to go to sleep, worrying if he's going to be alive when we wake up or has he bled to death. I have learned that dogs that have this disease can undergo surgery provided that they have a blood transfusion prior to the op. Remy's case was so bizare because he had done fine with his neuter and tail dock. The vet said for his case, he is not allowed anymore surgeries...hopefully no more will be needed. I will keep everyone posted on what happens today. I keep wishing for the happy ending but it just seems so far away.
Healing prayers coming your way. Are they able to give DDVAP to dogs? We have been giving it to people for years, but not sure about animals. Good luck!!!
Poor Remy! Please don't beat yourself up about this, you did the best you could with the information you had. When a decision is made with love, it's always the right one, so hang in there, things will get better now that you know what you're dealing with.
I'm sorry this is happening to you guys. Amputation recovery is tough enough, but to cope with this too, well that's super ruff.
Good luck today, we are thinking of you and wishing you the best for a healthy end to this challenge.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
There is no way you could have known Remy had this disorder, so there would be no reason for you to think taking the leg would be anything other than straightforward. Vets are trained in this stuff and nobody at the vet's office said "hey, maybe we need to find out if he has this disorder." See? It is terribly unfortunate that it worked out this way, but at least you found out what was happening. Remy had the best demonstration possible because he started bleeding while still at the vet's office. Not in the middle of the night while you slept quietly.
Ask your vet the question Sweetpea's mom mentioned. Maybe there is something they can do. And for now rest easy knowing you are on top of it. You know your enemy. Knowledge is power. We'll be thinking about you all so please update when you can.
Shari
From abandoned puppy to Tripawd Warrior Dude, Dakota became one of the 2011 February Furballs due to STS. Our incredibly sweet friend lived with grace and dignity till he impulsively raced over the Bridge on 12-15-12.
Dakota's thoughtful and erudite blog is at http://shari.tr.....pawds.com/
Dobies are the most likely breed to develop VWD so many vets will offer a blood test to identify dogs that are carriers versus clinical bleeders prior to surgery. A bleeding time test can also be done prior to surgery (especially an amputation) in an emergency situation. Did your dog get neutered? Ever bleed a lot from a toenail? Often clinically affected dogs have had prior bleeding episodes.
There is a treatment that can be given prior to surgery or some vets will give a transfusion first.
Pam
Hey everyone! We are on our way home from the emergency vet (Dogwood-which is absolutely an awesome place) and we got some pretty happy news. The plasma has increased his protein levels and kept his blood count from dropping. He seems perkier and more himself...some seroma now but the doctor assurred me that it was nothing to worry about. We have to keep a pressure bandage on him all the time now with ice on the bleeding areas and heat on the seroma . I asked him about the clotting meds sweetpea, and he found a chinese herbal supplement called Yunnan Baiyao and its suppose to help clot the blood. They normally use it for patients who have tumors that bleed out and the doctor thought this might help in addition to the plasma. Thank-you for the suggestion! We have a long road ahead but I can see a bit of light at the end. A few more plasma transfusions and hopefully we can clot enough to form a scab! If we can get this thing closed, we would be in good shape. This community of support is amazing and I want to thank everyone again for giving me that boost of encouragement! Remy and I are sending hugs to ya'll!
Good to hear the encouraging update. I somehow missed your first post.
Welcome to Tripawds and I home Remy continues to improve.
Karen and the pugapalooza
Oh boy. I'm just catching up on your very frightetning ordeal. I cannot begin to imagine how scary it must have been to see your dog losing so much blood. I hope it is under control now. You have been very brave. I will be hoping and praying that Remy can now get on with the job of healing.
Lots of hugs
Karen and Spirit Magnum
Magnum: 30th May 2002 to 5th May 2012. Lost her back left leg to osteosarcoma on 5th Sep 2011. Lung mets found on 20th Mar 2012 but it was bone mets in the hip that ended her brave battle. Magnum's motto - "Dream as if you'll live for ever, live as if you'll die today" (James Dean). Loyal, loving, courageous and spirited to the end. My beloved heart dog, see her memoirs from Rainbow Bridge ...... http://princess.....pawds.com/
I treat every Dobie going into surgery as if it had VWD unless proven otherwise. Very often Dobies will go through their "puppyhood" surgeries, such as ear cropping, tail docking, castration, with no problems whatsoever, but will have more post-op bleeding problems once they have matured. Why this is, I don't know.
Plasma and DDAVP given pre-op and during the surgery (which increases their platelets and circulating von Willebrand factor) can be very effective in controlling intra- and post-op bleeding. If VWD is not detected pre-op and there are problems with post-op bleeding, often times multiple plasma transfusions are necessary, and sometimes a red blood cell or whole blood transfusions may be necessary as well.
I wouldn't say that a dog with VWD disease can never have surgery again, but they definitely would need pre- and intra-op plasma and DDAVP. I have actually done quite a number of surgeries on Dobie's with VWD.
But the best part is that it sounds like Remington IS doing better and youth is on his side!!! The plasma transfusions usually work great. Is he home now or still at the vet? I also have a large breed 2 yr old dog that had his right hind leg amputated 8 weeks ago and he is doing great!
Please keep us updated with his progress!
Right hind limb amputated 7/3/12 for OSA, started on alternating cycles of Carboplatin and Doxorubicin and oral Palladia. Single lung met 9/1. Met in the neck muscle removed 9/30. Large mass in sublumbar lymph node 10/2. Rescue chemo with ifosfamide 10/6. Mets to the rib and axillary lymph node 10/21. Started Leukeran and Pred 10/25. Wookie left this Earth for a far better place on 12/4/12. I miss you, Boo, you were my heart.
I've been checking in on the site to see how you are doing! I'm glad to hear everything is "OK". This is great information. I have never had Koa checked for vWD but I'm wondering if I should now just in case we are ever in an emergency situation. We will continue thinking of you! Keep us updated. Here is a video of Levi at 5 weeks to give you something to look forward to! 
Levi was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma 7-7-11
Ampuversary 10-14-11
Lung Mets Discovered 1-4-12. Chemo seemed to not be working so we switched to Artemisinin and other supplements. In May, Levi developed a sinus infection and started having seizures. The cancer had moved to his brain. We let him go 6-26-12.
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