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5th Day Post-Op: Showing Pain for 1st Time?
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Member Since:
9 December 2018
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9 December 2018 - 1:40 pm
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Hi all! My name is Sara and I've been reading through your helpful posts while caring for my sweet girl, Ciara. Ciara is a 7yo shepherd mix who was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in her right rear leg via bone biopsy at the beginning of November. We opted for the amputation/chemotherapy approach, as the oncologist we met with felt Ciara is a strong candidate to do well with the treatment.

She is now 5 days post-op and has been doing extremely well until today. The bruising has started to subside and the incision is clean and does not look red or inflamed. Pre-surgery, we had her on Tramadol 2-3x a day and Rovera 1x a day. Post surgery, we kept the same dosage of both with the addition of an antibiotic (as of now, she only has one dose of the antibiotic left). She's been resting and very quiet, no activity or licking. 

Upon our discharge, the nurse told us we could probably start to wean her off the Tramadol at full dosage. Yesterday, we gave her 2 and she did fine. She had one this morning, but around 2:30, she whined for a little bit and then started panting, obsessively licking her bed, and trembling. I gave her a Tramadol at 3 and she's still panting and trembling. I know I should give it a little while longer to kick in, but we aren't quite sure what to make of it. She hasn't been eating her full meals this weekend, but at least a cup 2x a day, and is going potty normally.

If anyone could share their experience as to why the pain would spike like this, or does it seem likely she has an infection? I'm probably going to call the surgeon if she doesn't seem better sooner than later. Just a worried mama. smiley

On The Road


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9 December 2018 - 2:07 pm
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Without proper pain management and consistent administration of medications, symptoms can certainly spike and dip like a roller coaster ride. If Ciara was not provided with a patch or a long-lasting pain medication via IV at the hospital, then weening off the tramadol the same day she is discharged does sound quite early. Please note that we are not vets, but tramadol alone is rarely used by itself by clinics practicing the latest pain management protocols.

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9 December 2018 - 2:52 pm
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Thanks for the info. She was at the hospital for 2 nights, where they applied local anesthetic to her leg every 6 hours until we picked her up (this was in addition to the painkillers mentioned in my OP). We definitely want her on full pain medication at least until the sutures are removed a week from tomorrow. 

She started to do a little better after I gave her the Tramadol, but we will definitely need more. I don't understand why they couldn't have given us enough to last us until her sutures came out.

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9 December 2018 - 3:06 pm
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Hello! I’m new here also, but maybe you can call the vet and just have them send a partial script to the pharmacy (like Costco) until stitches come out, it seems kinda weird they didn’t give you enough not to mention with drawl can be bad if not tapered properly. Then you won’t have to go into the office they should be able to do it electronically or write one for you to grab.   I hope they can get you some! 

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9 December 2018 - 3:39 pm
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Thanks! Yes they said they could give it to me, or my normal vet can as well. I plan on calling tomorrow.

She stopped shaking after we got some Tramadol in her, and her Rovera is coming up soon. I'll give her another Tramadol before bed. I think we should add Gabapentin back into the mix, but want to talk to someone before I go ahead and do it. She gets that shallow breathing sometimes after taking Tramadol, but seems better now. This is the first we're seeing this reaction, so I hope we can get it back under control soon!

ETA: I called the after hours nurse and she said to give Ciara gabapentin with her tramadol tonight. The surgeon will call me tomorrow morning to see if we need to change anything up. I just want to get ahead of the pain as much as I can. I thought she was doing extraordinarily well, so hopefully this will be a minor setback.

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9 December 2018 - 4:46 pm
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When Remy first came home he was on Gabapentin and Carprofen, but he was still in pain. So our vet changed out the Carprofen for Tramadol and said if it is really bad I could give him 2 of them. We use the Gabapentin at night and the Tramadol during the day in the first week post-op. That really seem to help Remy. 

I hope Ciara (and you) sleep well tonight.

Lynn

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9 December 2018 - 4:59 pm
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Thanks Lynn - she's sleeping now and seems to be good. I think the Tramadol/Gabapentin will be a good combo. *fingers crossed*

Once she's asleep, I try very hard not to wake her because if she's sleeping, she's doing good. I'm a fretter by nature, but I had a feeling this was pain related and we got off course because we only gave her 2 yesterday. My plan is to have her on full dose at least until we can take her in for a post-op suture removal and follow up exam. 

Virginia







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9 December 2018 - 8:12 pm
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Good job for being such a good advocate for Ciara!

You've  gotten good feedback from everybody, so I know that was helpful .

Yes, this is MAJOR SURGERY and, as you've  already seen, the pain must be managed on a consistent  basis.  And sometimes it does take some tweaking to figure out the doses  that work best for your dog.

