Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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A couple questions.
Background info: Our 9 year old, greyhound/pointer mix, Ike, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma 5 weeks ago, did surgery 4 weeks ago (rear leg). First round of chemo one week ago.
He still isn't his old self, but he's definitely better than the first 2 weeks. He has little interest in playing but he does still like his walks.
He is on gabapentin and rimadyl but still has occasional yelps/cries. His gabapentin prescription is almost out. How long have people had their dog on it and how horrible is it to stop abruptly? At first he just had a 2 week prescription and when it stopped he started yelping quite a bit, so we got another 2 week supply and it helped. But worried about him going off of it now.
The oddest behavior though is that he lays down on the hard floor (we have cement floors in our apartment) instead of a bed or a rug and he NEVER did this before. Anyone else witness something like this? He started doing this around 2 weeks ago, before chemo.
Hi Ike and family, welcome. Your future posts won't need approval so post away.
First, please don't stop the Gabapentin suddenly, it needs to be withdrawn gradually. Your vet can guide you on this. Meanwhile please review this information about Gabapentin so you know what to discuss with your vet.
It's not unusual for a Tripawd to remain on it for a while, sometimes indefinitely (but not often). If you can address the point of origin for Ike's pain, you can probably get him comfortable enough to eliminate it. Has your vet recommended rehab therapy for him? If not I would ask for a referral to a certified rehab therapist or pain management specialist. Oftentimes it takes one of these pros to diagnose the origin of pain and how to treat it. If you go to a rehab therapist, the Tripawds Foundation may even pay for your first rehab therapy visit!
The hard floor....well, I'm guessing that Ike's body language is telling you a couple of things. One, that he finds the slippery nature too risky to take a chance on. He may have discovered has has difficulty getting up off the floors and doesn't want to try it again. Have you put down traction on your floors? Click on the link for tips about keeping floors safe and comfy to help a Tripawd's confidence. And the hard surface could be very uncomfortable for him. I'm guessing he's probably pretty thin and a little bony like most Greys?
I hope this helps. Stay tuned for more feedback from others OK? I look forward to hearing back from you so we can get Ike comfy and confident.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
So- you are saying that he IS laying on the hard floors, right?
Combined with the periodic yelps I'm wondering if the cold floor feels good on his amp site or other parts of his body that might be sore. I've heard of lots of tripawds laying on cold surfaces, even in the snow, and we guess it feels good to them.
Does Ike have any orthopedic issues in his back, hip or knee? What is his activity level like? How long are his walks? It does sound like he is still sore at this point. Four weeks out is still early for a new Tripawd, they are using their bodies in a new way and they are easily tired and it's easy to tweak something. A visit with a rehab vet is a great idea, and there are lots of exercise ideas in the Gear Blog .
By the way- welcome! I'm sorry you are dealing with cancer and amputation but you have found the best place to be as you and Ike make this journey.
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
The hard floor....well, I'm guessing that Ike's body language is telling you a couple of things. One, that he finds the slippery nature too risky to take a chance on. He may have discovered has has difficulty getting up off the floors and doesn't want to try it again. Have you put down traction on your floors? Click on the link for tips about keeping floors safe and comfy to help a Tripawd's confidence. And the hard surface could be very uncomfortable for him. I'm guessing he's probably pretty thin and a little bony like most Greys?
He goes from sleeping on our bed to the hard floor. (we took our bed off our frame so that it's on the floor because he normally sleeps with us) He gets up frequently, sometimes moving from one spot on the hard floor to another. It doesn't look like he struggles with the surface of the floor for traction . Although we can certainly get some more rugs. I think it does have to do with his comfort, I think he finds it hard to get comfortable. But why he would move from the soft surfaces to the hard floor confuses me. And yes, he's thin and bony like a grey and was never a fan of hard floors in the past.
krun15 said
So- you are saying that he IS laying on the hard floors, right?Combined with the periodic yelps I'm wondering if the cold floor feels good on his amp site or other parts of his body that might be sore. I've heard of lots of tripawds laying on cold surfaces, even in the snow, and we guess it feels good to them.
Does Ike have any orthopedic issues in his back, hip or knee? What is his activity level like? How long are his walks? It does sound like he is still sore at this point. Four weeks out is still early for a new Tripawd, they are using their bodies in a new way and they are easily tired and it's easy to tweak something. A visit with a rehab vet is a great idea, and there are lots of exercise ideas in the Gear Blog .
YES to laying on the hard floor.
He was extremely active before hand. And he is still active. (that's the pointer part of the mix) I slowly increased his walk time over the last 4 weeks and our daily walk is 1/2 to 1 mile with several other short potty excursions throughout the day (apartment life) He was hopping around on his leg his first night at the vet.
