Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Suebee came home from surgery yesterday, one day after the surgery. She is so glad to be home and in some semblance of her normal routine. She is already walking, peeing, pooping, eating and drinking. Her pain seems to be under control, but I have trazodone if I need it. She shakes a lot every now and then which I think is the pain. She is afraid of me leaving and I want to watch her and be with her, so I have no way to go to my part-time job. But it is at a dog groomer, so I think they are sympathetic. This has been really hard on me. I've suffered three days of migraine headaches during which I bought supplies for Suebee and picked her up. Suebee had her rear hind leg removed. The tumor had wrapped itself around her sciatica nerve. The biopsy will be sent Monday, and it will be a 14 day wait to see if the tumor was a sarcoma. Her incision looks good, but I just want her fur to grow back. In the meantime, I spend plenty of time loving her and telling her what a good girl she is and how we will get through this. How does one get over the shock of what had to be done! And so fast! Suebee is also my service dog, so this is really disrupting her support of me. I'm having to be extra careful of taking care of myself. I'm so glad spring is coming to St Louis, and Suebee and I can relax and look out the patio window and watch the birds and the squirrels and the greening plants. Thanks to all who have supported me in getting through this!!
Hi Joyce! Welcome home Suebee! Glad to know you and your mom are back together again.
It's a tough time for sure but you are doing this Joyce! You will see how you are so much stronger than you ever knew, and so is your girl. Watch her and you will see how she handles recovery. Dogs lead the way when it comes to being resilience and moving ahead with life. She's already showing you to take time to watch spring happen, which is terrific!
Keep an eye on her pain signals . If the shaking continues let your vet team know. Medication often needs to be adjusted, that isn't too unusual.
I hope today goes well! Keep us posted.
Suebee went back to the hospital this morning to get her meds adjusted. She wasn't eating and her meds were causing nausea. Which meant she wouldn't take her meds and she was in pain. At least she was drinking plenty of water. They will keep her today and tomorrow at least to get the meds sorted. Suebee was so weak unlike when I first got her from the hospital Then she was eating and had energy and was glad to be home. Now she is so unable to walk and stand. My poor girl. She needs help in getting back to where she was. This surgery is so major and I don't know how to help her. I feel so helpless.
Joyce, hang in there. You are totally helping her by staying in touch with your vet and making sure she gets the care she needs. MANY dogs will have a crash like this just a few days after surgery, this isn't unusual. She is in a super great clinic that I know will get her recovery back on track. You can do this!
You are veing very proactive and getting SueBee the help she needs! You recognized her need for better pain management and acted on it right away. Good job!!
As Jerry said, it is not unusual at all to jave this sort of "crash" after the strong hospital meds have worn off. So while she may have appeared to be doing really well, it was probably mostly due to the strong meds.
Her activity needs to be only for potty breaks....very short, leashed potty breaks and then back in for more rest. It's important to remember she just had MAJOR surgery, trying to adjistnto three and fighting off the pain at the same time.
We know how stressful this has been for you.....far moreso than for Suebee. While she's getting good care at the Vet, please use this time to give yourself some self care. Try and get some solid sleep, eat some "comfort food" and maybe relax with a good book....and ICE CREAM!!!!
This will help get your co finance back and pawsitive energy. Your sweet Suebee will feel more confident too.
Update when you can.
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!
Thanks for the advice about Suebee crashing after the hospital meds wore off. I think that is what happened. I took her in yesterday morning and today the report is she is eating and sleeping well and walking much better. They are going to keep her a few days more so that when I pick her up she won't be needing pain meds. I think this is to help me as much as to help her. Suebee is my service dog and not having her around is distressing. And I was told not to see her which is even harder. So, she is well taken care of but now I have to figure out how to care for myself.
report is she is eating and sleeping well and walking much better.
Wonderful news!! Shes in good hands now, getting proper pain meds and you can rest!!!!
They are going to keep her a few days more so that when I pick her up she won't be needing pain meds.
FWIW most dogs stay on pain meds about two weeks..sometimes at a reduced level at the end of the two weeks. Some dogs stay in a bit longer than two weeks. Each dog is different and their needs are different. .
Point being, make sure they send you home with more pain meds if they decide to take her off them in a few days. That's mighty early to have no pain meds at all
Stay connected to is...we can be your "support tripawd family" while she's at the Bet. Everything is going to be just fine. Okay? .We'be got your back
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!
Joyce how are you doing today? Thinking of you and Suebee. She's in great hands, and recovery is in progress. It's happening and you are holding your own! 
Jerry, I am not doing well. I am concerned when my dog tanks one day, I take her to the hospital and I get a glowing report from the vet the next day. And I agree with you about the pain meds. I am becoming suspicious about what is going on with her and I cannot reach or see her to assess her condition. 
