Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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What a wild ride it has been. I've been blogging here, but for those of you that doing see that (raven.tripawds.com), I thought I'd post an update.
The drain and Lasix Monday solved the swelling issue. No more Pillbury Doughdog. WHEW. He is now off the Lasix, Tramadol, Rimadyl. Only on antibiotics and joint supps. So, his attitude is great. He has really enjoyed doing some familiar things like accompanying me on chores and laying under his favorite tree. 
Only two current problems:
1) His stitches are pulling open in one spot and there's a little gaping hole. I called the vet, he's gone until Tuesday (which was the day we were going to remove the drain). They said I could bring him in to see another vet, or just watch it closely and butterfly tape it myself. So, I butterflied it, it's only one stitch. But I will watch for more to come out, or infection. And hoping he will be fine until Tuesday's appt. He is still draining a lot. I have to replace the towel the drain goes in to 3x a day, soaked. But at least he's not retaining the fluid. And I've been told it is normal to sometimes last 2-3 weeks.
2) His pressure ulcer on his elbow. I order http://www.dogleggs.com for him yesterday, but it will take 2 weeks to make for him. In the mean time, I have tried different things, but it's worsening. Today, I am going to buy a neoprene knee brace from the drug store and cut it up. I will make two thick padded strips, and tape one on either side of it, then wrap with vetrap to keep it clean. The idea being to raise the ulcer above ground and support it by being in a "channel" of neoprene. I've heard "donuts" cut off it's blood supply, so I thought maybe the channel will be better. It's a matter of it staying in place that is most challenging. I will take a pic and put on his blog later.
Here's a video from yesterday:
Dawn and Raven
Rottie Raven, osteosarcoma at 8-1/2 years old, amputation in October '09 and in February '10 due to liver mets he went back to heaven where he came from. raven.tripawds.com
Now I have Miles, rottie mix amputee from a shelter and traveled 1500 miles to find his way here through the Rescue Railroad thanks to tripawds.com. miles.tripawds.com
Nurse Dawn, you are doing a great job with Raven.
About the elbow pressure sore issue. We would love to see what you come up with until you get the Dogleggs vest. We have recommended that product in the past, it should help.
Here's a great discusion we had about products for Tripawds, and a DIY elbow protector that Rocky's Mom made.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Good to hear Raven is doing well! Boo had many random holes in her stitches! Our vet told us not to worry about the holes unless they got as big as a quarter! (Thank goodness they never got that large)! Most of them were about the size of a pea… I think we got to the size of a small grape once.
Boo became a Tripawd Warrior Princess on Sept 8, 2009. She crossed over the Rainbow Bridge 2.7 years later on April 29, 2012. Run free Angel Boo!
@amandaboo: I deleted your last post since it was empty. It appeared as though your were attempting to embed images located on your local hard drive. This tech support topic might be helpful: Adding Images to Your Post
You can ask any related questions in that thread.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Dawn and Raven
Thanks for the great update. It must be great to see the personality return now that all those nasty chemicals are gone. It sounds like your tender-loving-care is doing wonders and the sprit is well taken care of. Keep up the great work and will be looking forward to future updates.
Paws Crossed and Sending Pawsitive Thoughts,
Bob & Cherry
Glad to hear everything is going well with Raven. He is a very cute dog, by the way. Emily didn't have a drain so I really don't know anything about that but I wanted to let you know you and Raven are in my thoughts and prayers.
Debra & Emily
Debra & Emily, a five year old doberman mix, who was diagnosed with an osteosaecoma. She had a right rear leg amputation on May 19, 2009. On November 10, 2009 she earned her wings and regained her fourth leg.
AmandaBoo – that's encouraging that you've dealt with this. Raven's hole is about pea sized. The butterfly tape is sort of holding it shut, but I am sure that with movement under his bandaging, it's slides around so that it will be slower to close up. As long as I can support the remaining stitches so that they don't pull out too. I've seen this in other seroma
's, the constant moisture/leakage prevents the scab/healing process and the skin just starts to give out. In the past, my vet has had to re-anesthesize and restitch in a wide waffle pattern to go beyond it to the good skin that will hold. Hoping it won't come to that.
