Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello, I am the daughter of Lisa Clark/rnlc68, you might see by the same dog in the profile picture, she is almost fifteen. My dog, Giselle/Jelly, had her front right leg amputated. She had a tumor since July, but just in the last few months her tumor had erupted into a grapefruit sized tumor. She started licking it, and all the skin fell off. We had a wrap around it for about two weeks. She was taken to the vet, because of how terrible her state was. When she was being driven home, it had begun to bleed terribly. My mother, who took her to the vet, decided to take her back. The vet said there were two options, amputation, or putting Giselle down. Considering Giselle was healthy otherwise, there was no need to put her down. She was immediately taken into emergency surgery. She came home on the twenty seventh, and has been doing fine. Today she walked almost eleven steps. My problem is that she is very stubborn, and when we try to get her to stand she just lays there. I would like some advice for stubborn dogs.
Hi there! We're glad you joined and asked a question that many other members have wondered at times.
Now, I'm not a vet so take this for what it's worth, but what we humans often see as "stubborn" behavior is in fact an animal's way of showing that they are in pain. Since they cannot tell us in our language, body language is how they communicate. When dogs give pain signals like refusing to move, they are very likely in some kind of pain. In Giselle's case, it's that she just had some pretty major surgery and at fifteen years old, needs time to adjust. Moving around is a lot of effort after amputation surgery for any dog, and for a senior dog it takes even more time and patience on the human's part.
A few questions:
- do you have her on any kind of pain medications right now? She could be groggy from the meds, or if she's not on any, she could be in so much pain that she doesn't want to move.
- has she seen a rehabilitation therapist? A rehab vet can make a huge difference in any dog's recovery, but especially so for a senior one. Our Tripawds Foundation will even pay for the first consult if you're interested in seeing one (we highly recommend it for everyone).
- When you ask her to stand, is she on a slippery floor? And are you using any super tasty treats as motivation?
- What is the reason you're getting her to stand? To go potty? Or just because? Right now she really shouldn't be doing anything more than going out to go potty, and even then she'll need a lot of assistance. Have you tried using a harness or sling to help her?
Let us know when you get a chance, we'll try to help. Meanwhile remember, this is major surgery and it's very likely she just needs time. Talk to your vet too, and let them know what's going on OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
For clarity Here is the Thread Started by Lisa on the same pup - Giselle.
A mother/daughter team, how cool!
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Thanks Karen !
And absolutely DITTO EVERYTHING Jerry said!! Not stubborn at all at least in this particular situation anyway)! She's recovering from very, very recent MAJOR SURGERY and trying to adapt to three legs AND she's a very...er..."mature" gal!!!
And yes, I'm sure she is "set in her ways" a d likes to stick to a routine (and she's certainly earned that right!), ut this recovery phase is a whole different ballgame.
Based on yiur pose and yiur Mom's post, she's making progress, slowly but surely, she's making progress! And any progress this early on ks HUGE!!
YAAAAAAAAAY FOR ELEVEN STEPS! Good job Jelly! And her humans are doing a good job too!!
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!
jerry said
Hi there! We're glad you joined and asked a question that many other members have wondered at times.Now, I'm not a vet so take this for what it's worth, but what we humans often see as "stubborn" behavior is in fact an animal's way of showing that they are in pain. Since they cannot tell us in our language, body language is how they communicate. When dogs give pain signals like refusing to move, they are very likely in some kind of pain. In Giselle's case, it's that she just had some pretty major surgery and at fifteen years old, needs time to adjust. Moving around is a lot of effort after amputation surgery for any dog, and for a senior dog it takes even more time and patience on the human's part.
A few questions:
- do you have her on any kind of pain medications right now? She could be groggy from the meds, or if she's not on any, she could be in so much pain that she doesn't want to move.
She is on Fentanyl patch, Tramodol, Maloxicam, gabapentin.
- has she seen a rehabilitation therapist? A rehab vet can make a huge difference in any dog's recovery, but especially so for a senior one. Our Tripawds Foundation will even pay for the first consult if you're interested in seeing one (we highly recommend it for everyone).
- When you ask her to stand, is she on a slippery floor? And are you using any super tasty treats as motivation?
We usually take her outside, and she stands, but actually today (extremely surprisingly) SHE WALKED ACROSS THE WHOLE HOUSE!!!!! But now she won't move again :P.
- What is the reason you're getting her to stand? To go potty? Or just because? Right now she really shouldn't be doing anything more than going out to go potty, and even then she'll need a lot of assistance. Have you tried using a harness or sling to help her?
She has not used the restroom since the surgery, and that is what we get her up for. We are afraid to use a harness incase is rubs against the wound and breaks the staples.
Let us know when you get a chance, we'll try to help. Meanwhile remember, this is major surgery and it's very likely she just needs time. Talk to your vet too, and let them know what's going on OK?
jerry said
Hi there! We're glad you joined and asked a question that many other members have wondered at times.Now, I'm not a vet so take this for what it's worth, but what we humans often see as "stubborn" behavior is in fact an animal's way of showing that they are in pain. Since they cannot tell us in our language, body language is how they communicate. When dogs give pain signals like refusing to move, they are very likely in some kind of pain. In Giselle's case, it's that she just had some pretty major surgery and at fifteen years old, needs time to adjust. Moving around is a lot of effort after amputation surgery for any dog, and for a senior dog it takes even more time and patience on the human's part.
A few questions:
- do you have her on any kind of pain medications right now? She could be groggy from the meds, or if she's not on any, she could be in so much pain that she doesn't want to move.
