Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello everyone,
I wasn’t sure whether to start a new post or continue with my last one (and I’m so thankful for your help so far). I have been given virtually no advice from my vet so am feeling my way in the dark here...
My 10 yr old Shepard-Rescue Chief is 9 days post op from a front leg amputation (bone cancer). He is off all pain killers except the NSAID Metacam. Is this normal?
And I find he will have one walk about the yard (or slightly down the road a bit) for his morning pee/poo (he is a wild spirit and basically refuses to go at home). But then for most of the rest of the day is laying down. His back legs still seem very weak and shaky.
We are very financially strapped right now - especially post surgery (our insurance hasn’t come through yet). I haven’t downloaded any of the books or fitness recommendations. Should I be starting them now?
I have had very emotional moments where I am worried if this was the right decision... he was running through the forest and on the beach the day of his surgery and is now house bound. I’m trying to trust in the recovery process. But also feel like what if I should be doing more to help him? He is very good shape - he seems much younger than he is and is not overweight at all.
Any thoughts or feedback on recovery and what I should focus on right now in terms of meds, activity... until I can afford to download the materials? Thank you so much again for any thoughts.
Generally no e days is too early to be off pain meds.
Refresh my memory, was he on Gabapentin before? The dose and frequency and how much does he weigh?
Resting is still a good thing. Apu ds like he just fors to the yard for potty and back in. That's exactly what he should be doing.
If I recall, he probably overdid it the first week a bit and his muscles need to recoup their strength.
May have mentioned thos before. Try .ots of up and down massages before he gets up and when he comes in from potty. Yoi can also gently stretch his legs while supporting them.
Having him sit, then stand, sit and stand.... helps build his core muscles. Another thing you can do at home. Jave him stand, then have him follow your hand with a cookie in it towards his butt. Then reverse and have him turn the other way. Of course, don't forget to give him the cookie!
Sometimes with older dogs arthritis shows up that wasn't that noticeable before the surgery. The NSAID will help that.
Do his rear legs "shake" everytime he gets up and walk...or is it more reveal t after walking around the yard some?
Oh, and while he's standing, when you massage up and down his spine area, his neck, his shoilder, does he show any tension anywhere?
Is Chief eating, drinking okay? Sleeping comfortably?? Show signs of sparkle coming back yet? A tail wag when you come home or a tail wag when he gets a treat?
I KNOW it's hard to be patient. But really, for nine days out, Chief is about where he should be. It generally takes two plus weeks to get over the NAJOR surfer itself. And then about thirty days to adjust to their new gate and get their sea legs back.
And do remeber, it is MAJOR surgery!! AMD yes, he may need some pain meds a vit longer.
Update when you can
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS. Not that it helps, but ma ymof is second guess our decisions the first week or two. We want them to bee back to "normal" asap. It's hard to relax and give them time to heal at their own pace. It think it took me three weeks before I could say I did this FOR my Hapoy Hannah and not TO her. You'll get there 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!
Hi Kelly! Griffin is 16 days post-op for a right forelimb amputation, so we are a week ahead of you. Griffin is also 10 years old and after surgery, he weighs 60 lbs. I see that Sally provided some suggestions for exercises for Chief and I thought I'd share with you what was given to me for at home exercises at Griffin's first physical therapy appointment yesterday. Please email these suggestions to your vet to make sure that he/she approves any or all of them for where Chief is in terms of his progress, but I think they are pretty standard. The embedded links are to my veterinary hospital's rehab YouTube channel and the words in [brackets] are the terms you should use to search for the particular video. I hope this information helps. Griffin's back legs tremble regularly and he tires very easily, but that will get better as he builds new muscles and strengthens his core, builds his stamina, and relearns his balance. Griffin and I are sending healing vibes to Chief! ~ Stacy
All exercises should be performed on a non-slippery surface (carpet, grass, yoga mat, cement, etc). Choose 3 exercises to perform per day. Remember to vary them regularly. There should be one-two days of FULL rest per week with no exercises other than massage, Passive Range of Motion (PROM) and leash walks to do his business.
