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Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

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6 month post amputation twitching and shaking
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Member Since:
9 October 2020
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19 October 2020 - 6:19 pm
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Mingo is 6 months post amputation and for the past two weeks we have had almost daily stump twitching and you can see him shaking in his chest area. It only seems to happen in the morning although there was a brief episode yesterday afternoon. 

Took him to the Vet two weeks ago and upon examination, Mingo helped when Dr. manipulation his stump. Mingo was put on 100 mg. Gabapentin 2x day and Rimadyl . The twitching shaking continued without improvement so Gabapentin was increased to 300 mg 2X day. 

Second trip to Vet with no yelping this time. Except for Friday, the shakingand twitching  still happens in the morning although the duration is shortened. 

Mingo seems to be retreating to his crate more than before and he wants to be near me has become a snuggle bug and we now have a nightly back rub routine at bedtime until he falls asleep. 

He is eating fine and still loves his walks and afternoon squirrel chases in the yard. 

Is this normal 6 months post op??

thanks

Pattie and Mingo

Livermore, CA




Member Since:
18 October 2009
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19 October 2020 - 7:25 pm
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Hello and welcome, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.

Why did Mingo have his amp?  How big is he, how old?

Is he a front or rear amp? Since you see shaking in his chest sounds like a front amp but if he has a stump to maniuplate it sounds like a rear amp.

The other question would be what does his daily activity look like?

Sorry for all the questions but this information should make it easier for us to help you.

Have you considered taking Mingo to a certified rehab vet? We have a program here that may reimburse you for your first visit.  A certified rehab vet can sometimes find the underlying cause of issues like this.

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

 

              Maggie's Story                  Amputation and Chemo


Member Since:
9 October 2020
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20 October 2020 - 3:53 pm
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Hi Karen,

Mingo is an approximately 1.5 year old  50 plus lb. rear amputee since April who we rescued in May.

From the Vet notes it appears to have been a strangulation injury that got infected and the leg could not be saved. 

Our daily walks are approximately a mile to a mile and a half with the occasional 2 miler thrown in. 

He spends some time each afternoon  chasing bunnies and squirrels in the yard. 

I do take him to a Chiropractor once a month but would be open to trying to find a rehab Vet in my area.

Today we didn't have an episode of shaking/ twitching.

Wondering if perhaps he isn't able to regulate his body temperature and he's cold upon waking. This morning the house was warm. 

Livermore, CA




Member Since:
18 October 2009
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20 October 2020 - 7:59 pm
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My current Tripawd is a little Pug mix named Elly.  She lost her right back leg after being hit by a car when she was 7 months old.  I adopted her when she was 10 months old, she is a little over 5.5 years old now and 5 years past her amp.

She was fully healed when I got her but not at all strong. We spent (and still do) lots of time on exercises and games focusing on her core strength, leg strength and balance.  She is now very fit and strong.  Because she will spend her whole life of three I'm a little careful to not let her do too much but at the same time let her be a dog.

But we still overdo activity sometimes.  And what I see when she does too much is spasms in the muscles where her leg used to be- sometimes she jumps up like she got a shock, sometimes she turns and looks at the area like something is stabbing her.  When it would first happen I thought it might be phantom limb pain, but I don't think so now.  It's hard to find the right balance of enough exercise without overdoing.  This is why we spend a lot of time on food puzzles and games, trick and obedience training and Nose Work.  Those activities challenge her brain and wear her out without taxing her body.  We don't walk everyday anymore.  We walked most days at first (after we built some strength) but now we don't walk at all once or twice a week. 

I should add that Elly has severe Separation Anxiety and still has some fear issues from her early months.  I have to take those things into account when gauging her daily activity level- when her anxiety hits it really can wear her out!

What kind of dog is he?  Elly has a little Chi in her and her coat is quite thin.  I have never had a dog that gets cold like she does, she will shake when she is cold.  I live near San Francisco so it's not like it's really cold here but I've had to get her some jackets and she likes to sleep under a blanket even when it's in the 60s! She also shakes when she is really scared, but that hasn't happened for a long time now. 

It's great that there were no episodes today! What was his activity like today and yesterday?  Something else that might help is some gentle massage of his back, hips and back leg.  That seems to help Elly when she has had a big day. 

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

 

              Maggie's Story                  Amputation and Chemo

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