Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Well, good that they didn't find anything bad per se.
Did they offer any suggestions? Any steroid or anti inflammatory ?
"Some" progress is good progress! Keep doing whatever it is you're doing that maybe is helping him. Sloooowly but surely, right?
Extra 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!
Hello hello! They said that he could go on steroids but he'd have to go off the Metacam for 5 days before we could start the steroids - and I hate to think of him not having that medication for that long - at least now. And I know that I have taken steroids (for poison ivy) and omg they made me miserable and I would hate to give that to him.
I drove him to our place this weekend and he hung out in our front yard and I hope this helped his spirits. Sadly, some idiot let off a cherry bomb this afternoon and that totally freaked him out. So unfortunate. That last thing we need right now...
Sending hugs back to you!!!! Thanks for the continued support!!!
Do you think maybe some of it is that he is homesick? Is Bella with him?
My Beautiful Beloved Brownie was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on February 26, 2019. With all odds against him he lived an additional one year and eight days with amputation, love, and prayer. I was honored to be his mom, and I have never been so proud! He will live forever in my Heart!
04/01/2007 - 03/05/2020
"March Saint"
Drats I hoped you would get some clear answers. So what is their plan for treating his pain?
I'm so sorry things are rough right now, but since they didn't find anything obviously bad, then that's good! And hopefully this is a matter of treating his situation with some more aggressive pain management . Did they mention any kind of follow-up care besides steroids? If not, I recommend getting in touch with a pain specialist. As Akeela's story shows, a pain practitioner can make all the difference. If they didn't give you any referrals let me know, I'm happy to try to find one near you.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
He may well be homesick - I mean, we haven't been home for two weeks now and believe me, as much as I love my friend and appreciate her generosity for opening her home to us, I do miss being in my own home. Thankfully, Bella is with us. And she stays pretty close to him, which is super endearing.
This past Sunday I drove him home so that he could hang out in our front yard while I worked in the garden. I think he enjoyed being home. That afternoon I also took him and Bella on a short drive with all the windows down. His affect is better and he seems a little more himself. Tomorrow is our 2-week post-surgery visit. I look forward to hearing what they have to say. His incision is healing beautifully, so at least that.
Hi Jerry,
As far as pain goes, he's continuing on metacam and gabapentin. I worry about the former - his poop was maybe a bit looser than one would hope today and the stuff isn't healthy for his gut in general, so he can't be on it forever. It's a catch 22. Pain or gut issues 🙁
Yes, they did mention steroids. The catch there is that he's gonna have to be off the metacam for 5 days before he can go on the steroids and as of last Thursday, going off the former just didn't seem like the right thing to do. But thankfully he is somewhat better now, and given how he's starting to react to the metacam and may come off anyway, it may be time to transition to the steroids.
Regarding steroids, I have a BIG question. I went on prednisone once for an extremely bad case of poison ivy once and it made me super crazy - I had to stop the course early because they made me so, well, tense/angry/not myself. I would hate to give that to poor Dexter if it'll affect his mood as badly as it affected mine. Does anyone have any understanding of whether or not steroids make dogs unhappy/cranky?
All that said, I am not so much convinced what he's dealing with is pain - but perhaps more a loss of function. I wish I could just ask him. He is still knuckling, too, on the left hind. It's good we are headed to the vet tomorrow. I also want to talk with them about acupuncture and laser treatments.
As always, I will keep you posted. Thanks so much for the continuing help and concern! 🙂
Laura, Dexter, and Bella
Does anyone have any understanding of whether or not steroids make dogs unhappy/cranky?
Like anything, it really depends on the dog and the dosage. Some dogs may handle it really well, some not at all. If the dosage is low enough to have an effect he might not have any side effects. Unfortunately the only way to find out is to give it a try.
I understand your concerns about stopping the NSAID to start the Pred. Talk to your vet tomorrow about ways you can alleviate his pain with treatments during that time, like with acupuncture and cold laser, even a high quality CBD like those from ElleVet.
As for the NSAID, a lab report should let you know if it's harming his liver & GI. We get them about every 6 months for Wyatt Ray , he's been on Metacam for several years, thankfully without problems. An NSAID is one of the best long-term medications for a dog with osteoarthritis, as long as regular labs are done to ensure it's not harmful to the gut.
The loss of function has a root cause somewhere, whether it's pain or something else. The Pred may help him feel good enough to overcome that loss of function, but it won't address the root cause and over time, could be as rough on his body as an NSAID that doesn't agree with his gut. I know you're probably sick of vets and vet bills, but meeting with a pain specialist (ideally one who is also a rehab therapist) is worth a shot just to find out what you can investigate before resorting to the Pred. Just a thought.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Did you ask about any latent side effect from the epidural? We t back to refresh my memory. Dexter was mobile for the first several days, right? Just seems like with the hunched back, etc, "somethng" got "tweaked" somehow.
Funny, the only time I ever had Prednisone was for poison oak too! Can't remember any reaction, bit it was a long time ago.
As Jerry said, Prednisone can have some side effects and, even if it helps, there's still an underlying cause. But as my Vet said one time, it can be a "bad drug", but there are times it can be a miracle drug too. I've had some dogs off and on it for reason or another over the years. I think the only thi g I no in some was drinking more. Can't rem exactly.
If they found "slighty bulging disc", that could certainly cause leg issues, hunched back, etc....seems to me anyway.
Oh, one more thought. It seems that the wash out period between a nsa8 and a steroid thought to be a little less than five days now. Double check with your Vet on that though.
Higs
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!
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