Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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hello all
my 14 1/2 yo jrt pollyanna had her leg amputated last friday. My word she has done well ( better than me) but shes not pooing and her weeing is limited too. Is this usual in all your experience?
Mast cell cancer was daignosed in october and chemo was unsuccessful on the tumour itself but worked on the celks in her organs. Shes been fit and healthy all her little life and shes my best friend. Its hard right now but i know you all know this
thankyou for any advice
x
polly99 said
...shes not pooing and her weeing is limited too. Is this usual in all your experience?
Yup, pretty much the norm.
You'll find lots of forum posts with members doing the happy poop dance eventually!
Constipation is a common side effect with most pain meds. You can add a bit of olive oil to Pollyanna's food to help get things going, but be careful what you ask for! As Jerry's vet told us, when they need to go, they'll go.
Of course, every dog is different, so please consult your vet with any serious concerns. Bookmark Jerry's Required Reading List for LOTS more helpful information, or consider downloading the Tripawds e-books for fast answers to most common concerns (like this one). You'll even find an e-book coupon if you start here .
Welcome and best wishes for a speedy recovery! Please keep us updated. Your future forum posts will not require moderation.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
POLLYANNA! A 14 1/2 yr. young feisty Jack Russell! Cannot wait to see pictures! Her avatar picture is ADORABLE!!
Yep, we celebrate delayed poop with a Hoppy Poo Dance when it does finally happen!
You mentioned that she's not peeing much. What's her water intake like? Is she eating okay? If she's not drinking as much as she should, that can interfere with her lack of poop.
I think seven days was the longest Ive seen on here. Because of her age, things might take a little longer to get moving! Certainly, if this continues, check with her Vet.
Yes, this recovery period js hard. Just getting to this point is emotionally draining. Then all the stress of watching every move a recovering Tripawd, not sleeping, worryi g, etc is all so exhausting!
Pollyanna will vet her sparkle back! Jist continue to love in the moment and shower her with love and spoiling! Give her extra treats and she'll soon be her rambunctious Jack Russell self!
We are right here by your side. Stay connected and let us know how she's doing. We'll be on standby for the Hopph Poop Dance!
Love
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle
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!
Hello and welcome.
My pug Maggie didn't poop for 6 days or so. Maggie lost her left rear leg to a MCT, which leg did Pollyanna lose?
What chemo med did you use? Was radiation suggested to try and shrink the tumor? I'm just curious as I have dealt with many MCTs in two of my pugs over several years and I'm always interested in treatment strategies. Both of my pug girls that had MCTs are in Spirit form now, but neither of them passed from MCT!
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
admin said
polly99 said
...shes not pooing and her weeing is limited too. Is this usual in all your experience?Yup, pretty much the norm.
Constipation is a common side effect with most pain meds. You can add a bit of olive oil to Pollyanna's food to help get things going, but be careful what you ask for! As Jerry's vet told us, when they need to go, they'll go.
Of course, every dog is different, so please consult your vet with any serious concerns. Bookmark Jerry's Required Reading List for LOTS more helpful information, or consider downloading the Tripawds e-books for fast answers to most common concerns (like this one). You'll even find an e-book coupon if you start here .
Welcome and best wishes for a speedy recovery! Please keep us updated. Your future forum posts will not require moderation.
thankyou so much for your reply- I am so emotional at the moment it's made me cry but in a good way
Good news is she pooped and peed on the carpet last night- what a relief I can tell you, for us both
I think I'm also really struggling with the loss of her leg- the wound, the stitches, the loss of so much of her body in one go. Do you think this is normal because I feel dreadful for my thoughts and I'm engaging in the 'did I do the right thing' frame of mind. I do know this will pass and I know that her hair will grow back and the wound will heal but it makes me feel sick to think I've put her through this- there was no alternative to it but I can't get away from what I'm thinking.
I do hope I make sense, Polly is adored and always has been since I first saw her tiny bottom wiggle on the first day I met her
emma x
benny55 said
POLLYANNA! A 14 1/2 yr. young feisty Jack Russell! Cannot wait to see pictures! Her avatar picture is ADORABLE!!Yep, we celebrate delayed poop with a Hoppy Poo Dance when it does finally happen!
You mentioned that she's not peeing much. What's her water intake like? Is she eating okay? If she's not drinking as much as she should, that can interfere with her lack of poop.
I think seven days was the longest Ive seen on here. Because of her age, things might take a little longer to get moving! Certainly, if this continues, check with her Vet.
Yes, this recovery period js hard. Just getting to this point is emotionally draining. Then all the stress of watching every move a recovering Tripawd, not sleeping, worryi g, etc is all so exhausting!
