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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I just got caught up with Maizy's story! Labs hold a special place in my heart and I have no doubt she will soldier on through her recovery. Everyone has given you great advice so I don't have any more to add other than good luck and I look forward to reading more of your updates.
Amy & Libby
Liberty (Libby) was diagnosed with OSA on 1-22-13. Right front amputation on 1-31-13. No IV Chemo. Metronomic Therapy started 2-19-13 along with supplements and some home cooking. Lungs clear until 1-06-14. She's still her happy, hoppy, bossy self. Living the dog life to the fullest and a proud Winter Warrior. :) RIP my Libby 4-21-03 to 3-19-14
Hi Maizy's Mum and Maizy,
I have been away from Tripawds for a few weeks and have just caught up with your story. How great she sounds, what a lovely pooch.
Our 10 year old mini-schnauzer, Dotty, is approaching six months post-amputation. This is six months we didn't think we were going to get and every day is a bonus - we are getting good at thinking like a dog on this issue. We had an indeterminate osteo vs fibro sarcoma issue with our diagnosis, so we have chosen to throw the reports out the window and just take her for a walk or play with a stuffed duck in the backyard instead of trying to figure out "how long have we got?". Dot has adapted well after a bumpy start (infection, sadness, no appetite, etc), this is possibly related to her age, as someone mentioned above about older dogs tending towards complications.
I struggled to upload photos, but Photobucket seems to be a good start and definitely follow Jerry's instructions.
Well, you sound like you are doing really well and Maizy sounds wonderful, what a great soul.
Do stay in touch here, in my darkest, most fearful moments I always received good advice, kind words and the occasional pep talk just when it was most needed. This community helped me re-frame all the scary stuff and they totally appreciate how much these animals mean to us. I have found that my non-doggy friends just don't get it!
Take care and best wishes for Maizy's new life on three legs.
Victoria and Dotty
Finally getting to check back in... Why is it always that life hands you a bunch of issues all at once?
Maizy got her stitches out Saturday and her regular vet seems to think she is moving around well. I admit I thought it would take her longer, so I am happy to see it too. She does wear out easily though. The only real concern we have is her eating. Or should I say the lack of eating. Not sure how much her leg weighed but she has lost about 6-8 pounds. She started eating if we fed her a piece at a time over the last few days but late yesterday and today, she flatly refuses. I even resorted to tossing a handful of her food with a bit of peanut butter to see if that would tempt her, but not so much as a lick. Anyone have any thoughts? The only meds she is on now is Novox (anti-inflammatory) which she has taken before with no issues.
Otherwise, we are scheduled to start cold laser therapy in a couple of weeks. That, along with the Novox should hopefully keep her good rear hip in shape.
Glad to hear things are good overall. Is she being picky about home cooked and her regular kibble or just one of them?
Many dogs, once they get a taste of yummy human food, are a little resentful about going back to kibble! Who can blame them right? I hope it's just that.
This Tripawds Nutrition Blog post will give you some tips for finicky appetites, let us know if it works.
Do keep in mind that the "spare" leg weighs a couple of pounds so that can account for some weight loss too. But definitely keep your vet in the loop, since occasionally a lack of appetite after surgery and recovery can mean something like an infection (I hope not!).
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Maizy got her stitches out and moving around well? THAT calls for a great big YAAAAAAAAAY!!!
Now Miss Maizy, what's up with you not eating? Cheese? Cat food? Steak cup up in very small pieces? Does Maizy like car rides? I kow some dogs who didn't eat, would eat if they got a burger through a drive-through! True!
As Jerry said, do get her checked out thoroughy to make sure othing else is foing on. Temperarure, blood work, urnaysis, etc.
All the surgery, pain meds, etc. could have upset her stomach lining. Is she pooping and peeing normally?
Defititey part of the weight loss is leg. Eating issues to seem to be a challenge sometimes after surgery, but snce she's not taking any meds, not sure what's throwing things ot of whack.
Maybe the vet would put her on a short dose of Prednisne...amng other things it stimulates appetite pretty much across the board.
