Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Its day 7 post surgery and Im worried about Winston's progress. He is off his food today - Im having to put the dish right under his nose for him to be tempted, and he is very reluctant to move. I gave him two Tramadol ( 50mg) in the morning and will do again this evening. I also gave him a gabapentin - a human drug for nerve disorders like shingles ( prescribed by my oncology vet) and he is now sleeping ( again.). But he is so much more lethargic than yesterday and seems to have declined. I am worried that the cancer may have taken a hold despite the surgery and that I am fighting a losing battle.
Could those of you that have been where I am now give me any advice or reassurance?
Many thanks, Winston's mom
Hi Winston's mom, just wanted to let you know that all of you are in my mom's prayers. Don't give up on Winston and just keep trying, he will come around. I wonder if all the drugs is what is causing for him to feel like not moving. I know that when I came home from the hospital and was on my pain medication I didn't want to move at all either and ate very little. My mom was starting to get worried like you and started to doubt whether they had made the right decision. Then after the vet said it was okay for me to be off the medication is like a door opened and I started to be more alert and eat a bit more but not right away. It has been approx 17 days since my surgery and it is now that I am starting to do some of the things I used to like, like play with the frisbee (and not for long as I get tired really quick). So give Winston some time and I know that with your patience, love and all our prayers everything will get better. Lots of licks your way, Kellie
Kellie
Winston's Mom,
I myself slept A LOT the first two weeks after surgery. Whenever I had a chance to lie down, I could get into deep sleep very easily and quickly.
As many of you already have heard how poor my appetite had been. Like what you described about Winston, I also turned my nose away.
I was on Tramadol too. I suppose Winston only had his pain patch removed a couple of days ago? It might need to take a few more days to let the pain killer from the patch to completely flush out of his system. These two meds definitely made me loose interest in food. Though, I do not know anything about gabapentin.
I hope everything ok with Winston and that he is just going through what most of us have gone through, please keep us posted on how Winston is doing.
Lots of hugs to Winston from me and my mom.
hi winston and winston's mom!
sami was pretty out of it after her surgery and was not interested in food. esp. after her chemo, she wouldn't eat anything out of her bowl. we started to hand feed her and it worked. and we tried different types of wet food,scrambled eggs, and some chicken. eventually she started to get her appetite back. and she would whine and cry so much after her surgery. that lasted a little over a week. she seemed so sad and confused. it took her a month or two to really get back into her groove, she is a 14 year old lab. but right now, she is 4 months post-surgery and she is doing so great! she has so much energy and her enormous appetite is back. she seems so happy again! hopefully it is just that winston doesn't feel well and maybe has an upset stomach from the all the meds. i know it is frightening, but you did the right thing and he will get better. like rene always told me, as hard as it is, try to keep positive. it really helps. good luck, we are thinking of you guys!
-samigurrrl and sami's momma
I must have been a very lucky dog, I only got Tramadol and was weened off that after a week. Heck, I didn't even get a bandage. But anyway ...
It may in fact just be that we dogs can cope with pain much better than we can cope with meds. Hopefully it is just the drugs making your baby scared and dopey.
My people are not vets, but I doubt it is cancer "taking hold" so give it time, and remember to be a strong pack leader!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Winston's Mom,
My story reads like yours and many of the other stories posted. I was really not myself at all until I came off of the Tramadol. My personality came back around 2 days after that. My pawrents questioned themselves and hoped that they made the right decision for me. My mom found herself on this website almost all of the time looking for the same reassurance that you are looking for. It was really difficult, but she needed patience for me to heal. Just like Kellie, all of a sudden "it was like a door opened". I will be 3 weeks post op tomorrow. I am myself. I am happy and running around faster then my mom ever thought I would. I have even needed to be reminded that I have rules.
I hope that your story plays out like so many others here.
