Hi Everyone

Thanks for some great advice! We got some Gabapentin prescribed for Beau and our local vet also gave us some slow release Tramadol (which I didn't even know existed). I'm not sure if it was the Gabapentin, the new Tramadol or if it was just time but he has most definitely turned a corner this week .  His personality is starting to shine through again, he's not completely back, but it's definitely heart warming to see a few of his little quirks we love so much, thats for sure. It definitely gave us a well needed emotional boost to see him happier. 

He has now 'found' his wound. We had been leaving the e-collar off during the day because he didn't seem at all interested in his wound. But yesterday, we caught him licking some of his staples and he made a little section raw. Now he's having to wear the cone of shame all day which he is not impressed about! I've ordered him one of the inflatable collars, which i'm hoping will be more comfortable and stop him head-butting pretty much everything. He likes to get into tight corners to nap so the cone is his number 1 enemy right now. Anyone used one of the inflatable collars? They have mixed reviews online about whether they stop licking in certain areas, but I thought I'd give it a go. The vet said he normally waits for between 2-3 weeks after surgery to remove staples which I thought was quite a long time!

Also, I'm a bit concerned about a hard lump on his ribcage. It's on his right side which is his amputation side. I noticed it when I was stroking him and cant recall ever feeling it before. I mentioned it to the vet and he said that nothing had showed up on the CT scan before his op. If he'd had a fall do you think this could cause a lump on his rib cage? It's probably a couple of centimetres wide, round and hard and seems to be right on one of his rib bones. I'm going to get them to check it out at the vets when he has his staples removed, it doesn't seem to cause him any pain when I put pressure on it, its just concerning.

Hannah, Beau & Family

Hi Everyone!

Just thought I'd check in and give a little update.

Beau is doing great! his staples came out on 25th Feb and just like you all said, wow what a difference! Poor guy, they must have been uncomfortable for him because he's been full steam ahead since. He seems relieved to be able to lay on his incision side, I guess laying on the same side constantly causes quite a lot of pressure. When he still had his staples in I used to massage his front leg, ribcage and back area on his incision side when he was standing up, he used to go into a total trance, all googly eyed, and dribbly tongue hanging out. It was funny to watch. He loved it!

He had his 1st of 6 rounds of chemo the same day as his staples came out (3 weeks post amp). We were hoping he'd tolerate it well and we were so relieved that he did. The only side effect we could notice was that his back leg seemed a bit more tired than it had done. It was like he'd been to the gym and his muscles were aching so getting up and walking seem to take more effort and he was walking lower to the ground, but nothing major. Couple of days of rest and he was raring to go again.

The vet also checked out the lump that I mentioned before and went through his CT scan again. Turns out the lump on his ribcage was just part of his ribcage  (mum has lump paranoia!) He said a previous injury may have caused a little hardened area on the ribcage or it may just be the way his rib was when he was born but that it was nothing to worry about. He noted it down though and said he'd keep an eye on it at every checkup just to put my mind at ease.

Other than that, he's getting stronger every day. He lives for his walks and his cuddles. Just as Sally said to me before, it really is heartwarming when you can look into their big eyes and feel like you did it FOR them and not TO them. Seeing him still loving life brings happy tears.

His harness has been a real help. I remember we had a conversation about the best harness for a rear leg amp and I stumbled across this on my search https://www.qui.....g-harness/ It has no leg straps and the strap and handle at the back offers lots of support if needed. It's been a great help, especially on walks, just to take the weight off his leg for a couple of minutes rest or give him a bit of extra bounce on his hop (especially at the beginning). I'm not sure if they ship abroad but thought I'd post the link incase it's useful to anyone else.

One last thing, has anyone tried hydrotherapy with their pup? I found one quite local to us and the lady said that the water treadmill might be good for him but I'm sure that I read somewhere on here this it might not be very suitable for tripawds. Any thoughts?

Thank you all again so much for your support and kindness that you always give. The world is certainly a better place with you guys and each and every one of your superhero dogs/cats.

((Hugs))

Hannah Beau & Family