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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Glad that he's feeling bright and getting around today!
Yeah unfortunately the lampshade collar is the only way to ensure that a dog won't bother the incision. You really don't want him eating that fentanyl patch, I'd put it back on.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Agreed on the fact the he needs to leave the patch alone. You've been through a high stress event from the surgery. The last thing you want is a visit to the ER vet for an overdose if he licks the patch!
Unfortunately as soon as the e collar goes back on he thrashes around like crazy and won't settle at all. (he'll even drag the collar over the wound as he tries to shake it off!) If we take it off and watch him at least he gets rest. When i say we have been sitting with him 24/7 I mean it. There hasn't been a single moment in the last 2 days when one of us hasn't been sitting right there beside him day and night. (And the night shifts aren't fun!) We'll keep trying the collar but I'd rather he just sleep for now and get best use of the meds.
You could try covering the patch with vet wrap. It's that stretchy bandage stuff that adheres to itself but there is no adhesive to worry about. There is a human version as well that would be easy to find at a drug store.
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
What about the inflatable e-collar? We had to get one for Cassie awhile back - she walked into walls with the hard one, but the inflatable one she could lay down with and actually rested her head on it. The vet wrap Karen mentioned you can get at any drug store (Coban wrap, about $4 a roll) or someone here told me you can get at a feed store a lot cheaper. Sometimes you can spray bitter apple on the area (you can buy that at any pet store) - it has a nasty taste & usually will discourage licking.
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
When we had to keep Gus from licking his leg, I got a pair of little girls' tights, cut the leg off if it and used vet wrap to hold it in place over the spot he was worrying.
Kathi and the Turbotail April Angel...and the Labradork
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!
Well we're Now only 3 days post surgery and boomer continues to amaze / terrify me! I took him out the back yard this evening for a bio break and he was walking slow and looking a little sore as we were walking to the back door.
I turned to close the door behind us and all of a sudden he bolted. Yes bolted. The leash came right out my hand. He shot straight over to the pacasandra to have his pee (which is where I usually chase him so I don't get the dead spots in the lawn!) at first I was terrified but I soon realized where this recovery is heading. Yes it's tough to watch them walk slow on 3 legs. It's stiff and awkward looking, but when he runs.., it looks truly effortless?! Of course I don't intend to let him run free range for quite some time yet.. (I checked him out he's perfectly fine.. no blown stitches) but now I understand the potential... I'm less stressed!
Geez Boomer, Fentanyl is not a "treat"'silly boy!.
I cannot wait to see more pictures of Boomer....a "box head"'and a "neck like a tree trunk"!
His avatar is sooooo cute!
You are getting rid of Boomer's painful leg and DEFINITELY giving him more quality time for sunbathing and loving lovin and spoiling and more sunbathing! 🙂 Boomer doesn't have a timeframe stamped anywhere on his butt and could care less about any ole medical report!
All Boomer cares about is having you by his side making the most out of every moment! He lives in the NOW and has NO worries about tomorrow. What a great way to loliveve life to the fullest!
Almost forgot! YAAAAAAAAAY FOR POOP!!
Update when you can You two are doing an EXCELLENT job of watching over Boomer! Yeah, some dogs really freak out with the cone and it causes a lot of stress. Hope some of the suggestions above help. He should be having the patch off in a day or two anyway... maybe?
Hugs to all!
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!
Just saw your post you just added...grinning ear to ear over here!! And I know you had to be thrilled to see him determined to pee on his pacasandra! 🙂
Wsy to go Boomer! You're doing great.....even if you are scaring your humans just a bit!
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!
Yes he sure gave me a few extra gray hairs tonight when he took off on me!
we've also given up on the e collar. He just wasn't having it. He isn't interested in his wound at all and is completely ignoring it. I put some extra wrapping on the fentanyl patch and he seems to be ignoring that too (that comes off Wednesday)
is there a noticeable change in mood when the fentanyl patch comes off?
I'm worried about just going down to the gabapentin and previcox.
I would include a few more pics of this handsome devil but unfortunately can't figure out how to do that on an iPhone!
Yeah, I think sending pics from an iPhone requires a different set of instructions from a computer. Anyway, a techie will come along and give you the right link for adding imaages.
My Happy Hannah didn't have the patch. She just had Gabapentin, Tramadol and Rimadyl...And an antibiotic. From what I've seen on here though, many dogs actually become more "normal" after the patch is off. Others can chime in with their experience.
You'll want ro keep his pain meds consistent and always given so the pain never has a chance to get a head start. It may be a bit of trial and error, but your vet will guide you on that.
Boomer clearly is a dog with a lot of spunk and determination...a real plus on this journey!
Stay connected! We're all right by yiur side cheering for Boomer! 🙂
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!
Boomer's name is so fitting! Crazy pup!
If he's not interested in his incision, that's a sign of really great pain control. Kudos to your vet and you for staying on top of it. I think by now the patch has minimal, if any pain medicine left in it (I thought I read somewhere it's only good for about 3 days post application). Glad he's leaving it alone though.
As for photos, the instructions for adding images to Forum posts are the same as in a non-mobile device. At least according to Admin. If you'd like support just PM us for help OK? We'd love to see some.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
We really did not notice anything specific when the patch came off. I think by the time you remove it, there is very little medicine left in it (but am not a vet, so not sure).
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Sadie didn't show any real change with the patch coming off either, but we had a pretty smooth recovery over all, so not sure how typical she is.
Boomer is such a striking, handsome dog - glad he is doing so well.
We actually switched from Fentanyl IV infusion drip in the hospital to all oral meds as soon as he came home and Pofi has shown no sign of pain (though we had been on the combination of Tramadol, Gabapentin and Rimadyl for a few weeks prior to surgery and went right back to it). I would think in Boomer's case, the Fentanyl will have given his system a chance to allow Gabapentin to work, which is good.
In the year prior to leg amputation, Pofi had a series of red herring issues on legs and feet and because he is really, really long limbed, we invested in the biggest size Comfy Cone there is. Really meant for St. Bernards, so my skinny necked dog had to wear it with a collar to hold it in place and not slip over his head. But he was comfortable in it. Not happy, mind you, but comfortable. Our shins were happier, too...
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
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