Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi,
Champ just celebrated his 4 month ampuversary but started last night (as far as we can tell) walking "normal" for a little then his remaining rear leg seems to give out and he sits. I've made sure he maintained a decent weight. He is on metronomic chemo (which includes pyroxicam - nsaid) and k9 immunity plus.
Of course this is the week both my regular vet and oncologist are out of town AT THE SAME TIME. So, we went to the on-call vet. Of course he could palpate his leg and back. He said there was nothing seemingly wrong with his leg but his hip seemed a bit uncomfortable. He also said that when he pressed about mid-way in the spine Champ hollowed out and sat down.
He didn't do an xray but suggested I follow up next week with the oncologist. He gave me some tramadol (which Champ has tolerated well in the past) to hopefully take the edge off. With the pyroxicam though he could not give me previcox. He also said I should limit Champ's movements so we got the dreaded play yard out again.
Does anyone have any similar experiences? Could it be a slipped disk? I know there is also the chance it's cancer again. If so, will an xray be able to determine it or do I need to consider a CT Scan. I asked and it's about $1100.... not looking forward to this possibility.
Any feedback or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. This is our first setback and it's very draining emotionally to me. He was doing so well.
Thanks,
Joy & Champ
Dear Joy and Champ,
Try not to worry (easier said than done). There are so many things that it could be. I know because of the 'c' word we tend to foresee the worse outcome. I hope the tramadol is working well for Champ. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Debra
Debra & Emily, a five year old doberman mix, who was diagnosed with an osteosaecoma. She had a right rear leg amputation on May 19, 2009. On November 10, 2009 she earned her wings and regained her fourth leg.
have you considered acupuncture for champ?? we are very pleased with the sessions gayle has had. i have the names of some acupuncturists that might be near you if you're interested. give me a PM if so. good luck.
charon & gayle
Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included). She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.
Love Never Ends
Hi,
Debra -- Thanks for the reply. I'm glad to hear it could be many things. I love my baby so much.
Charon -- I actually had an appointment this week (and had to cancel because of work) with a holistic vet that does acupuncture and chiropractic care. I hope we figure out next week what is going on. He has an appointment with the holistic vet on 3/6 I think.
I am just so worried that it's something major. We've been through so many ups and downs this past year, as I'm sure all of you here can understand. I don't know if I can take another problem. This is so unfair to him.
Joy
Hi Joy -
I'll second what Charon said. Before I even saw her post, that is the first thing that came to my mind. Just like us, they can tweak muscles and suffer from back issues, especially considering how an amputation sort of forces them to reconfigure everything.
I hope he's feeling better with the Tramadol in the mean time. Good luck!
Lincoln's Mom
Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall – Confucius
http://credocan.....pawds.com/
Joy, we understand completely, it's so hard not to think the worst. I know next week seems like a long way off, it could make anyone nuts. And you're right, it's not fair at all.
Try to hang in there. It could be a lot of things, from a disc problem to cancer mets. But based on what we've seen here, there's more of a chance that it's something other than cancer (and yes, you would probably need the more expensive CT scan for a definite diagnosis). There are other steps you can take first to see if the pain goes away, which, oftentimes, it does. Lots of Tripawds have had setbacks here and overcome them.
Please don't make yourself sick with worry, you need to be strong right now. If there's any way you could get Champ to an acupuncturist in the meantime, it could make a huge difference in how he feels.
We're all here for you. Hang in there OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Update --
Well, he was on Tramadol for a week, was in a pen for a week to limit his activity, and is walking really well now. He went to his regular vet yesterday for a check-up and "looks great" but has a slipped disc. So, the good news... it's not the cancer. The bad news, we have back problems. He is off Tramadol but needs to stay on rest for another week.
We are due for a check-up with the oncologist in 3 weeks and will have another chest xray, maybe another ultrasound, and a decision to continue on metronic chemo for another 6 months if all is well.
We never got to that holistic vet but hopefully we will make it there in a few weeks. She offers acupuncture and chiropractic care so I'm hoping this will help him with his back issues.
Thanks for the comments. It's so easy to go to the extreme.
Joy & Champ
It is very easy to go to the extreme, keep up the good work Champ! get lots of rest!
Coopsdad/ Kenneth Blackburn
http://cooper.t.....ipawds.com
the monkeydogs only THINK they have invaded the tripawd state
Hang in there Champ! Thanks for the update, please keep us posted on how it goes with the holistic vet.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Sorry the late posting...I DID Post but it did show up! Grrrrrr!
I just wanted to say how happy I am to hear it's not cancer!!!
When Comet had her neck disc problem, I found putting her on Rimadyl, Tramadol when needed and a muscle relaxer at bedtime. My vet gave me methocarbonal (sp?). It doesn't have any side effects and doesn't even make them drowsy so even one in the daytime is okay.
I also put a heating pad on Comet. I wet a dish towel and put it in the microwave to warm it up and put it on first. To keep the heating pad in place, I put a bunch of large bath towels over it to weigh it down while on her neck and back. If I put a fan on her she'd lay there for an hour. She seemed to feel perky afterwards.
And speaking as a person who has a herniated neck disc, it helps! And a muscle relaxer with anti-inflammatories helps a lot, too!
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
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