Let us know wht the vet says, okay? The fact that she's movng around well just two weeks out from amp and it's still so very early, is a real good sign that she's navng a good recovery!
Nlw we've ust got to get her tl eat! Check with the vet avout a Pepcid too before eatng...perhaps that could help...jist throwng that out there.
Lots lf big hugs t Maizy...and to you too!! 'Will look forward to an update as soon as you can.
Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
Well, things have taken a turn for the worse today. With her flat refusal to eat, I called the vet's office this morning. He is off today, so I texted him (he's been so nice through all of this, having given us his personal cell for us to contact him outside of office hours). He called back and said he'd call in some meds for her - that she may just have an upset stomach - and that we could try a canned ID dog food to get her eating again. But if she didn't start eating in a day or two, to bring her in for more tests.
There is one med for anti-nausea and two that are basically like Pepcid. My husband left work at lunch time, picked up the meds and food and went home. She refused to even sniff the food, but drank some water that she threw up right away. She at least took the meds with some cheese. He decided to stay home and keep an eye on her, hoping to get her to eat when the anti-nausea meds kicked in. But then she apparently went outside and had diarrhea with blood in it. He just left another message for the vet on his phone and took her to the office. Waiting to hear what they do... The vet was concerned it could be pancreatitis. She has had liver issues for a few years (elevated enzyme levels) that he's been watching closely because of all the meds she's been on this year. Apparently pancreatitis can come from that?
Sitting at work now, worried about what's going on at home. I really hate that animals can't tell us what's wrong!!! 
The vet's office has admitted her for tests and we're waiting to hear back when they get any results............
Hoping for something simple to treat... let us know as soon as you know.
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Okay Maizy girl, we've all got paws crossed over in tripawd la d.....tnat those three paws times thousands add u t a lot of good wishes!
Okay, I'm not a vet...HOWEVER...I jave has dogs with pancreatitis and itis treatable with IVs and a lot of other supplemental stuff. The sysmptons are like so many other things though, but diarrhea can be bloody and certainly nauseated and loss of appetite. AND I've had dogs with liver issues and that can display someof the same symptons. Certainly milk thistle and someprescribed meds helped that situation...can't remember the liver med's name.
But early n Maizy had a fever spike right after the surgery. Can't help but wonder if it's an infection that never really responded to that particular antibiotic.
Guess the bloodwork will give you some answers. Regardless, hopedullyhe can at least get her started on fluid IV to perk her up some and make her feel better.
Yeah, apparently pancreatitis can be induced by some cotersteroids and antibiotics.......my dog got it from eating some poor decayed somthing or other! Again, o vet here! Just sharing my experience!
She's in good hands and will be home soon and, ost importantly, feeling better!! I know you're n ins and needles right now, but just stay connected to us, okay? We're here and ot going anywhere.....and neither is Maizy...except home and continuing on with her good recovery!!
!
Hugs! BIG hugs!! HUGE hugs!
Sally and Hpy Hannah
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!
Hi Maizy's Mom,
Tuck and I have our paws crossed over here that everything turns out well!
Maizy is in good hands with the vet and will get all of the care and treatment that she needs.
Hugs
Linda and Tucker
Well, I don't know if it's good or bad news... The blood tests didn't show anything unusual. In fact, they were better than they had been Saturday when she got her stitches out. The vet tried feeding her there, with no luck. So they don't really know what's going on. They didn't really seem concerned about the blood in the stool - said it was some sort of bacteria (I wasn't there, my husband was telling me what they said).
She was sent home last night with yet more meds (in addition to the stomach meds) - an anti-diarrheal, and some supplements to put on her food, assuming she'll eat. They said to do the meds last night and this morning, with no food until 30 minutes after meds this morning. If she doesn't eat, then bring her in again. She's not really dehydrated YET, but they don't want it to get that far. They are trying so hard to give her every opportunity to be home and get better there. But first of all, the anti-diarrheal is a HUGE chewable pill and she has to take 3 of them... RIIIIIIGHT. We've essentially had to force everything down her. She even refused to swallow with one set - just sat there and stared at us while we rubbed her neck. So we had to add some water. I'm sure at this point she feels like we're torturing her.
