Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Thats great! I'm sure she was happy to see you and you to have her home!
We wish you a uneventful smooth recovery! Heal well Brandy!
Post if you need anything , We are all here and will try to help .
Try to Rest when Brandy does.
Hugs
Holly and Purrkins
Hoooraaay! oh this is a day you won't soon forget. We're so glad you're together and she's on her way to healing. Holler if you have any questions OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
🎉🎉🎊🎊 Yeah Brandy ! Thats fantastic !
You will see she will do better then you ever imagined!
Celebrate everything and I know you will !
TERRIFIC NEWS!! Way to go Brandy!! She'll get things figured out in no time!!
Made my day!! 🙂
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!
Yaaay! Here's to many more hoppy steps today and always!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Brandy hasn't gotten off her bed since about 5:30p last night when she walked over to it out of her pet taxi. She hasn't eaten, drank, nor went potty. (She has received 2 rounds of her pain med and antibiotic.) And it's now 10:25a cst.
I tried to grab around her shoulders to maybe help her up, but she cried and I let go and stepped back.
How long was it til your cat (or whatever animal) was up and walking, eating drinking, and using the bathroom?
Also, did they still have some blood on them when they came home? She has some red-ish dry blood between where her leg(s) are. And there is some very light pink blood/fluid that has dried up on her bed.
I'm afraid I'm not able to be terribly helpful as my Meg was still in hospital at this stage, and also I think cats respond differently in some ways. I'm sure our Tripawds cat team will be chiming in soon, but just wanted to say that I'm thinking of you. I do know how hard and stressful these early days can be, but i also know how much better Brandy will be feeling soon. It does get better. Sorry not to be able to offer advice.
Sending hugs,
Meg and Clare (and Elsie Pie) xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 23 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
You did help.
They only kept her 1 night. I have heard they keep them usually for 2 nights.
But maybe they thought Brandy was ready come home.
I really hope nothing is wrong, and that she is just relaxing.
I hope she gets up soon. Even if it is just for a few steps..
Brandy is home sooner then Purrkins was also. What I can tell you is in the hospital he didnt use the litter box ,he peed where he was laying so he did pee there. He didnt move around at all in the hospital. Purrkins stayed a total of 3 nights 4 days.
When he got home he did have terrible time getting around it was awful to see he flopped all over. The pain meds dont help with orientation but needed ! I tried helping Purrkins get his balance when he would start to get up and go. I helped stabilize him and sorta show him how.
I put him in his litter box and helped hold him to stabilize him in the litter box to pee. Poop will take longer the pain meds can constipate them so for today dont worry about the poop.We can talk about that later;)
He ate and drank when he got home. Again the pain meds sometimes effect the appetite .
Have you enticed her with food wet food? Or water taken it to her?
We didnt have any issues with Purrkins incision. If you want to take a picture and post it that may be more helpful for someone to comment on. Expect for those I should state .
The hospital did some ice packs on Purrkins incision for 3 days and we did warm packs for 3 days . We were not to put anything on the incision .
What pain meds are you? We were sent home with Buprenorphine and Gabapentin. What are your time instructions on what you were given?
I think they do better coming home sooner. Purrkins stay was a little long for him and his personality.
They will sleep a lot and that is normal on the meds. The first few days we made sure to give his pain meds every 8 hours instructions were for every 8 to 12 and slowly stretched the pain meds out.
All I can do is share my experiences with Mona, a front leg amputee who also had her shoulder remove and a small drain put in.
Mona had a sleepover at the vet's house the first night and then she came home. He sent her home with wet kitten food which she loved and ate immediately. The advantage of the kitten food is that they don't need as much water because the food is wet and it's higher in protein and obviously tasty.
Mona did not do well in the litter department - she went everywhere except the litter box. She became better as she came off the drugs.
Initially Mona slept a lot, would flop around the floor and then suddenly get up on all legs and tear around the room only to flop around again. The walking will come in time as the drugs wear off and they get stronger again.
The light pink fluid is likely just drainage. I would use alternating warm and cool damp washcloths to clean Mona's surgical site and she enjoyed that.
I don't think anything is wrong but please phone your vet who can alleviate any concerns you may have. Brandy needs a lot of sleep right now as she heals. Which pain medication is she on? Is she taking an anti-inflammatory?
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
I did contact the vet. She said she should have been eating and drinking by that time. But here it is 8:15p cst, and she really hasn't ate or drank. And also hasn't went potty.
Brandy will lick the water and food off of my fingers. (I went and bought her wet food. She has never had any.) But she won't lick/eat it off the plate, nor will she actually eat a chunk of the food when I try to hand feed her. Nor will she drink out of the water bowl.
I also bought some litter pan liners to put over a box lid, since it's shorter than her litter box.
She has scooted and/or walked around some since my last post. Thank goodness.
Brandy is on Gabapentin (pain med) (1 mg per 12 hours) and Amoxicillin (antibiotic) (1 mg per 12 hours.)
Hmmm, I don't find it very helpful that the vet said she "should" be eating. Well, she's not and you are doing the best you can. So that said (I can be grouchy for you), I have some suggestions.
First, I wouldn't worry so much about the water unless she's only eating dry. She'd get moisture if you can get her to eat some of the wet food off your fingers. Does she like to drink the juice from a can of tuna or salmon? I've also heated up the wet food a bit to make it stinkier. How about some scrambled egg?
Some people put water in with the dry food. That never worked for me but it may be worth a try.
It doesn't sound like she's in pain and she's moving so that's good.
Mona was quite nutty from her pain meds for a few days. Some of the pain meds can constipate. Call your doctor again tomorrow if she'd still not eating or using the litter.
Hugs,
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
Such good advice from everyone!
As Kerren said, no eating is not that unusual at all at this point! Many dogs are off food for a couple of days after surgery.
Sleeping is good!! In some dogs the Gabapentin can make them sleepy.
You could maybe try a syringe with a liitle tuna water or baby food to try and start her drinking/eating.
Hang in there! This is major surgery and recovery doesn't happen overnight! 🙂
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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