Pollyanna will vet her sparkle back! Jist continue to love in the moment and shower her with love and spoiling! Give her extra treats and she'll soon be her rambunctious Jack Russell self!
We are right here by your side. Stay connected and let us know how she's doing. We'll be on standby for the Hopph Poop Dance!
Love
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle
thankyou so much for your reply- I am so emotional at the moment it's made me cry but in a good way
Good news is she pooped and peed on the carpet last night- what a relief I can tell you, for us both
I think I'm also really struggling with the loss of her leg- the wound, the stitches, the loss of so much of her body in one go. Do you think this is normal because I feel dreadful for my thoughts and I'm engaging in the 'did I do the right thing' frame of mind. I do know this will pass and I know that her hair will grow back and the wound will heal but it makes me feel sick to think I've put her through this- there was no alternative to it but I can't get away from what I'm thinking.
I do hope I make sense, Polly is adored and always has been since I first saw her tiny bottom wiggle on the first day I met her
emma x
krun15 said
Hello and welcome.My pug Maggie didn't poop for 6 days or so. Maggie lost her left rear leg to a MCT, which leg did Pollyanna lose?
What chemo med did you use? Was radiation suggested to try and shrink the tumor? I'm just curious as I have dealt with many MCTs in two of my pugs over several years and I'm always interested in treatment strategies. Both of my pug girls that had MCTs are in Spirit form now, but neither of them passed from MCT!
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
thankyou Karen and Spirit Pug girls- I'm just getting used to the site
Polly did poop last night, thankgod! And she's eaten more today because of it
I can't remember the chemo name that was used but radiotherapy wasn;t offered as the cells had spread by then to other organs. We were offered 3 routes- chemo IV, chemo oral or growth inhibitors. We opted for the IV protocol and she was given steroids and anti- histamine along side it. Initially the tumour shrank to a third of its size but then it grew rapidly again and so the chemo was stopped at 7/8 and we then opted for the amputation to save her life but not her leg
thankyou again
emma
Emma you totally make sense, there's not a person here who didn't feel guilty for making the decision that our animals couldn't make for themselves. Acknowledge it, then agree in your mind to move on. The important thing is to put the decision behind you and take action to make every the best it can be from here on out. That's all our animals ever want from us, it's why they are so happy every single day. YOU CAN DO IT!
Glad she pooped. Isn't it funny how you can be overjoyed when they do something we would have flipped out over in the past? Yay for poopin' on the carpet!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Emma it does make sense. Someone wrote early on to me that we go through the process of mourning the dog we had before we accept the one we have now. Somehow that resonated with me and once I accepted that I was able to get great joy out of each new challenge we overcame and as the recovery process got better each day I was able to live each today fully and not worry about the tomorrow's. Dogs are so remarkable in that they take each new challenge they have and adapt to it and still manage to live their lives with joy and gusto. They only live today they don't worry about the tomorrow's. All us humans would do well to as they say live like dog. That is the most important thing I learned to do in this journey. Take each day and live it fully with joy and love. This is an emotional journey like no other. You're doing great! Hugs to both you and Pollyanna..
Linda, Ollie, Riley & Spirit Mighty Max
YAAAAAAAAAY FOR POOP ON THE CARPET!!! Prettiest thing ever!! HOPPY POOP DANCE!!!
Ditto Jerry and Linda!
Yeah, acknowledge your feelings, move through them. Now is the time to focus on staying in tne moment and savoring every treasured second you and Pollyanna have!
For me, I remember how shocked I was at the amount of my Happy Hannah's fur they shaved! I didn't look at her incision very much at all. Removing that painful leg was such a positive thing. But the shaved area, that bugged me! Jist like our dogs, we all react differently.
Give that sweet girl an extra treat for us. You're doing a great job!! This recovery process is rough and you are handling it very well!
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!
jerry said
Emma you totally make sense, there's not a person here who didn't feel guilty for making the decision that our animals couldn't make for themselves. Acknowledge it, then agree in your mind to move on. The important thing is to put the decision behind you and take action to make every the best it can be from here on out. That's all our animals ever want from us, it's why they are so happy every single day. YOU CAN DO IT!Glad she pooped. Isn't it funny how you can be overjoyed when they do something we would have flipped out over in the past? Yay for poopin' on the carpet!
Thankyou jerry- its good to know the same confusion exists in other people- guilt and fear, its all goin on.