Best wishes to Winston, Charlie Brown and his mom (Wendy)
Charlie Brown said:
Hi Winston’s Mom,
My story reads like yours and many of the other stories posted. I was really not myself at all until I came off of the Tramadol. My personality came back around 2 days after that. My pawrents questioned themselves and hoped that they made the right decision for me. My mom found herself on this website almost all of the time looking for the same reassurance that you are looking for. It was really difficult, but she needed patience for me to heal. Just like Kellie, all of a sudden "it was like a door opened". I will be 3 weeks post op tomorrow. I am myself. I am happy and running around faster then my mom ever thought I would. I have even needed to be reminded that I have rules.
I hope that your story plays out like so many others here.
Best wishes to Winston, Charlie Brown and his mom (Wendy)
Hi Wendy - thanks so much for your post. Im so glad Charlie Brown is feeling so much better! Winston is doing a bit better - well sort of... We are now on post op day 12 and I phased out the Tramadol yesterday - and its clear Winston is feeling better and has more appetite- which Im relieved about. However, on our first leashed walk last week, I think we went too far, because the next day he developed a pretty serious limp in his front right leg. ( This is the same side as his amputation at the back). So as it didnt improve over the weekend, I took him to his vet on Monday. The vet fully manipulated the leg but Winston seemed fine about it, and didnt indicate pain. She prescribed Rimadyl and told me to watch and wait for 3 or 4 days and then go back if its no better. I am really hoping this is just a minor sprain and nothing horrible - I think he has had more than his fair share of that!!
Like you I spend much of my time anxiously waiting for Winston to improve - and reading up on osteosarcoma. This means that nothing is being done round the house - and my husband is beginning to notice! He is also ill with flu and is complaining that Winston is getting more attention than he is!!
I will keep everyone posted with Winstons progress - hopefully his front leg injury is something extremely minor, and just requires rest and some anti- inflammatories.
Licks to Charlie Brown from Winston
Carolyn ( Winston's mom) and Winston.
Hello Carolyn & Winston,
I know the feeling. I sleep with my Buster post amp.... since he can't make it up the steps or rather if he does ,coming down a flight of 13 steps make me too nervous. So I've been sleeping in the spare bedroom downstairs , since he is nocturnal and has too go out in the middle of the night and I like to comfort his cries when he shifts his weight. It has created some tension between myself & my boyfriend. It's been 12 days post amp.... Temporary. I've had Buster 9years and my boyfriend 7 months.... so Buster wins!!!
Hope Winston is doing better. My dogie is a forelimb amputee and I have noticed his remaining forelimb is flexed . He is having his staples taken out on Monday & his forelimb checked out as well..PS He also had an ACL repair on his hind-leg over a year a half ago. So don't worry ..... they are stronger they we give em credit for.... I've tried to walk Buster like before but i know he runs out of steam very quickly and I don't want to stress or put too much pressure on him. Another tripawd mentioned that once an amputee a too long of a walk can actually hurt their spine as well.. Truth or fiction?? Another question for the DR...
KIM&BUSTER
Kim & Angel Buster
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."
–Anatole France
Dee said:
Hi Winston, Dee here… How are you, pal? Read your post and you havent updated for a while…or am I missing something? Give us a bark so that we know you are ok! Lotsa Licks & Sniffs! xx
Hi Dee and Dee's mom - Im so glad you are now home - bet you are relieved, mom! I hope your post op period is smooth - just keep up the eating as much as possible. One piece of advice that I picked up from Jerry is to slowly phase out the pain killers in the second week - subject to agreement from your vet of course. This worked well for Winston. He is doing fine - Im so pleased I took the plunge and went for the operation. Yesterday we went on his favourite walk and he did lots of grass rolling, tried to chase a duck ( but I wouldnt let him) and generally looked ecstatic to be out in the sunshine. We live on Mercer Island just near Seattle - although I am English - from Bath in Somerset in the UK. I was interested to read that you are in South Africa - what a truly international bunch we are!!
I have just read the post from Remi - that is really inspiring!! I was especially interested that Remi's mom chose not to do chemo, as I think that will be our choice too. I am hoping that we can give Winston a great summer and fall - and if he is with us at Christmas that would be fantastic but I am trying not to think that far ahead.
Keep in touch - I check the forum daily and it would be so great to keep track of Dee's progress as he comes bouncing back ( sounds as if he is doing that pretty well already though!).
Carolyn and Winston.
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