He hasn't had any other orthopedic issues .
When he lies down on the floor, it's always with his stub facing up. But perhaps his good rear leg is sore and the cold floor feels good on it. It has been something I've wondered. Theres nothing wrong with him doing this except that it is just NOT what he did before. He wouldn't even sit on the hard floor before. If he was going to sit for a treat, he would back himself up until he was on the rug.
Ohhhhh! DUH, sorry I missed that (thanks for asking for clarification Karen). Yeah, your guess is probably correct, it feels good on his aches and pains. What's his bedding like? Is he on any joint support or medications?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
This is not uncommon (although it is a change n behavior). Likely the cool area helps him feel better? Is there a way to test this out by using a cold pack in a towel in his bed and seeing if he will, then, stay in his bed longer? Even if he has healed, there would still be subdermal injuries to the tissue that will take longer to heal. He sounds as if he is doing fantastically well! Congrats on that:) (Also, maybe check his temperature from time to time?)
He's on rimadyl and gabapentin twice daily. (just ordered refill for gabapentin so will continue that and then work on tapering) I weaned him off tramadol after the first 2 weeks. He had fentanyl patches to start off with but he did NOT do well with it. Very bad reaction. And sadly, his fur is still not growing back where it was.
His bed is one of those big round costco beds. And I just read that its not the best support for tripawds but he has other options. He is now getting up and off our couch so he has access to that and it is pretty firm. (It was where he spent a lot of his time before surgery) Also our bed is memory foam and we put that on the floor so he has easy access to it and spends a good deal of time on it.
This morning before heading off to work he got up off the couch and went to lay down on the rug and had another yelping/crying episode. 🙁 I got down with him, comforting him and gently massaging him and he settled down.
He is finally starting to eat better. He has always been a picky eater and very thin but healthy for the grey in him. He had noticably lost weight. Hoping now to put some of it back on him.
I just want him to be comfortable.
I would like to offer that my Shelby took up residence in my tiny bathroom. Not on the tile but on the bath mat for about a month after her amp. It was beyond bizarre to me but I suspect it was a safe den and the floor was cool. She didn't always lie on her amp side but did press up against the tub (she was a rear amp). I think the bath mat was probably soft in feel but not too cushiony and cool in general.
It was weird but she didn't seem in pain or uncomfortable. So perhaps that is the same w/you?
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
It sounds a little like phantom limb pain, I think it can happen this far out from surgery. If you can swing it I do think a visit with a rehab vet would do Ike some good. The Tripawds Foundation will even pay for your first visit! Walking alone will not get a Tripawd fit. They really need to work on core strength and a rehab vet could get you going in the right direction. I didn't know anything about this with my first Tripawd Maggie, she was a little pug who lost her left rear leg to mast cell cancer. I just let her do what she wanted and it took her about 6 months to work up to half the distance she could walk before her amp.
My current Tripawd is Elly, a small pug mix rear amp, I work with her everyday on core strength and balance exercises. Elly does not have any of her femur left, only her hip bone and she will not sit on hard surfaces. She lost her leg at 7 months old after being hit by a car, I got her at 10 months old. Elly looks like she could be a mini-Ike! You can check out Elly's blog for some of our activities and see if she could pass for a mini-Ike- Elly does have more white on her head and muzzle.
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Isa seemed to prefer the hard floor too after her amp. I'm guessing partly because of cool (brick floors, icy in winter, fabulous in July when she had her amp). and I did buy one of those cooling gel pads and that was very popular. But I also think she was wobbly/insecure walking on the cushy bed. It messed with her balance. As she got stronger, she went back to her bed. so maybe once Ike get further along in his recovery, he'll go back to the cushy side.
I'm so sorry you are going through this. But since you are this is truly the best place to be.
Hang in there and stick around!
Hugs!
Right rear leg amp 7/12/16 due to OSA. Metastatic lesion on her right front leg, January 2017. Joined the Winter Warriors January 19, 2017. Run free my sweet girl.
Hello and welcome. I would suggest on the Gabapentin that you definitely do not want to discontinue it at this time and instead actually talk to your vet about frequency. My boy was also a greyhound cross and as his was a nerve sheath tumor, we knew nerve pain would be an issue. As such he was on Gabapentin in advance of the surgery and for a full month after and again later when the cancer returned. It was always 3 x daily - you are simply getting better coverage for the nerve related pain that way. I would ask about perhaps a slightly lower dosage (or maybe not) every 8 hour for a few weeks to see if he seems more settled and then start weaning from there. Rimadyl is definitely just a twice a day pain med, but Gabapentin and Tramadol (an opiate - different modality) can both be given safely 3 x daily.
Sending best thoughts to you, Ike and his delightful spots.
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
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