Tramadol and Gabapentin  work in different ways, but in ways that compliment each other.  Some find  it effective to give  one of the meds first, and give the other one an hour  or so later.

Now you get some 💤💤💤 yourself    This part of the journey  can be quite exhausting  physically  and emotionally.

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!

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10 December 2018 - 9:44 am
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Thank you for the kind words, Sally!

She's doing okay today. The surgeon refilled our Tramadol for the next week +, which I will pick up during my lunch. I gave her another Gabapentin to help, but the nurse still wants the surgeon to weigh in on that. I feel she needs it. Apparently they are concerned that it's a sedative, but it helps her rest and sleep, so why not give it to her?

We cone her at night, and I think it's uncomfortable for her, and she doesn't get much sleep. She passes out during the day, so just trying to keep her as comfortable as possible until we can get these sutures out and no more cone. 

I was a little sad today because she did not want to get up for her daily treats, but I think she's just tired. She is eating and drinking normally and going potty. She just seems a little down. I'm hopeful that will pass, especially into next week. 🙂

ETA: The surgeon agreed that we could give her gabapentin as needed to overlap with the tramadol. clap

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10 December 2018 - 10:02 am
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Sara, good for you for trying to stay ahead of the pain and being such a great advocate for Clara. clap

pain management needs can differ from dog to dog, and it's so important to work with your vet to find the right balance. Once you find it, she should be able to start feeling better and perk up.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Virginia







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22 February 2013
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10 December 2018 - 9:44 pm
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Oh good!  Glad you got the okay on the pain meds.  Sure, sometimes  the meds can make them a bit drowsy, but that's  better than being in pain!!  And as Jerry said, you'll find the right balance.   

It's  srill BERY early in recovery .  We call thos part a roller coaster ride.  One minute  your up, the next down...up...down...yeah, you get the point.  Things will be  more steady as she continues to recover.   Getting her pain managed will definitely  help with the healing.

Grab some ice cream and chocolate  and eat it by the handfuls and spoonfuls   A VERY helpful part of YOUR recovery as you start to normalize  and settle down😉

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!

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11 December 2018 - 8:59 am
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Absolutely! Mama needs some red wine - LOL!

She seems better today, and we have her on the steady doses of meds. She finished the antibiotic on Sunday. Now if I could just get her to stop licking her other 3 paws and bed, that'd be great! She's always been a rampant paw licker, but she's been obsessed! Not sure if it's boredom, anxiety, or what. She'll get up to adjust and lick the spot she was just lying on - anyone else's pup do this?

Member Since:
15 November 2018
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11 December 2018 - 12:06 pm
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I have a friend whose dog is a big licker also.  She uses Treat Well 1:1 Pet Cannabis Tincture twice a day for him.  She said it completely stops him from licking.  I can find out how much she gives him if you are interested.  He would lick his paws and legs so much that they would bleed.  She said if he misses a dose he starts licking again. 

I'm currently using it on my English Bulldog who is on Gabapentin, Galliprant and Tramadol (we are weaning off of Tramadol post biopsy surgery).  The docs said it was fine to use this cannabis tincture along with these medications.

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9 December 2018
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11 December 2018 - 2:49 pm
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colleen said
I have a friend whose dog is a big licker also.  She uses Treat Well 1:1 Pet Cannabis Tincture twice a day for him.  She said it completely stops him from licking.  I can find out how much she gives him if you are interested.  He would lick his paws and legs so much that they would bleed.  She said if he misses a dose he starts licking again. 

I'm currently using it on my English Bulldog who is on Gabapentin, Galliprant and Tramadol (we are weaning off of Tramadol post biopsy surgery).  The docs said it was fine to use this cannabis tincture along with these medications.  

I called the surgeon's nurse and she said it sounds behavioral, but the only change in the past day or so has been adding the Gabapentin. She suggested skipping it to see if anything changes, but I'm afraid to not give it to her for pain. I gave her the Tramadol at 3 and she licked at least from 4-4:30. I think she will eventually tire out and sleep. I really hope she does, that's the only way she's NOT licking. *sigh*

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12 December 2018 - 12:10 pm
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Hey all, Ciara's doing good. I think we evened her out on pain meds and she is starting to fall back in some old habits like seeing if I'm cooking, begging for food, etc. I'm optimistic that she'll be even stronger next week. 

I did have a couple questions that have come up over the last few days, if anyone has experience with them.

First is - she does fairly well on the 3 legs, but will she gain more strength as she heals? I guess I worry that her back will hurt or something like that.

Second - my husband thinks she's lost weight since bringing her home. With upcoming chemo treatment, we want to make sure she stays strong as possible. Did anyone supplement their post-op pups with eggs or chicken while they healed or after chemo?

I'll be sure to ask my vet's opinion too, just thought I'd see if anyone has any similar experiences.

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