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.
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Wow. What a long road you've all traveled! It's got to be exhausting dealing with the abscess on top of amputation recovery. I'm just so glad they found it.
So yeah, as for drains after amputation. Some vets do them, most do not. The general thinking is that they can invite bacteria in so better to let fluids drain naturally through the incision. But sometimes drains are necessary, like now, and that's OK too. I imagine the fluid has gotta be less than appealing? Ugh!
Yes those antibiotics are super expensive! Be sure to throw in some probiotics into his food to keep his gut bacteria happy.
Your recovery plan sounds reasonable, and it's working as you can see with his perked up personality! I'm so thrilled that he's feeling good again. Keep us posted OK? We are still sending tons of pawsitivity your way.
When you can, let us know how Yogi is doing.
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!
He needed ANOTHER surgery. This poor dude. And our wallets 😭
He had such a good day Friday and then in the evening he started getting uncomfortable again despite no change in meds. I freaked out and we took him to a different vet ER that had specialists.
(Turns out the first ER we went to was more like an urgent care unbeknownst to us - if we had taken him to this second vet ER the first time this would have been dealt with last friday 😭)
they operated again (Saturday) $$ and he has a JP drain instead of a Penrose. They also debrided more tissue. He seems much more comfortable and we generally feel better but also I am desperate for no more complications because at this point we already can’t afford this third surgery
Oh yikes! Oh my gosh poor guy. Those JP drains...ugh! We dealt with one before, not pretty but very helpful. I'm so glad he's more comfortable.
Think pawsitive, there will not be a third surgery because he is going to recover very very well now that everything is under control. One hop at a time OK?
Was soooo worried when did hear from you for a couple of days....now I know why!
Geez! Cannot believe all this has happened. The twists and turns it has taken to get to this point....unbelievable!!!!
Don't know enough about the types of drains to comment and I'm kinda' confused which Vets have done what. Just wondering IF you have any recourse for some financial rebate from any of these ""sources"?
Asking strict from a learn perspective. Just not sure if there are any "dots to connect " as far as what could have been discovered earlier, or which type of drain should have been used, or of any dead tissue could jave been discovered earlier?????? All off the wall thoughts in hindsight.....just trying to help you recoup some exp if at all possible. YOU found the tender spot that was the abcess.
Any idea how long he'll have to jave the drain?
Anyway, what really matters is YOGI IS HEALING FINALLY!!!! I'm just soooo relieved for all of you!!!
((((((((((Hugs)))))))))
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie!
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!
They expect this new drain to be in for 5-7 days. He’s draining quite a bit - I think with the Penrose he just wasn’t draining enough fast enough. With the JP there is suction. I am a nurse and used to work with JP’s all the time so I’m actually glad for the drain switch but yeah, we are really kicking ourselves for 1) not bringing him in sooner and 2) not bringing him to vet ER with specialists on service (but we didn’t know 😫)
But you’re right - we did find the tender spot. And in hind sight he actually smelled funny. I thought maybe it was just because he was shaved but I think we were smelling the abscess. Oh hind site is 20/20.
Hes pretty exhausted these days from two surgeries and a lot of fluid loss. He is a little anemic they said. I really hope he recovers well or else he has suffered needlessly. And honestly he really has suffered 💔
I don’t think we will get any money back but I think insurance should reimburse up to 5,000 which at this point will be a third of our costs.
It has been such a whirlwind.
Ohhhh I forgot that you are a nurse! What a lucky pup to have you looking out for him. Do not beat yourself up, you guys are doing the best you could with the information you had at the time. Dogs are such tricky patients, they're not complainers like humans and it's very hard to know what they are feeling. But now you two are closer than ever because of this experience and your bond will only grow stronger.
How is he doing today? Paws crossed for more healing!
He’s getting worse again.
we got the c&s back and there is no bacteria growing in it. So we are at a loss and his pain is increasing again.
i don’t know what to do anymore. I think he might be telling us he is done soon.
As usual, more questions.
How specifically are you seeing changes? Compared to back when things were really, really bad before treating the abcess how would you say he's doing "relatively " speaking?
Is drain still in and producing results? I would think that area would be pretty sore after all that's been done there.
After all he's been through and then back to back surgery, anesthesia again, drains inserted, removed and inserted again, dead skin removed, antibiotics, ore pain meds, etc, etc, etc,, I can't imagine that he would be feeling great yet. Can't imagine that he isn't still on a bit of a roller coaster during this later recovery.
Very uninformed on this, but because there is no bacteria, to me, doesn't mean much one way or another...maybe?? An abcess can be caused by soooo many variables. This abcess caused so much havoc before it was discovered (again...by you...good job)!
When does the drain come out? That should help him to feel better.
(((((((Hugs)))))))
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too
PS....no fever, 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!
We let him go and are heartbroken. But he is at peace with no more pain. Pain has defined his last 2 weeks and we never wanted that. If we had a care plan, we could push forward but once the abscess came back with no bacteria that took away our plan and at that point he was suffering needlessly.
Sounds like they think he had more cancer that was maybe causing this. They don’t know. Ultimately he isn’t in pain anymore. Just us as we work through our grief. But there is also relief knowing he is at peace.
Thanks for all your support. You guys do amazing work.
Crying for you and with you. Just so hard to wrap our heads, and our hearts, around everything that has happened. So very, very sorry beyond words.
Knowing what we know now, knowing that you did every single thing possible.....every single thing possible.....it becomes more and more clear that the vicious brutal, barbaric disease had already plotted it's course.
Yogi Bear, sweet Yogi Bear, knew you loved him enough to give him the gift of release when he showed you he, and you, didn't need to fight anymore. He didn't need to hang on one more day not being able to be Yogi. He spent his entire earth life with you being able to be surrounded by your love and being avle to have that precious mug of his smooched more than most dogs could ever hope.
You always did everything out of love for Yogi, and has hard as today has been, you did this act out of pure love for Yogi. You did the"right" thing at the "right' time.
The void ahead, the break in routine of caregiving will seem unbearable at first. .We understand more than most could the Soul deep bond you have with Yogi, especially as a result of this journey full of hope, ups and downs. So yes, we do grieve with you. Please know that.
For now, I hope you are able to continue to find comfort in knowing g he is running free and the Rainbow Bridge, eating all sorts of junk food, and snuggling with the Angel's on big soft clouds made just for him.
When you can , I do hope you'll email some more photos and tell us some of the unique personality traits that made Yogi be the best Yogi Bear ever.
Surrounding you with our love and memories of lots of slobber that only a Bull Mastiff can provide...
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!
Ohhhhhhh my heart hurts for you, I'm so deeply sorry Yogi had to get his wings so soon. We all feel the loss of a Tripawds family member, and we feel it especially hard when it's so soon after surgery. This is not the way things usually go. It's never what anyone expects. I'm so very sorry.
You guys went above and beyond, you turned over every rock and went to the ends of the earth for your handsome guy. He knew that you loved him with all your heart and soul. He left his earth knowing that you loved him enough to look past your shattered hearts and help him out of the body that no longer served him. There is no greater gift to a sentient being who wants nothing more than to be out of a pain that never stops. You did that for him, as much as it hurts you now, and will for a long time. But he also taught you how to live in the moment, to be strong and brave, and in time, those lessons are what will help you work through the grief you are feeling now.
Be good to yourselves, give yourself the space to process everything that's happened. It was a tough road and gut punch. These turns of events are unpredictable, and so hard. We are with you now, and always OK? Please lean on us and at some point if you are up to it, share his life with us in more detail so we can honor the legacy who was your one and only Yogi.
(((((hugs)))))
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