This morning, same thing with the meds and zero food. So she has been dropped back off at the vet. He said they want to do a radiograph on her abdomen to see if they are missing something obvious, then will do intravenous hydration.
This is so frustrating! I was really hoping that, by the 2 week mark, she'd be well into her being back to "normal". What's worst for me, selfishly, is that I don't know whether to be totally freaked out, just worried or if it's really nothing. Once we feel things are good, they go bad, then once we think it's really bad, we find out maybe it's not. Been that way through this whole ordeal............ Sorry for venting, but I just don't know what else to do at this point.
You go right ahead and vent...that's what we are here for. Keeping Maizy in our thoughts today.
Kathi and Murphy
Murphy is a five year old Lab/Chessie cross. He was hit by a car on 10/29/12 and became a Tripawd on 11/24/12. On 2/5/13, he had a total hip replacement on his remaining back leg. He has absolutely no idea that he has only three legs!
UPDATE: Murphy lived his life to the fullest, right up until an aggressive bone lesion took him across the Rainbow Bridge on April 9, 2015 and he gained his membership in the April Angels. Run free, my love. You deserve it!
OKAY! Some things that could have been "bad" have been elimi ated! So tnat's good!!
She got to come home last night so that's good!
Now, the meds really haven't jad a chance ro work at all yet so, that's sorta good too!
They'r going to give her IV laced with some good stuff...be SURE and ask them to give her B-12 in there too! So that will pickk up her appetite
And you are doing realy, reall well holding it together!! Heck, you guys would be pulling me out of the rocky ocean y now cuz' I think Id be going down for the third time! Vent, cry, scream...we've all been there! And revisit quite often!
Yes, the first couple of weeks are just full of ups and downs...some expected, some not . It still fits in the "norm" of this "unique" journey though.
So, some other "good" is that...other than the not eating...she's doing very well, right? Her attitude's good? She's not in pan? She's got GREAT blood work! She's moving around better than expected for this early on.
Okay, of the choices you offered as far as freaking out...worrying..or nothing .......and it really seems that something has thrown her tummy completely out of whac and we just need to get that rectified...........let's add...staying in the moment, giving the meds a chance to work...AND..
B.R.E.A.T.H.E...........B.R.E.A.T.H.E..............B.R.E.A.T.H.E......,,......
Maizy should start feeling more like eating with the vet gettng the fluids inher and getting the meds in her. It seems they always give you meds that have to be taken with food! Let them try and shove 'em down her throat and take the pressure off you
Keep us posted, okay? You take care! You need to be n tip top shape to keep up with Maizy as she's feeling better!
Lots of hugs and love to all!
Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
It's SO good to know that there are people out there who are interested in listening to our ongoing journey. Complete strangers, at that. You all are such good people! Hopefully we can get through this and then we can return the favor to those just starting...
The latest from the vet: The radiographs seemed to indicate two things - a thickening of her small intestine and a full stomach. They have sent them off to be reviewed by a specialist and we should hear back in a couple of hours. In the meantime, she is on IV fluids, but they don't want to stimulate appetite until they know for sure it's okay.
When they mentioned the full stomach, it made me think back... That last weekend before her surgery, we were having to clean the tumor that had ruptured and rewrap it daily. There was one day that we had just done that, and she was alone in a room for about 2 minutes. When we came back, she had chewed the bandage off. I know I found some of it *digested* in the yard. Maybe some of it didn't make it through her system? Not sure if that's the case, or some other sort of blockage, if she'll need another surgery. I hope not..................
MAAAAAAIZY!! Eat chicken NOT guaze!! OMD!! i
Thanks for gettng back touse so quickly! A sigh of relief going on over here!! I mean, it not good that she ate bandages and we certainly hope she doesn't need surgery...but at least it's fixable!! If this is the case, Maizy certainly earns the "this is the first time we've heard of this" award!!
Okay, as soon as yo get more feedback, let us know.
and yes, I feel like this is my family here too! Whole lotta love crosses through these computers!
Yeah, it's crazy....calling this "potentially good news"! crazy, crazy journey!
Love and hugs!
Sally and Happ Hannah
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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