MASSAGE: Begin by kneading with your fingers to pick up the loose skin around the neck. This is a great way to relax Griffin and signal the start of your therapy. Use firm but gentle pressure to massage along the spine. Use circular motions with your thumbs on either side of the spine or cusp your fingers and run down along the back. Begin at the neck and move down towards the tail. You can also continue your massage through the limbs. Focus especially on the triceps (muscles behind the bone in the front limb) and hip flexors (muscles in front of the bone in the hind limbs). If his muscles are tight, you can begin by applying a warm compress for 5-10 min the the muscles. A warm compress can be a moist towel (place in microwave for 15 sec and test on yourself to make sure it's not too hot) or a heat pad on low setting.
PASSIVE RANGE OF MOTION (PROM): Griffin should be lying on his side. Take each joint through a full range of motion (wrist, elbow, shoulder, ankle, knee, hip). Keep the leg parallel to the ground and do not pull on the paw. Place one hand above the joint and one hand below. Gently flex and extend each joint. Pulse intermittently to improve the range of motion and hold each stretch for 10 sec. Do this for 3-5 min. Instructional Video: http://www.youtube.com/user/AMCRehabFitness [Forelimb Range of Motion and Hindlimb PROM]
CRAWLING: Start in a down position. Take a treat to Griffin's nose and encourage him to stay in a down position while moving the treat away from him. Griffin should crawl towards the treat. Have him crawl for ~3-5 feet. Rest and repeat 3 sets twice daily. Instructional Video: http://www.youtube.com/user/AMCRehabFitness [Crawling]
GIVE PAW (WAVE): Ask Griffin to wave to prompt him to lift his left forelimb. For extra elbow flexion, gently push the leg towards his chest so the elbow achieves full flexion (elbow should touch the chest). Repeat 5 times twice daily.
DECLINE STANDING: On a non-slippery surface, raise Griffin's hind feet ~ 6 inches- 1 foot and allow weight bearing on his front leg. Time for ~ 1 min or until he tires. Rest for 30 sec. Do three repetitions twice daily.
ELEVATED STANDING: On a non-slippery surface, raise Griffin's front foot ~ 1 foot and allow weight bearing on his hindlegs. Time for ~ 1 min or until he tires. Rest for 30 sec. Do three repetitions twice daily. The higher you raise the front foot, the better hip extension and the more challenging the exercise.
DOWN-TO-STAND: Start in a standing position. Take a treat from Griffin‘s nose to the ground and encourage him to bend the elbows. His hind legs can stay elevated as in a Play-bow posture. Then ask him to STAND or COME to make him get up. Repeat 3-5 times consecutively twice daily. Instructional video: http://www.youtube.com/user/AMCRehabFitness [Push ups]
SIT-TO-STAND: Have Griffin SIT, then immediately ask him to STAND or COME to make him get up. Repeat 5 times consecutively twice daily. Ensure it is a proper sitting posture with both legs squarely tucked at the sides (the knee should be in line with the toes). This improves hindlimb muscle strength. Instructional video: http://www.youtube.com/user/AMCRehabFitness [Sit-to-Stand]
BALANCE ON PHYSIOEQUIPMENT: Place Griffin's front foot on the fitbone and his hind limbs on the physiodisc. He should be standing as squarely as possible. Have him balance in a standing position for up to 1 minute. You can add extra challenge by gently pressing on the equipment to move it slightly. Rest for few seconds. Repeat 3 times twice daily.
