Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi everyone,
Thanks for all the replies!
She is grumpy today, we thwarted her plans to rip out all those pesky stitches in the 30 seconds that she didn't have the cone on. She was licking the inside of the cone, almost in her sleep, and it was driving me crazy. She was sleeping on her wound with an icepack under it and looked very settled and convincingly dead to the world. So, i left her without her collar for a moment...three stitches were ripped out with startling efficiency.
The vet laughed and asked if I had any steristrips. I had knee surgery last year so i patched her up with the left overs from my own wound care. Dot was furious, thrashing around trying to sit up and get to her wound. It must be so uncomfortable. Megan has mentioned gabapentin to try and settle the nerves there, I was telling her that sometimes Dot whips around like she's been stung by a bee, is that the old missing leg phantom pain thing?
"I've read of many, many trips to the burger drive-through just for the dog. It's sort of a whatever-it-takes kind of affair at times."
Shari, this is funny! But, you are so right, you will sell your soul to get the poor little wretch to eat something. I am very excited about seeing her hop around to find the perfect pooping spot in the back garden, she is most particular about this aspect of life and to see her back to her old discerning self will be a grand moment.
"She was a dog who didn't like to wear things so she wouldn't tolerate a sling around her middle."
Karen, she tries to bite the sling, so today I let her freestyle it when she was peeing, she dipped down and stood back up afterwards with aplomb, I think we can trust her now but I suspect it will come in handy when we try the stairs. She has always sulked when we put coats on her, the thundershirt is nice when there's fireworks, nail guns or thunder going off around her but her fabulous waterproof, fleeced lined rainjacket seems to suck the will to live from her. Once she gets going and is suitably distracted and stimulated she tolerates it. However, the minute it's taken off she blasts about in celebration.
Time to break out the broth, burger patties and steamed rice!
Hope everyone has had a good day.
Victoria
Silly Dot! Believe it or not this does sound like progress. She's got spunk!
I'm sorry she ripped the stitches out but my you are resourceful. Did you ever think you'd get your honorary vet tech degree like this?
The whipping around she's doing could be phantom pain but it might not be. If she's yelping or barking suddenly, that's probably phantom pain , but from what you describe that could just be a bad itch from the stitches. If it continues or happens repeatedly you definitely want to let your vet know.
Sounds like she was going to have a great meal tonight. I hope she ate well and you got some sleep!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Victoria, you are cracking me up tonight! Your description of Dot's behavior with clothes really reminds me of Maggie : )
We took her out in a boat once and I put a little float coat
on her. She stood like a statue and refused to walk. I had to put her in the boat and she still refused to move. Once we hit land and took the float coat
off she came to life again!
And I was lucky that Mag's short muzzle and Buddha belly kept her from getting to her sutures so she didn't need the cone after her amp surgery.
Sounds like Dot is making progress. It's awesome when those old habits show up again. Maggie had to spin to poop, it took 5 or 6 days for her to gain her balance and she was able to poop with her routine- she didn't poop until then!
Karen
Online
I don't know about Dotty having all her spark back yet, but Victoria, your sparkle is about sing back pretty darn good!!
Doesn't it feel good to see even the slightest improvement make your heart soar to the moon!!? That firstly little girl is getting there!!
Let us know ow the food drill went! Sounds like the other end is working just fine e.
Happy Hannah down,t wear a cone either. Her belly is nice and rotund too so trying to reach her sutures took too much effort. She licked her fro t legs constantly tough, weird.
Glad you BOTH are feeling better
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!
"Maggie had to spin to poop, it took 5 or 6 days for her to gain her balance and she was able to poop with her routine- she didn't poop until then!"
Karen, it's so wierd you said that, Dotty has been racing around in circles today and I have had to bite my cheeks to stop bursting out laughing. It looks like she forgets that she is only being propelled on one side and around she goes for a while and then she looks like she thinks, "hang on a minute..." and then she plops down on her bum and looks at me for an explanation.
She is wearing some snazzy satin boxer shorts (from the boys department at our local chainstorie, Farmers), they are size 3 and she looks so cute. Our 20 year old son cut a hole for her tail and proudly dressed her up in them. We are yet to see her walking in them, when she's not looking I will take a photo and post it here for some light relief for everyone.
victoria
Sally, when you said "She licked her fro t legs constantly tough, weird." I realised that Dot is doing this too, especially if I am doing something to her sore bits. Interesting,isn't it?
