Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Thank you Everyone for your continued support. I am so thankful for all of you!
I need to pick your collective brains. Do any of you have an idea of how to teach Major to be able to do his poop squat, and to encourage him to pee outdoors?
It's a bit strange, because he did pee outside on his own when I went to pick him up last Thursday, but then he completely stopped peeing, which caused me to bring him back to the vet on Sunday. Since then, they cathetered him, and since that he has been peeing on his own, but only in bed. Thus far, there has been no pooping. Anyway, since he is having such a hard time with balance, and since there are no underlying issues, he must just be having hard time balancing. But I have no idea how to explain to him or show him how to do it. Any ideas?
Major! What's up with leeing in bed...and not pooping...even in bed??!
Okay, he's still at the vet?? Peeing in bed would not be too crazy in that scenario. Since any other causes have been ruled out AND he is peeing now on his own (albeit in his bed), Usually, and I'm no vet, the being druggy can certainly cause them to pee in their bed. It's probably a combo of being a bit woozy and not really feeling the urge because of the meds.
And YAY for peeing in his own!!
Now, as far as pooping goes. If I'm reading this right he hasn't pooped since October 6th? Owweee! If I recall, one or two dogs didn't go for seven or eight days. I know he's not eating much and not drinking much.
Okay...I hope I don't get kicked off the site for this, but I almost guarantee this will work as far as peeing. Have your husband take a nice long pee on one of Major's favorite spots to pee. Yes, I really did just say that! Hopefully, it's really close to the door. I'm betting he'll will mark his territory pretty darn fast! Now,all you have to do is make sure your husband remembers he goes I side...dogs go outside!
I know I've mentioned this, but try some natural pumpkin...not pie filling, but canned puree pumpkin. I guess the vet can tell by pressi g on his tummy if he's impacted and take appropriate .measures.
Okay....we DO have another IMPROVEMENT!!! Peeing on his own!!! HUGE IMPROVEMENT! Many more to follow!
Sending hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
Oh, as far as photos, I think someone gave you the link. If you have a tavlet, those instructions don't work. Do you have a photobucket acct? Tra sfer your oics ro photobucmet....tap htlm....it will say "copied to clipboard". Go back to your post...tap your screen....tap the clipboard icon.....ya' know what? I'm the world's worse at comluter! Wait til someone else with comluter savvy shows you!
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!
Ha ha ha! We will have to try the DH pee thing. Although, we will have to try that at night, so we don't get into trouble with the neighbors. Having said that, I was told by the vet today, that Major peed on his own outdoors today, so maybe, just maybe, all the special enticement will not be necessary once he gets here. Here is hoping!
Here is that long promised pix of Major. I finally figured it out! Or not. 
It looks fine before I submit it, but once the post is submitted, the pix are not there.
He's lovely! What a sweet face. I hope he's feeling better now.
(I can see the photos fine if I don't use Chrome.)
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
OOOOMMMMDDDDD! These pictures were well worth the wait!! Lpvely and sweet face indeed!!
And I LOVE the way Major is gazing at your husband so such love and a rel "oneness" with him. The picture of Major at the beach....I want to jump throuh the screen and SMOOOOOCH him!
AND......We have PEEEEEEEEE.....oh his own and not in his bed!!! GRRRRRREAT UPDATE!! And hubby can pee in the privacy of his own home now!
Keep these great update and priceless photos coming of your sweet boy.
Love and hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
PS...Are you able to see your photos now? Maybe there was just a time delay? I'm on Firefox.
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!
Thank you annapyr and benny55. And Major says thank you, as well. 
Oh yes, now I can see the pix; when I browse with explorer instead of chrome. Darn these competing browsers and platforms!
Major is just beautiful. I just want to smooch that beautiful face! Glad to hear he's now peeing outside! Sometimes the drugs make them so loopy they just can't hold it. Each new day will bring new progress with it. It's baby steps at first. As far as the "poop squat" the first couple of times Max went he just stood and out it came. I guess when you gotta go you gotta go. After a few days though he went back to sorta a squat but I wouldn't worry too much about it. They figure it out on their own once they're not so loopy from the meds. I'm happy you're getting good updates from the vet each day! Keep those updates coming. We are right with you on Majors journey.
Linda, Bob & Max
majorsmom said
...now I can see the pix; when I browse with explorer instead of chrome. Darn these competing browsers and platforms!
You have no idea... 
So, the mysterious Chrome issue is apparently still preventing images from displaying certain images for some users. Though they are loading fine now for us here in Chrome v. 46.0.2490.71 (64-bit) for Mac OSX. And yes, that's the real version number! 
Major is beautiful!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I updated to 46.0.2490.71 and it fixed my picture issue also. And the little check box to mark topics all read is back! Hurray!
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
He is gorgeous. So very happy you figured out the posting process. And happy, too, that things seem to be looking up!
I can see pictures on the iPad, but not on the laptop with Windows 8.1 and Chrome.
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!
He is a very handsome boy!
Sounds like he is making a bit of progress, that's great.
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
Thank you, Everyone, for the compliments. 🙂
So Major is home today. It has been a good/bad day. The very good thing is that when we got home I left him in the kitchen by his food and water, and I went into the bedroom to lie down (I'm having a fibromyalgia flare-up). Well, he was not happy to be alone. He kept on making noises and I kept on checking on him, but finally I just couldn't anymore, so I kind of tried ignoring him. Well, after much grunting and scraping, he got up BY HIMSELF, and staggered into the bedroom BY HIMSELF. He went all the way up to his mattress and got up on it ALL BY HIMSELF. As soon as he was on there he fell down and got stuck, so I had to adjust him, but that was a huge improvement over last week.
Now for the bad: the vet said he felt that using the harness on him at this point, is hindering his progress in figuring how to balance, and he said not to use it. Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny! When we got home, there was no way he was going to walk from the car to the house, let alone up the stairs without the harness. It was either use the harness or spend the rest of our lives in the driveway.
Also, he has still not pooped. 🙁 The vet has checked and rechecked him, and he is not in any danger. He is not impacted. However, given how badly he does outside trying to walk. I have no idea how he will ever be able to go.
I think that once he gets to moving around a bit more by himself, the exercise will start up his innards. It takes some doing for them to figure out how to do things, but eventually they do. I think that at this stage you are wise to use the harness for stairs and the car, but he has now shown you that he IS capable of getting himself around. He just needs to take his time.
Kathi and the Turbotail April Angel...and the Labradork
PS. Here's hoping that you are both doing better tomorrow.
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!
More progress!
Since he has shown that he CAN do it on his own you may have to employ a bit of tough love. Don't put him in danger, but he has shown if he wants it bad enough he will get up and move. You don't want to spend all day in the driveway, but maybe put his food a few feet away so he has to get up for it.
My little pug Maggie was about 4 weeks past her amp when she started spending some time at my parents house. My parents felt bad for her and carried her everywhere, including in and out to go potty. Two things happened- she started peeing in their house if someone didn't carry her out (she NEVER had accidents in the house), and once she was outside she wouldn't even try to come in on her own. It took me leaving her in the backyard for 20 or 30 min a couple times before she figured out that no one was coming for her. That finally ended that behavior and we didn't have any further issues.
I'm with Kathi, I think if he can move on his own a little more his system will kick in.
Come on Major, you can do it!
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
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