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.
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Laying around is encouraged right now, it's actually really good for her to sleep and rest. Although the Tramadol could be causing the anxiety, so it's wise to ask your vet about tapering the dose. She's getting a pretty good pain medication regimen overall so that's terrific.
She's eating things you cook but not her regular food? Well that's great! Honestly I think it's our dogs way of telling us that they prefer the real human food over the kibble! Pain medication affects taste buds so the lack of appetite isn't a surprise, it happens to most animals (people too!). Try blending the things you know she likes with her regular food and see how that works. As long as she's drinking water she's probably fine.
Hang in there and remember there will be lots of time for fun stuff once she's healed up.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks everyone for the feedback! She hasn't wanted to drink too much water so the vet recommended making some tea and adding some sugar and honey to it and she drank it all 🙂 She's been trying to stand a little more on her own today but she just went to stand to reposition herself and yelped out in pain. I was standing next to her and she didn't even touch the side that was amputated so I'm not sure what caused her to yelp but it definitely breaks my heart thinking she's still in pain. The vet recommended decreasing the frequency of the tramadol not the dose but we found decreasing the dose decreased her anxiety. I'm sure it's normal for them to yelp from time to time, right? It didn't seem like it was any sort of phantom limb pain either.
I know how hard it can be to hear that yelp. Amputation is one major surgery so some pain, in my eyes, is to be expected. However, phantom pain is something that we had for quite a while and not something that I want to go through again. My dog would mostly be lying calmly somewhere and all of a sudden yelp or even scream and jump up. That was phantom pain for us but apparently Gabapentin gets that under control pretty nicely. What you describe sounds a little different but then I am no vet and every dog is a little different. Try and watch out for signs of pain in general and try and make note of these kinds of situations and talk to your vet about them. Sometimes it's just the meds dosage that needs to be adjusted.
All the best
tina & Manni
Guardian of Manni the Wonderdog. -Or was it the other way around?
Osteo and amputation in Dec 2015. Second, inoperable, primary osteosarcoma found in June 2017.
The end of our adventures came Dec 10, 2017. 2 years to the day.
Yeah, good description Tina. Phantom pain comes out of the blue, often accompanied by loid yelps and the dog trying to quickly get up and move away from the pain.
Bailey could jave experienced a stitch/staple pinch, maybe even a leg cramp. Whatever jt was sounds like, even though you hated to here her yelp, she worked through it.
Hang in there!!! Each day is closer to a full recovery and a move further away from the surgery!
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!
During this stage of the recovery that kind of an occasional yelp is common. If it keeps happening then let your vet know.
You are doing a great job monitoring her recovery and keeping a cool head!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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