Victoria,
Glad to hear Dot getting better. Sounds like shell even be happier once sutures are out. Snoops doing the licking to his front also. I think he thinks he's licking his wound site.
We've also acquired a little jig as we poop, but heck it's working!
Victoria, if you put the boxers on her upside down, her tail will come out the fly. Boxers for rear amps are often a less-invasive alternative to the cone of shame .
I've never seen a scientific study done, but all the anecdotal evidence I've read here supports a correlation between increased licking after surgery. I have no idea why. Some dogs dabble in it and some make it their life's passion. If you have one that was a bit OCD about it before, you may need to accept that they'll lick holes in the carpet now.
My guy was one of those, unfortunately. He had always been a boredom licker. After his surgery, he licked his remaining front leg rather obsessively. However, he'd drift off of his leg and lick the carpet in front of his nose. When we were home, we'd call his name and just say "no licking" and he'd stop. He knew better. He'd wag and look at us out of one side of his head. Embarrassed, I think. But if we went out, he'd lick spots all over the place. We had off-white carpet that we had professionally cleaned twice a year, yet we always had "clean" spots all over the place. That was from his licking. I guess there's something in their saliva that is stronger than detergent.
Anyway, that's a round-about and long-winded way of saying you may want to start telling Dotty not to do it, before it becomes ingrained. Unless she did it before. Then you'll just have to accept that she is now your carpet cleaner. Weird, huh?
Shari
From abandoned puppy to Tripawd Warrior Dude, Dakota became one of the 2011 February Furballs due to STS. Our incredibly sweet friend lived with grace and dignity till he impulsively raced over the Bridge on 12-15-12.
Dakota's thoughtful and erudite blog is at http://shari.tr.....pawds.com/
Hi there,
"if you put the boxers on her upside down, her tail will come out the fly. Boxers for rear amps are often a less-invasive alternative to the cone of shame ."
Thanks, Shari. Because Dot's so little the only boxers that fit her are size 3 for little boys, they don't have an open fly, weirdly. I had to go to the grocery store so left the 20 yr old son with instructions to "unpick the seam around the fly", instead he just hacked a generous hole for her tail which is bit too roomy for the boxers to stay in one place. They kept sliding off her hips as well. Back to the drawing board.
She is reasonably resigned to the cone after years of itchy bums and rashes on her tummy after groomers clip her too close...and many other Dotty related reasons. she's a nibbler.
I love the story of the clean carpet.
Dot is licking the inside of her cone, it must be a comforting response.
We are going back to the vet today, Dot's butt is still swollen and I am worried. We are icepacking it regularly through the day and trying to encourage a bit more movement to get the lymphatics going. This is a balancing act as I know she needs lots of rest, but she does perk up when we take her out for a hop around, this usually lasts about a minute and then she goes back to her resting position (slumped on haunches and then down into canine croissant). Then she waits for us to take her back inside to her bed.
She is eating like a pig this morning, I'm limiting the quantities to gently reintroduce food to her tummy, but it's so encouraging to see her wolfing away as per the old Dot. She's loving sticky balls of steamed rice.
I'll update after the vet visit.
Victoria
Bother.
We are back from the vet and it appears that Dot has a seroma by her wound site and also has an infection. The vet, bless her, met us at the surgery (it is a public holiday here today) and bought her husband along as well. He is a very well respected specialist vet surgeon who started an excellent specialist practice here in Auckland. So, we had a two-for-one consultation on a public holiday right when we needed it. Dot's temp had just started to climb and she seemed really "off" this morning, I made the call and I'm so glad I did, as is the vet. They popped a needle into her haunch just above the wound site as it was very tight with what we thought was fluid, it was pus. Poor little pup. Megan and Alex viewed a slide under a microscope with a drop of the discharge and then gave her some injectable antibiotics and gave us a new lot of pills to add to the others. The new antibiotic is Baytril.
We have been putting cold packs on Dot's swelling, Alex says heat packs now that we know it's an infection. Dot may find this a bit more comfortable, she has been moving away from the cold packs on her bed. She knows what's what!