She is on Fentanyl patch, Tramodol, Maloxicam, gabapentin.
- has she seen a rehabilitation therapist? A rehab vet can make a huge difference in any dog's recovery, but especially so for a senior one. Our Tripawds Foundation will even pay for the first consult if you're interested in seeing one (we highly recommend it for everyone).
- When you ask her to stand, is she on a slippery floor? And are you using any super tasty treats as motivation?
We usually take her outside, and she stands, but actually today (extremely surprisingly) SHE WALKED ACROSS THE WHOLE HOUSE!!!!! But now she won't move again :P.
- What is the reason you're getting her to stand? To go potty? Or just because? Right now she really shouldn't be doing anything more than going out to go potty, and even then she'll need a lot of assistance. Have you tried using a harness or sling to help her?
She has not used the restroom since the surgery, and that is what we get her up for. We are afraid to use a harness incase is rubs against the wound and breaks the staples.
Let us know when you get a chance, we'll try to help. Meanwhile remember, this is major surgery and it's very likely she just needs time. Talk to your vet too, and let them know what's going on OK?
krun15 said
For clarity Here is the Thread Started by Lisa on the same pup - Giselle.A mother/daughter team, how cool!
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Thanks!
benny55 said
Thanks Karen !And absolutely DITTO EVERYTHING Jerry said!! Not stubborn at all at least in this particular situation anyway)! She's recovering from very, very recent MAJOR SURGERY and trying to adapt to three legs AND she's a very...er..."mature" gal!!!
And yes, I'm sure she is "set in her ways" a d likes to stick to a routine (and she's certainly earned that right!), ut this recovery phase is a whole different ballgame.
Based on yiur pose and yiur Mom's post, she's making progress, slowly but surely, she's making progress! And any progress this early on ks HUGE!!
YAAAAAAAAAY FOR ELEVEN STEPS! Good job Jelly! And her humans are doing a good job too!!
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Thank you very much, but she has taken many more steps today! She learned how to walk four days after surgery! What a trooper girl!!
You are still really early - short leashed potty breaks are really all that is needed right now. In fact, my Oris only went out twice, max 3 times, a day at this point. The rest of his time was spent sleeping. Once you get over day 5 or so (when hospital meds wear off), you will start to see improvement each day, even if small. And many dogs really perk up once the staples come out, about day 10.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Giselle has not pooped in four days now, and trust me we have tried. She has a vet appointment today, so she might give her a laxative. Thank you so much for the nice things, and the help!
Giselle is a beauty! She really is!!! What a champ!!!
Not pooping is indicative of pain meds and post op normalcy. 4-7 days is not unusual at all! Glad she is seeing the vets who should be able to help with that, check that all is well, and up her pain meds. Senior dogs, especially, require a different approach. She may be more reactive or need a combination of pain meds to make her more comfortable. It s extremely unusual not to have tramadol, a NSAID like Previcox, and Gabapentin on board at a minimum after surgery. and usually they need to be administered 3 times a day.
Right now Ms. Beauty of the World Giselle is still in the stages of post-surgery pain meds fog. She will attempt to do anything without realizing that this may not be in her best interests. The mantra is rest, recovery, rehab. And knowing how wonderful she is at this age with all she has endured, she will fly through all of those stages!!!
However, she needs boundaries to recover. I know it may seem strange but try not to take her out so often to see if she will poop. Try to limit her movements for the next week or so. Try to be patient with the healing process. It is hard when we all want to see our dog's sparkle back but absolutely necessary for complete rest so she can move on to recovery and then rehab. It should occur shortly: often after the first two weeks! Twenty steps is fantastic but not if she won't get up later, if that makes sense.
But everything is trial and error, every dog is different, and every recovery is different. It is clear that Giselle is a wonder dog and very special indeed. My heart just melts when I see her picture. Let us know what the vets say, when she poops, and how her pain meds are being adjusted! Hugs and PyrPaws all around!!!
She's likely constipated from the fentanyl patch. That's a very common side effect – together with the after effects of the anaesthetic etc. I really wouldn't worry about it. Meg certainly went that long and longer after several of her operations. I noticed that when she had a fentanyl patch she was more constipated than when she didn't. Great that you're seeing the vet today as that will be reassuring I'm sure. There's nothing quite like having someone actually see her to set your mind at rest.
It sounds to me as though you've got her meds pretty well covered. Just make sure you give them regularly for best pain prevention as the hospital meds leave her system. Ditto the others re plenty of rest. Jelly is a smart girl and she knows what she needs. Rest, rest and more rest. Short leashed potty breaks, and that's it. If she starts wanting to be more active, then maybe try stuffing a kong for her or some other sort of food puzzle just to keep her occupied.
As the others have said, this is early days. Jelly is doing fantastically well and so are you!
Meg, Clare and Elsie Pie xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, November 2023, adopted January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Elsie Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Giselle is doing great today! She went to the bathroom (hooray!!) and is doing just fine! She has a vet appointment and I will tell you how it goes. Thank you all for the helpful tips and reassurance. Hugs and kisses to you and your pets!
-Tara/04tcc
Giselle is a true Superstar! What an amazing girl. Just fantastic! And now we get a poop dance too!
So pleased. Do let us know how it goes at the vets.
Meg, Clare and Elsie Pie xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, November 2023, adopted January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Elsie Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Super duper news about Gelly! Let's all do the poopy dance!
Good luck at the vet appointment. Keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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