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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
I love how you are all together recovering and sharing stories. In case you are interested, I opened this for you 
Hugs,
Jackie
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
What a sweet idea Jackie!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I‘m in Jackie, thanks! This will be easier for all of us!
Gus is doing better today - had a long slow ramble around the yard, just exploring and enjoying being outside. He‘s back in bed, resting. He licked his IV spot raw so I covered it with antibiotic ointment, a sterile pad, and then vet wrap to keep him from messing with it. Hopefully that gives it a chance to heal. Since I‘m with him nonstop, I‘m not putting him in the cone, he‘s not handling it well. keeping his incision covered with a towel which keeps him from messing with it, at least.
Hope everybody else is having a good day. Any suggestions on non - plastic cone options, or creative coverings for rear incisions? I have to go back to work in the office next week and Gus is going to have to wear something...
flemingo said
Any suggestions on non - plastic cone options, or creative coverings for rear incisions?...
You will find many cone of shame alternatives in the Tripawds Gear blog .
Try putting some old boxer shorts on Gus, with the tail through the flap.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Im game! Great idea 
flemingo said
Hope everybody else is having a good day. Any suggestions on non - plastic cone options, or creative coverings for rear incisions? I have to go back to work in the office next week and Gus is going to have to wear something...
I've been switching between the dreaded hard cone, and one of the soft inflatable rings. Chy likes the inflatable e-collar, especially since it doesn't obstruct her view, but I noticed it's really tough for her to sleep in. It keeps her head off the floor and awkwardly bends her neck. Not a ton of help, but that's been my experience with it.
Hospital meds have definitely started to wear off, if they haven't already. It was a little bit of a restless night and morning for Chy as she couldn't get comfortable. I gave her a dose of Tramadol, and gave her a massage which seemed to relax her enough to get some shut eye.
Still making great strides in getting her sea legs, and gaining strength in her back leg.
Hope Gus, Otis, and others are having a restful weekend!
Kayla,
Hope Chy adjusts to her meds well. Gus is doing great on Tramadol and Rimadyl - at the same dose he was on pre-surgery, ironically. Here‘s todays‘ video - Day 6 - he was moving really well today, I had to run him down in the yard earlier, and he had a fun wander through the yard.
Sarah
Oh how sweet! I love the shorts, so adorable! Every time he wags his tail and the shorts flop around he looks back like what the heck is that??! He looks great 
Hugs,
Jackie and Huck
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Awww Gus! Lookin' good and adoravle sweet boy!! 🙂
You really know how to style your puppy pants!!!
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS. Chy, Gus and Oits! Remember you are always more than welcome to continue a seaparte topic, along with this, for your own individual journeys. That way, IF you have specific questions or concerns, we can isolate our focus and help you better with your own particular "issue".
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!
Gus started struggling last night - uncomfortable, twitchy skin around his amp... breathing heavy. I talked to the vet today and she put him on the gab stuff that most of the rest of you have talked about - we‘ll see if that helps. She doesn‘t think he‘ll need that and the Tramadol? What was everyone else‘s experience? Also, she put him back on Rimadyl - that she thought he‘d only need for 5 days. Hope all that helps... it was a rough day and he hasn‘t been drinking much... coaxed a bunch of fluids down him this evening with his supper, though, and I‘ll offer him some more broth and water blend later... he seems to like that.
Hoping for a better day tomorrow...
My Huckleberry is a kitty but the gaba helped tremendously. I have seen a lot in here on all three, but the rimadyl and gaba may be just what he needs. If not, call your vet again. Many of us have had to advocate for our furbabies to get proper pain management . If you want to bring this to your specific forum please do. I thought this would be great for fun chat back and forth as they progress but if you're having a problem it might be better in your forum. Don't be surprised if the first dose or two knock him out a bit, that's ok and they get past that.
Hugs,
Jackie
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Oh, keep offering the fluids especially. Some people boil up some boneless skinless chicken and feed the broth unseasoned. That might help his taste buds realize he's hungry and thirsty.
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Aww Gus I'm sorry you were feeling bad but I hope the new medication routine helps.
Don't worry Sarah, the vast majority of new amputees need some kind of pain med adjustment during recovery. It's not a one-size-fits-all approach. Your vet sounds like they are being diligent about moving meds around a bit to see what does and doesn't work, which is great. Gabapentin may just be the ticket he needs. Be sure to read this article so you're informed about it OK?
All About Gabapentin for Tripawd Dogs and Cats
That's a really good sign he's taking in more fluids. Keep doing what you're doing, it's working!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Oh Sarah, it can be difficult watching our fur babies in that kind of distress. I'm sorry to hear that Gus hasn't been feeling well 
Chy has been having full muscle contractions in her amp; definitely uncomfortable for her as she gets restless and starts panting. It's been difficult to tell if the panting has been from the drugs, or if it's from pain. It just so happens that this starts around the same time each night after I give her Tramadol. I've been gently massaging her when these episodes come about, and that seems to help her get comfortable and subsides the twitching.
It's great that your vet has been helpful in getting the right med concoction that will make Gus as comfortable as possible. I haven't used gabapentin, but it seems to be a huge help for the folks that have. Hopefully that will bring him some relief.
Sending good vibes Gus' way for a quick bounce back after this rough patch!
flemingo said
Gus started struggling last night - uncomfortable, twitchy skin around his amp... breathing heavy. I talked to the vet today and she put him on the gab stuff that most of the rest of you have talked about - we‘ll see if that helps. She doesn‘t think he‘ll need that and the Tramadol? What was everyone else‘s experience? Also, she put him back on Rimadyl - that she thought he‘d only need for 5 days. Hope all that helps... it was a rough day and he hasn‘t been drinking much... coaxed a bunch of fluids down him this evening with his supper, though, and I‘ll offer him some more broth and water blend later... he seems to like that.Hoping for a better day tomorrow...
Sarah! This was our EXACT experience and on the same day post amputation. Our surgeon (not our GP vet) also suggested that we wouldn't need the rimadyl after day 5, but right after Otis went off it, same thing happened for Otis (twitching, his first yelp since surgery, rough night, etc). The minute we added the anti inflammatory back in (we switched over to meloxicam at this point, for no other reason other than that's what our surgeon called in to the pharmacy and it is WAY cheaper for a dog Otis' size) Otis was back on recovery track. HANG IN THERE. I uploaded a new picture for you to see how much better the incision can look at 3 1/2 weeks: https://www.fli.....N07/H58755
Otis seemed to tolerate all three drugs fine-- but the tramadol did make him a little weird and sometimes made him pant (I think). He's only on Gabapentin and meloxicam now, and I've heard a couple of small chirps -- not quite yelps-- since I've transitioned him down to 1 gabapentin a day, but like everyone says, tweaking the meds is required because each dog is so different. I am glad he's off tramadol, but will keep him on gaba & meloxicam at this dose for another few days at least to keep the chirp yelps to a minimum!
BIG HUGS to YOU and GUS and to CHY and KAYLA also!
Camille & Otis
It probably hasn't been long enough for Gus to have the meds kick in yet. Just wondering if youre still seeing the same thing happening. I think I recall the Gaba takes a couple of doses before it kicks in.
My Happy Hannah was on in pain meds for three wekks, with some tapering down at the end of three weeks.
Often the "two week point" and the "stitch removal point" are seen as the timeframe dogs should get rid of meds and have all their sparkle back instantly!! Not always the case at all! 
Sure, sometimes those "milestones" seem to be a turning point, but. not always. It's hard not to compare, but try not to.
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!
1 Guest(s)