The vets are both confident that we have got this in pretty good time, Dot is still scuttling about when the mood takes her and she is eating well, this will make the antibiotics easier to take. So, there is plenty to be happy about.
One step forward, and occasionally one step back. This is a big thing that she's been through and we are so glad she is making the progress that she is.
I'm going to go and give her a cuddle now.
Talk later!
Victoria
Wow, if there ever was a Tripawd Roller Coaster I know you're on it! I'm sorry the infection happened but yes, it does sound like you caught it early. What great vets you have! Good for you for listening to your instincts! That Baytril should knock it out really good (is it as crazy expensive there as it is here?). We are thinking of you and sending our love and healing thoughts!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks, Jerry! If I'm on a roller coaster I should at least try to enjoy the ride! All I need to do when I feel down is remind myself of how devastated and bereft we were a couple of weeks ago when it seemed we had to put her down. Then I look at her snoozing quietly on her bed and I feel so much better.
Each time I get a reply on this forum I am so glad I was recommended (by our vet) to look you up.
Thank you.
Victoria
Okay, this is staring to get me a little bit.....just a tad.....kinda, angry. Are we seeing more and moe infections pop up right after these surgeries? It almost seems like it's starting to be commonplace rather than the exception.
Amd is this infection that the other vet diagnosed as the wrapping gs being g too tight causing g the swelling? The seroma wasn't noticed by vets on previous visits? Is this vet aware of all the other antibiodics Dotty is n?
Okay, I'm through. Now, we really do have things to celebrate and getting an appetite back is the big one'! I know that just makes you feel great to see her eating again.
The food in her tummy and getting rid of that I fiction and no longer having her little private parts frozen every couple of hours should make her recovery faster soon!!
Look forward to nearing from you again highlighting all her successes!
Lots of love to you and a cuddle to Dotty......and a "good job" cuddle to you from all of us!
Shall 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!
Hi Sally,
The wrappings caused swelling almost immediately and were quickly removed, however the swelling has just lingered. We moved all the fluid out of her good back leg with massage and thought we would be able to do the same for the area between her vulva and anus. We put warm washcloths on it and massaged (lovely), then we tried cold packs and didn't massage. Neither method had much obvious effect. This area of swelling is not the sight of infection, the infection seems to be in the muscle pack around her wound which just swelled up in the last 24 hours. All the time the vet has been watching very closely for any infection, her temp has been normal since last Tuesday until it started to climb this morning. The seroma is a new thing, it's just appeared on her inside groin area beside her op site in the last 24 hours. Sadly, I think the infection was introduced yesterday when Dot had a go at her stitches (my fault) and got her grubby beard in the wound. She was restless last night and was dragging her butt around in her bed and wriggled out of her pants that were offering her bandages some protection.
We have had the same veterinary team looking after her the whole way through and they have always been really straight with me, admitting that the bandaging was too tight for example, another vet could have just let that one slide. I feel good about them and they have demonstrated their commitment to Dot over the last week or so.
"no longer having her little private parts frozen every couple of hours should make her recovery faster soon!! "
Dotty agrees with this...
I really hope we get some traction in the next 24 hour otherwise we are looking at a cleanup under sedation.
Positive thoughts all round!
Victoria
I go offline for 2 days and I guess I missed a lot!
It seems like Dotty's recovery is having a fair share of ups and downs, my thoughts are with her and the rest of your family. Hopefully that infection clears up before she would need to have it cleaned up under anesthesia and the rest of recovery is a breeze.
I'm really glad to hear she is eating again. There is nothing like good, whole food to boost an immune system!!
I have never ever had a dog that refused food (even after invasive gastric surgery my Gatsby ate.. he just couldn't keep anything down long enough to digest it). I'm curious if Bear will lose his appetite after amputation. He's food CrAzY all the time. Like so crazy I can't use treats during training sessions because he goes bonkers at the sight of food or anything perceived as food and can't concentrate.
Hoping recovery goes smooth from here out! Keep us posted!
Barret was diagnosed with Hemangiopericytoma May 16, 2013. Front left leg/scapula/pectoral muscle was amputated on June 11, 2013 and we've never looked back. Follow our story on http://barret.t.....pawds.com/ and read my column on That Pet Blog
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