I know that all kinds of wild thoughts go through our minds when our dog is in the care of others, it's hard not to think that way especially when medical care is concerned. Remember I mentioned how veterinarians often say that when we do visit our dog it causes more stress than is helpful? The best thing for her right now is to rest and be spoiled by that vet team, which I guarantee they are doing 🙂
Now that she's at the clinic, she is getting the pain control care she needs and that's why you are getting the glowing report. It's a vast improvement! As an AAHA-accredited clinic I have confidence that they are following all of the best procedures to help her get to a place where she can go home with you without experiencing uncontrolled pain so that it doesn't happen again.
You can always call and ask for an update. Just remember when you call that the person answering the phone doesn't have answers for you yet, so try to be very calm and kind and just ask them to let you know how she is doing sometime today.
Stay strong Joyce, you can do this!
Remember, the "tanking" was mostly about the strong hospital meds wearing off and needing to gst the pain meds tweaked specifically for Suebee and her needs. They are doing that at the clinic
Maybe you could ask the clinic to send you a video of her. Jist let them know you are feeling anxious about not being able to see her and a "video update" would be greatly appreciated.
((((((((((((((((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!
Thanks for your replies. They are helpful. The surgeon made a stupid mistake sending Suebee home so soon. My vet was out of town and this wasn't the plan we had agreed on.
My vet sent me a photo of Suebee, although a very sleepy Suebee having just woke up for the photo shoot. The photo makes all the difference. She looks good although the photo was only of her face. Relaxed. I talk with my vet every day and Suebee gets a walk every 2 hours to strengthen her leg and help her "get" that she only has one back leg. I remember to "Be Like a Dog" and just take one day at a time. Right now all I can do is go to the park and sit and watch the geese on the lake. I am just dazed. Is this a usual reaction? Sometimes I feel like my Suebee is gone, but when I see her photo and her face, there she is. How will I react to her with only one back leg
Awww..... glad you got to see her sweet Dave, relaxed and maybe enjoy9ng some good pain management . Yoir update sounds good for Suebee and she's progressing as she should this early on.
The only thing about Suebee that is "gone" is that painful bum leg!! What's her recovery is complete you will see how happy she is as she reclaims her normal routines with you.
Describing yourself as sort of being dazed right now is a really good example of the emotions we go through this early on. It's such a shock to hear the word amputation, much less to go through with the surgery, all the fear and panic etc. That part is done now and subie is on the road to recovery.
When she does come home try not to even look at the incision or Draw any attention to it. Suebee won't be looking at it she will just be looking at your happy face telling her what a good girl she is and she's going home! It's important that you approach her with an upbeat and confident positive energy to reassure her that everything is okay.... and it really is okay! When you do get a chance to take a glance at it I think you'll find that the shade fur is what is more shocking than the incision! Surgeons love to get a little Clipper happy when it comes to shaving for, of course, it's for a good reason, but still it can be a little daunting.
Glad you have the right vet now who's keeping you in the loop. And thanks for keeping us in the loop. And yes, the best lesson right now is Be More Dog .
(((((((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!
My vet is beginning to transition Suebee to get her ready to come home. She doesn't look happy in her photos but at least she is not in pain. To be honest, I am scared and sad about her coming home. I am terrified of what has happened to her. It's been one week since her surgery. And it will be another week before we get the results of her biopsy. I am having a very difficult time adjusting to what has happened to her. I think the two days I had her when she was so sick and out of it makes it even harder to adjust. I haven't seen her for days now and I feel like she won't want to come home. She has been getting excellent care and making lots of friends at the vet's. Now she will come home to a boring routine. With the spring weather, we can start going to the parks and hanging out. I see all these photos on the website of dogs having a good time, but they have recovered and have their fur back. My vet said it will take 3-4 months for Suebee to fully adjust to her situation. I am still so so sad about what has happened to my girl. When I pick her up, it will be hard to be brave and optimistic.
Joyce I'm so happy she is ready to come home, or probably is by now?
Boring at home is good! She needs lots of rest, and so do you. And of course she wants to come home, you are her #1 human!
That's awesome your vet gave you a more realistic timeline for her recovery. She is on her own schedule so don't compare to others, or what you see online because every story is different and unique. Most dogs have a period of adjustment where they may seem depressed and not themselves, but so do humans when we have a major surgery, right? Why should they be any different. They need time, and your patience, to recover fully. And I know it's sooo hard but the more hopeful you are, the more she will respond. Animals reflect our emotions, and she needs you now more than ever to know in your heart that it's going to be OK. You can do this!
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