Polly is improving day after day and i can see that im just struggling with the loss on her behalf i think. I can do it, youre right x
linda8115 said
Emma it does make sense. Someone wrote early on to me that we go through the process of mourning the dog we had before we accept the one we have now. Somehow that resonated with me and once I accepted that I was able to get great joy out of each new challenge we overcame and as the recovery process got better each day I was able to live each today fully and not worry about the tomorrow's. Dogs are so remarkable in that they take each new challenge they have and adapt to it and still manage to live their lives with joy and gusto. They only live today they don't worry about the tomorrow's. All us humans would do well to as they say live like dog. That is the most important thing I learned to do in this journey. Take each day and live it fully with joy and love. This is an emotional journey like no other. You're doing great! Hugs to both you and Pollyanna..Linda, Ollie, Riley & Spirit Mighty Max
Thankyou linda- this really helped, to see it as mourning. I do feel like im still in shock from seeing the wound, shes so little to start with that it really seems to take up half her tiny body. I had tried to prepare for it by looking at other lovely tripawds i just dont think i was prepared enough and its taken me by surprise almost. I dint want to sound horrible and my guilt is about how shocked i was. But what youve said about it beung a process from one stage to the next feels easier somehow
Polly is doung well following her poop, she wont eat her normal dog food for some reason but she will eat meat and treats.
Tickles to your pooches x
benny55 said
YAAAAAAAAAY FOR POOP ON THE CARPET!!! Prettiest thing ever!! HOPPY POOP DANCE!!!Ditto Jerry and Linda!
Yeah, acknowledge your feelings, move through them. Now is the time to focus on staying in tne moment and savoring every treasured second you and Pollyanna have!
For me, I remember how shocked I was at the amount of my Happy Hannah's fur they shaved! I didn't look at her incision very much at all. Removing that painful leg was such a positive thing. But the shaved area, that bugged me! Jist like our dogs, we all react differently.
Give that sweet girl an extra treat for us. You're doing a great job!! This recovery process is rough and you are handling it very well!
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
I love your hope and joy its so helpful right now
im so relieved to hear about your shock with hannah and her hair. This has happened to polly too and the would is just so big, i cant quite accept it . But yes shes lost a cancerous tumour and i must must see that instead, i do see it but then i see this red and sore wound and i feel the guilt. I think its panic too
thevgirl is eating treats !
thankyou so much, in less than 24 hours this website has made me feel better x
Let me share my '6 week Maggie' story with you.
My pug Maggie had her amp before there was a Tripawds, so we went it alone. Mag was a stubborn thing who hated any changes to her routines, she didn't play with me for 6 weeks after her surgery! All the vets had to say was 'most dogs do fine on three' and 'they bounce back really quickly'. I spent those six weeks SURE I had done the wrong thing.
I also spent time missing the things Maggie couldn't do anymore. I really must have screwed up her life, I thought. But even while Maggie was in her 6 week pout, she was figuring out how to be a Tri-Pug. While I was mourning what we lost, she was getting on with her life. I finally realized that Maggie wasn't missing what she couldn't do, she was too busy figuring out how to do the things she wanted.
It's one of those lessons this journey teaches us. You are quite normal for feeling how you are, but keep an eye on Pollyanna- she is showing you what we mean by 'Be More Dog '!
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
krun15 said
Let me share my '6 week Maggie' story with you.My pug Maggie had her amp before there was a Tripawds, so we went it alone. Mag was a stubborn thing who hated any changes to her routines, she didn't play with me for 6 weeks after her surgery! All the vets had to say was 'most dogs do fine on three' and 'they bounce back really quickly'. I spent those six weeks SURE I had done the wrong thing.
I also spent time missing the things Maggie couldn't do anymore. I really must have screwed up her life, I thought. But even while Maggie was in her 6 week pout, she was figuring out how to be a Tri-Pug. While I was mourning what we lost, she was getting on with her life. I finally realized that Maggie wasn't missing what she couldn't do, she was too busy figuring out how to do the things she wanted.
It's one of those lessons this journey teaches us. You are quite normal for feeling how you are, but keep an eye on Pollyanna- she is showing you what we mean by 'Be More Dog '!
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Our funny pooches are-not playing with you for 6 weeks, they know how to hit us hard! Thankyou for sharing your story it really does help and it means a lot to hear this experience is hard for everyone. Heaven knows wha strength you have to cope before there was support and understanding available.
Polly hasdone well again today, wee'd and eaten sausages. She seems a little brighter but oh so tired. I feel a little better too, maybevthe shock is subsiding, i dont know.
I will Be More Dog
! The leg is gone, it aint coming back and i must must accept i made the right choices - polly is working things out ahead of me, youre right. Thankyou x
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