CROSSED LEG STANDING: In a square standing posture, lift left hind leg off the ground. In order to prevent weight bearing through your hand, the raised hind leg should extend backwards towards the tail (hip extension). Hold posture for 15-30 sec or as long as tolerated. Rest for 15 sec. Repeat 3 times twice daily. This exercise helps to build core strength as well as strength in the weight bearing legs. Instructional video: http://www.youtube.com/user/AMCRehabFitness [3 Leg Stand]
BEG: In sitting position (in a corner is easier), Griffin should elevate his body by raising his front leg to chest level into BEG position. His hind limbs should remain in the seated position. Hold for 15 seconds or as long as tolerated. Rest 30 seconds and repeat 3 times. This is a core strengthening exercise.
Griffin lived an amazing life for 11 years! Diagnosed with osteosarcoma on March 17, 2020, Griffin's right forelimb was amputated on April 2, 2020. Ten days later he was running and playing fetch! Lung metastasis discovered in July 2020 did not slow down Griffin and he lived joyfully for the next 7 months, passing peacefully at home on February 11, 2021. https://griffin.tripawds.com
Thanks for your post Stacy!! Very kind to take the time to share!!
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!
I have had very emotional moments where I am worried if this was the right decision…
I would say that most of us did this too! There are a few lucky pups who sail right through recovery like nothing happened but most of us went through some ups, downs and doubts.
What I see here is that most pups are on pain meds for at least two weeks- again, a few seem OK off them sooner but this really is a big surgery and recovery takes time.
We were told that for the first two weeks Maggie was only allowed short, leashed potty breaks otherwise she was supposed to rest. Maggie was a slug post-op who rarely got out of her bed so no problem there for us! She lost a rear leg and could hop on her own the day of surgery but she didn't get far before she sat down. And when she tried to stand still her remaining back leg would shake. There is new balance to get used to and Chief is using his body/muscles in different ways- it will take him time to build up his strength and stamina again- but don't worry- that will come after he recovers from the surgery.
We didn't get much guidance from our surgeon post- op either. Basically they said at the two week mark Maggie could do whatever she wanted. As a 7.5 year old Pug she was not that active- and she kept up the slug routine for 6 weeks after her amp. She eventually worked up to walking about half the distance she could before her surgery. I had no idea then that I should be working on her core strength and balance, it was before Tripawds was established.
For the next few days focus on letting Chief rest and let your vet know if you think he is in pain. There are lots of free resources on this site about exercises and games for new Tripawds.
Here are a few links to check out:
And if your not sure if Chief is showing signs of pain here are some links on pain management :
Hang in there! Celebrate every little victory and stay positive!
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
Wow thank you everybody!! ❤️ You almost made me cry to be honest.
Sally - you saying that it took you 3 weeks to go from ‘I did this TO her (so where I am right now!) to ‘FOR’ her was just incredibly reassuring. Just to hear that you were there too! So thank you.
Stacy - wow. I can’t thank you enough for sharing your exercises. Honestly. That is so helpful. Thank you 🙏
And Karen - your advice about exercise and pain links were so incredibly helpful too. I actually do think Chief is in pain after reading the articles 🙁
Chief was on Tramadol and Metacam (nsaid) after surgery for a week. Then when he stopped pooping, the vet said to take him right off the Tramadol (maybe 5-6 days post op?). He was never on Gabapentin or Amantadine like I have read a lot of other dogs were. He also has loose poo right now - as I have read some dogs do from the NSAIDs. To me it makes sense for him to be on another pain killer at this point? Would any of you agree? He doesn’t seem enthusiastic about his food right now. Which I read is a symbol of pain.
im also glad to read about your dogs legs shaking and things even weeks after surgery (and Griffin’s legs shaking now). That is reassuring that this is normal and he will build up strength.
I find he pants a lot too but doesn’t take a lot of water. And his tongue seems bright red more than usual (weird thing to notice I know). I wonder if this is because he’s working so hard, or because he’s in pain.
I think I’m going to ask the vet about adding in another pain pill for a little while. And then focus on the exercises you sent.
I really really needed your comments today and thank you all so much for taking the time to share. Honestly really helped me through this day!
