Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hmmmm.... maybe you could try 400 mg Gaba three times a day..
If I recall, she was more "druggy" after you went up to 800mg every eight to twelve hours?? Prior to that, the 400mg twice a day was too low, right? So maybe the suggestion above may be the sweet spot.
And again, not a Vet and not giving Vet advice and consult with Bet before making any changes.!!!!
Oh, just curious, did the "bladder relaxer" med have any sedation effect??
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!
Ophelia seems to be doing so well. That's great! It took Nicky a few days to realize that he can't lift his leg. It's all so new to them. Nick was also on 800mg x 3 doses of Gaba and amantadine and he's 15 pounds heavier... so if Virginia thinks you should talk to your vet, probably a good idea. Your sweet girl also has some leftover meds from the operation slowing her down, but it's all good. She's getting lots of rest and she knows you're supporting her. Now in our third week, I'm finding I'm pretty tired! Be sure to rest yourself Suzanne
Thank you both.
the bladder relaxant does cause some drowsiness that i was unaware of until i just looked. So that could explain today. But still, she was peeing yesterday.
just to clarify, Ophelia was on 400mg of gaba 3 times per day prior to surgery. Now she’s on 700mg 3 times per day. So they almost doubled it.
So i haven’t done a full update on the past week yet.
Ophelia had her right front leg amputated on Tuesday. She received her first treatment of chemotherapy on Wednesday. Her leg was sent to ELIAS in Kansas City where they will develop a vaccine from the tumor on that leg which will be injected into her in about three weeks. She will receive one more chemo treatment before then.
I wish that i could post the video that i took of me picking her up because it has brought people to tears. It certainly does me every time that i watch it. She comes through the door on three legs while being helped by two vet techs. As soon as she sees me there is an immediate charge of energy that you see on her demeanor. She begins to walk faster so that she can get to me and her tail wags. I was so proud of how strong and brave she that she was.
i saw with her all evening that first night. She didn’t do much but sleep but she would wake up immediately any time that i left her side. She woke me up at 4 am because she wanted to go outside where it is a bit cooler in the mornings and where she likes to watch squirrels on the trees. We both fell back asleep on the patio. The rest of that day was pretty uneventful. She had a couple of visitors, including my ex wife who still has Ophelia in her care part time.
I ended up taking her to the ER because she wasn’t peeing. That’s still an issue because she’s only peed with the assistance of a a bladder relaxant which also knocked her out for almost all of yesterday. I think that she just isn’t comfortable with the balance that she needs to squat and pee. I’m really hoping that she figures it out soon and that this doesn’t become a bigger issue.
Yesterday morning i left her laying in the middle of the yard for about 2 minutes to go get her a bowl of water. When i came outside, she had gotten herself up and managed to walk to the other side of the yard all on her own.
Today, which is day three of being home, i decided to let her do a little more without my help. She’s walked all around the yard, managed to go up two steps on my patio, and even managed to climb into her chair on the patio. That wiped her out so she’s currently sleeping next to me as i write this.
Other than relieving herself peeing and the other, things seem to be ahead of where i could have possibly hoped them to be at this point. Her strength and resilience has been absolutely amazing to me.
Hey Michael! I was so glad to see your updates and the video gave me the biggest smile seeing her. I’m glad you got the potty issue resolved. From what I’ve read, that’s a pretty common issue. The hardest part for me was getting the right dosage and timing of meds. After that, his appetite and energy came back. And don’t worry, her stamina will come back over time. It’s been a month for me since Kota’s surgery and we are still working on his stamina. It comes back slowly, but is also dependent on the individual doggie.
If you need any tips going forward (you seem to be handling everything beautifully and you’re an awesome pet parent), I’d say just let her go at her own pace. If she’s a chill dog to begin with, you probably won’t have to stop her from doing too much. Kota would do short bursts of energy then go lay down. Each day, he wandered farther in the yard. She’ll tire herself out easily but that’s ok. As long as her incision site looks good, whatever makes her happy enough to move around is good :). Another tip: Let her fall a little and figure out the balancing thing on her own. I kind of did the guiding hands beside Kota when he went up and down a ramp to catch him if he fall, but he did the rest himself. But the most important part about them falling and all that is that they learn themselves how to navigate things. He learned how to pounce on toys, tug and chew on a bone by himself. He fell a few times on his little face but he got better. I know, it’s sad when they do that but it’s part of the learning process.
How is her incision site looking? And how is her appetite? Don’t be afraid to share pics and vid’s. We love them and your girl is so pretty! Hoping you guys are well!
OOOOOMMMMMDDDDD! That video is melting my heart! ♥️ She is soooo beautiful and clearly just as sweet as can be. Yeah, I think I had a few Happy tears watc6 her go to you. And uoj did an excellent job of being upbeat and happy! That ki d of energy is so important in their recocery.
Justin and Suzanne.....great feedback and tips👍
Have to scroll back up and look at that video again. So darn sweet.
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!
Hop! Hop! Hop! Look at her GO! Thank you for sharing such an unforgettable moment with us. Things are going really, really well it sounds like, and YOU sound really good too.
Curious, what is the bladder relaxant they gave her? I wouldn't worry about the urination issue being a long-term thing. I can't recall ever seeing that happen to a dog here. One step at a time, you are doing this!
Thanks again everyone. Yes, that video brings tears to my eyes every time that i watch it.
jerry - the urinary relaxant is called Prazosin. I’ve only had to give it to her the one time. She FINALLY peed in her own about 90 minutes ago.
The incision is looking good. No issues. There is some fluid building up but i was warned that this would occur and that it would resolve in a week or so.
And yes, I’ve tried to be more hands off today. I already mentioned that she walked across the yard, and also navigated a couple of steps on the patio this morning. This evening she tripped and fell on my kitchen floor. I think that she got her foot caught under the rug that i put down on my tile. She just out her head down for a few minutes and didn’t want to get back up. I was able to coax her to try again and she was fine.
A little later, someone set off a firecracker somewhere in my neighborhood. Ophelia is terrified of loud booms like that or thunder. It’s so bad that I’ve actually taken her to Vail the past three years to get her away from the city. We had plans to do that again this year but obviously that didn’t work out. Anyway, she jumped up and literally sprinted into the house. She had to navigate all three steps on my patio to get inside. She did it so fast that I didn’t even have a chance to get up and try to help her. So this was pretty impressive.
Her appetite is not great. She eats just a little of the food that i make for her. She will eat a few treats throughout the day, but isn’t all that interested in those either. Not too worried about this yet. She has never been a big eater, especially considering she weighs (weighed) 130 lbs.
now she’s wiped out and sleeping on the couch. She insisted getting up there into her normal spot where she has a bed. I’ll make her get down before i go to sleep though.
I took this video two days before her amputation. As you can see, she wasn’t really bothered by her right leg where the tumor was. Seeing her healthy, while a blessing, made it hard for me to accept that she had to have the surgery.
That cart in these videos was her sister, Lola’s a heeler). Lola had an inoperable herniated disc, a pin in a broken knee cap, and her hip joint surgically removed, so had no use of her back legs for the last 18 months of her life. She passed away about 15 months ago. I have reminded people who have asked me if i will be okay taking care of Ophelia with only three legs that Lola only had two. AND she had a horrible seizure disorder that caused her to have grand mal seizures if she was not medicated properly. She was in rough shape at the end of her life, but still managed to be happy. She’s also the reason that i learned the importance of pet health insurance, which i didn’t have until some of her issues had become pre-existing conditions. Lol.
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