Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Thanks! Just spoke with the vet! He needs a bandage change three times a week :/. Hoping the sleeves come soon! I feel awful it’s so infected - I knew it and just wasn’t aggressive enough with the mobile vet last week - it’s so hard bc he’s a complicated case!
Vet said his lungs sound good and it’s definitely just anxiety. We’re going to try a longer walk before bed and then increase trazadone. Well try that tonight and tmrw and then see he again Wednesday to determine if we need to make adjustments.
Aww don't beat yourself up, you are doing your best and the situation is being handled now. Hygromas are the absolute toughest part of a dog's body to heal, just ask the vet. You made a great move by getting it treated before it got worse.
Glad you were able to chat with the vet. I hope the new dosage adjustment works!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Jist throwing this out there.....what if you skipped the tradone for one night before you increase it?Because every dog is different in the way drugs interact, though maybe this would be worth a try.
Also, what the temperature where you are?
I would imagine also that it does cause discomfort.
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!
Hi!!!! I keep the AC set around 70 degrees so he doesn’t get hot (he seems to like it cooler). I’ve been playing with the timing / even giving the Trazadone and he’s had the same anxiety reaction with or without the one pill. Going to see how he does tonight with 1.5 pills and a long walk / sit outside before bed - say a prayer!!!
Another rough night. I followed vets instructions and Kip was up at 1230am. I took him outside for a walk at 1am and he settled down and basically fell asleep outside. We went inside and he settled until around 130am and then I woke up to him sitting next to my bed at my face level just sitting and staring directly at me. It’s so heartbreaking and I ended up crying myself to sleep. As soon as I started crying, he laid down and went to sleep so that made me feel even worse. I’m worried I’ve totally destroyed his pysche with the surgery. I’ll talk to the vet again tomorrow but any ideas would be appreciated greatly! I’m at wits end and I’m out of ideas
Ii see you're on here now......Okay, other than the nighttime, he's doing well overall, right??
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!
Doing super well - eating, playing w toys, loves walks / rides.... refusing to walk w his new elbow pads :). He’s resting soundly now. It’s just the middle of the night that is an issue
((((hugs)))) you have NOT destroyed his psyche, I promise you. I'm so sorry the new dosage didn't work.
If all other factors are great, then there is something about nighttime that's different and bugging him.
What has changed in his environment? Are you sleeping in your own bedroom again? Furniture rearranged? Has his bed moved? Is there a new fur baby in the family? Just throwing these out there. Think hard about what, if anything is different from before surgery.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you 🙂 I’m wracking my brain - There is more carpet but he seems to like laying on the new rug in the living room. He seems to start sleeping in the bedroom but then moves to living room which he didnt use to to. DEF no new fur puppies. I keep the temp the same as well. I’m wondering if the cone makes it so he can’t get into the right spot in the bedroom but I cant not have the cone given his elbow. I’m in my bedroom and trying to sleep to make him settle but he legit walked up to the nightstand, sat with his face about 12 inches from my head and just panted looking at me. It was interesting because last night around 1am, I took him outside and he settled right down. Maybe his internal clock is a little messed up!? I am going to try to give the trazadone 1-2 hours earlier tonight. I’m just not sure what else to do
Thinking that the staring at you and. panting eight in your face was peobavly while in a sedation fog.
The CONE!!! That may be the clue, maybe??? The cones can mess with all sorts of sensory things from smell, to hearing, to sight. Then putting him kn a sedated fog, goodness knows what may be happening in his head.
Now, that said, he naps for several hours during the day WITH the cone on and with NO sedation??
Has he been an extremely anxious dog prior to this? Reacts badly to change of routine?? If I read this right, his normal routine would be to sleep by your bed, but he only does that for a little while, right? The cone could definitely interfere with that normal routine.
The position he's sleeping in,.as far as on a 'usual' side, or curled up the way he always has, has that changed due to the amp and elbow? If he has to sleep in a different pos because of the incision or elbow, that can cause some restlessness, maybe even leg cramps.
Now....maybe all these great geniuses here can figure out a way to protect that elbow without using the cone.
Alao, what of you put on him pain meds for two or three days/nights in lieu of the sedative? The elbow has to be hurting, throbbing, etc.
Just more food for thought. Oh, speaking of food....no change in his food, right?
You mentioned he settled down after his 1 a.m. walk. Did he pee or poop? Is it possible some change is causing him a need to potty in the middle of the night? It could be that this unusual need to potty is causing anxiety, since he settled after he went outside???
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 all the follow up!! He’s sleeping all day long IN the cone! Usually it doesn’t bother him! The oncologist just emailed and told me to speak with the normal vet tomorrow to see if he is in pain. I’m going to try giving gaba earlier and then the trazadone again tonight and then ask about pain meds tomorrow AM before switching him!
He has been sleeping soundly ALL day since about 10am. Like out cold like old times. WIll definitely keep you posted. He has been on the elbow and it actually looks like its starting to heal a bit so I am encouraged.
Kip has NEVER been anxious which is why I’m so concerned. No change in his food at all. If anything, he is back to pre-surgery routine plus more time outside trying to keep him stimulated. Maybe I should check us into a hotel for a night and see if a change of pace helps!? I’m wracking my brain and appreciate all the thoughts. Now I’m worried he actually is in pain based on what the oncologist said :/
Kip slept through the night with a dose of tramadol!!!!! Maybe it wasn’t anxiety and he was actually in pain?? He seems much more chipper this AM than he has the past week. Has anyone seen tramadol to continue to be needed at night 3 weeks post op? Now I’m worried there’s something wrong with him or the surgery site that he’s still in pain at night!?
YAY!!! Great news!! So happy for both of you!!!
I know we mentoned pain in previous posts, but I thought somewhere in there you said he was on pain meds and it didn't help! I know we mentioned it with the sore elbow anyway, but we should have stayed focused on it more. Ugh!
ABSOLUTELY some dogs stay on pain meds for several weeks after amputation and ,longer!. My Hapoy Hann was on pain meds for three weeks before she start a reduction. THERE IS NO SET RULE THAT PAIN MEDS STOP AT TWO WEEKS. We ise that two week mark as sort of a generalization, but EVERY dog is different! Just continue with the pain med now for a little while, NO WORRIES! It is NOT unusual to continue with pain meds for awhile!!! No worries!!!
I know you both feel better now!
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!
That’s such good news! He seemed ok all day and then around 7pm he was panting. We pulled the gabapentin afternoon dose (down to ever 12 hours now) based on feedback from surgeon / oncologist and he’s been on metacam once a day. We stopped the tramadol after about two weeks. That seemed to really help last night. I emailed the oncologist, will see his Normal vet at 9am Pt and call the surgeon if I don’t hear back to get a more comprehensive plan together. Luckily his elbow looks like it’s starting to heal a bit (not as pussy and starting to look pink which I think is a good sign)!!
he also just made it two blocks (from 6th to 4th street) so I think he’s getting stronger every day. A good night sleep def helps 🙂
WHEW! Oh wow that's a relief he was able to sleep, and for you too!
I agree with Sally. Everything we've seen here shows that all animals cope with recovery pain differently, and they often set their own schedules and dosages. Your being so in-tune with Kip's pain signals are giving him the best recovery possible. Good job, mom!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
1 Guest(s)