O e of our biggest..grrrr...arpu d here is when Vet's do6 provide proper pain management ! It's such an "old school" way of thinking!
Yes, five or six days off of pain meds waaaay too early! Uour Chief is showing classic signs of pain. It may not be a screaming kind of. pain because dogs are so stoic, but definitely a very uncomfortable miserable feeling kind of pain.
Obviously not Vets and not giving Vet advice. But advocate as starters for Gabapentin and Tramadol. Tramadol a,one has not been shown to be as effective as once thought. But the Gaba and Tramadol compliment each other, especially when the Tram is given maybe an hour or two after the Gaba.
I guarantee you no Vet would be off pain meds on day five after MAJOR amp aurgery!!
Is he on an antibiotic? That can cause gastric upset. As can the NSAIDZ. Also, not pooping at first for many days is a common occurrences. And to maybe jave a bit of diarrhea following not pooping happens too.
So yes, get him on at least Gabapentin and see if that helps. It may take a day or two to kick in. And if you jave to take him off the NSAID to clear his tummy up, that okay. Another one can be tried later. IOf course all this is with Vet approval.
No worries about leg shaking right now, okay. A lot of muscle adjustment is going on, as well as probably some pain. The Tehab Stacy outlined will help too. Right now, you would only want to start out with maybe two easy exercises with low repetition. Of course, as Stacy pointed out, always with Vet approval.
Try FRESH PET in the bags (not the rolls). It's in the refrigerator pet section at Target and Whold Foods.
That is a food dogs ,looooove! Of course, keep trying warmed chicken. anything g with melted chees on it, scrambled eggs and bacon, .liverwurst.... pretty much anything g he'll eat. Of course. It may not help his tummy issues, so you'll have to monitor that..
Can't remember if I mentioned this or not. My first post here was on day six begging for help because I feared I'd made a horrible mistake!! Patience is. mighty hard during recovery!!!! But soooo necessary!!
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS...Update on the meds Monday, okay? And if it's a problem, switch Vets!!
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!
Just wanted to say hi and toss in our experiences and support. It know how it feels to watch them in this situation and wonder if you did the right thing. Most importantly try not to beat your self up it does get better. The pain meds thing is a huge learning curve. We stopped roanes meds 14 days in and had pretty much the same reaction, laying around, no appetite and the shaking that wasnt there before. Im not saying its the same for every dog but theres a good chance he just needs a bit more time on the meds. If i remember right we did 3ish weeks on gaba and carprofen and actually ended up doing a maintenance dose of carprofen even after we stopped the gabapentin. It was such a change, it was like suddenly roane was back to her happy self again.
Wishing you luck and sending lots of belly rubs to Chief.
Bev, Moe cat, autumn angel Roane & angel dog Gypsy
Hugs ❤ Bev, nurse Moe cat, Autumn's Angel Roane & Angel dog Gypsy 🐾
My sweet soulmate Roane was diagnosed with osteo in June of 2019. Had a rear leg amp on July 2nd & crossed the rainbow bridge to be with her sister Gypsy on the first day of Autumn Sept 23 2019.
Bev that is so nice of you to take time to share. Thank you! I know that means a lot to Chief's people.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi, Brownie was on pain meds fully for two weeks, then started tapering off on week three. He did continue with Rimidyl.
Brownie was an older senior at 12 and slept mostly for two weeks. Potty breaks and that was it. Once he got his stiches out is when his vet said to start walking him, but to start slow
On week three he got his sparkle back and I new my Brownie was back!
Give it a little time and start slow, and I would check with your vet before starting any exercises. Remember all dogs are different just like people.
Sending positive thoughts your way
Keep us posted
My Beautiful Beloved Brownie was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on February 26, 2019. With all odds against him he lived an additional one year and eight days with amputation, love, and prayer. I was honored to be his mom, and I have never been so proud! He will live forever in my Heart!
04/01/2007 - 03/05/2020
"March Saint"
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