I have had 3 trial and errors since yesterday with makeshift elbow protectors. I went to the drug store to get a neoprene knee brace. I also ended up getting a carpal tunnel wrist brace. $25 each, ugh. I'm fastly on the way to the poorhouse. The Dogleggs will be $120, plus $40 in shipping (shipped twice as they send a prototype for a fitting first), so we are well over $200 just on the elbow issue and that is if it doesn't ever need vet care…
The wrist brace has a squishy pad for under the wrist, like you can get on the edge of a mousepad. I thought it would be ideal. And not even need to do any custom fixing, as the size was about right. I put it on and velcroed it to his body bandaging. He stood up and it immediately twisted so that the padding isn't under his elbow. 
The only way I could prevent that was the tape it to his fur at the top and bottom, which would make it unremovable on a regular basis to check the wound. So, I got the knee brace and it has velcro and is neoprene. No fancy squishy pad, but at least it doesn't matter if it spins then. But within a few hours, it was not only below his elbow, but the hookpart of the velcro grabbed the blanket he laid on and he now had velcroed his one good leg to the blanket and hogtied himself in the living room while I was at work. Poor man! Found him that way when I got home last night. He was struggling to hop to me dragging the fullsized blanket with him.
So, we went back to the wrist one, yes it rolls so that his wound isn't always on the squishy pad, but the rest is a thin neoprene, which is better than nothing and it is working for now…and I tied it with string to his bandaging to keep it up.
His wrist brace:
His knee brace with large velcro straps. I am thinking of trying this with the beaded wrist support I have for my computer mouse pad inside. If I can make them stay put somehow.
His current getup: the wrist brace tied to his bandaging. Just not padded as well as I'd like since the padding inside shifts.
On the lighter side: Raven's cat brother Cowboy has discovered Raven's new elevated feeder makes a fun house.
Dawn and Raven
Rottie Raven, osteosarcoma at 8-1/2 years old, amputation in October '09 and in February '10 due to liver mets he went back to heaven where he came from. raven.tripawds.com
Now I have Miles, rottie mix amputee from a shelter and traveled 1500 miles to find his way here through the Rescue Railroad thanks to tripawds.com. miles.tripawds.com
Wow, you've been busy! Have you thought about going into the business of custom braces? 
FYI: I fixed your images to they display here. Instead of just pasting the image link into your post, simply use the insert image tool (the small button with the tree) and paste it into the image URL field. It's that simple!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Raven - you have a heck of a mommy there!! So innovative and protective - You're a lucky guy...she gets a star 
Looking good - you'll be a happy camper when those stitches come out - just you wait and see!!
Your new pal Spirit Zeus
Heather and Spirit Zeus - Our life changing journey…from the earth to the heavens…one day at a time…always together
Hello Raven
I am Jack's mom and Jack was in a similar situation in that he required a drain in his incision sight. I was emptying it out around 3 to 4 times daily as he had massive fluid build up. Jack was also really tricky about trying to pull the tubing out and at one point we actually had to have it sutured back in. At one point he nearly pulled it out and he was draining through his tshirt. I did end up taking him in so it could be sutured back in as it seemed to bother him a bit more when it was nearly coming out however he just hated that thing. It stayed in a little over a week. Tues is not too far away so as long as you are with cleaning it and there is no infection he should be ok but I did find the more it drained out of the tubing the more Jack wanted to lick it (yuck)
Hope it all goes well
Erin and Jack
Dawn,
You have been so clever with your braces! Wow! Good luck on perfecting it. I imagine about when you get it just perfect your new one will come. Keep your "blue prints" others after may benefit from them.
Your Raven is a cutie. Isn't it something that we have all gorgeous dogs here! You guys are all cute!
Debra & Emily
Debra & Emily, a five year old doberman mix, who was diagnosed with an osteosaecoma. She had a right rear leg amputation on May 19, 2009. On November 10, 2009 she earned her wings and regained her fourth leg.
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