Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi all,
I keep telling myself today is only day 4 of recovery! Things were progressing and I knew there would be some bumps in the road, so I am trying not to get too high or too low. For a day and half Odin would stand and eat at his bowl. His last two meals, dinner and breakfast, he couldn't or wouldn't. Also, yesterday I had to take him back to the vet so his bladder could be emptied. It was full and concentrated. He really wants nothing to do with outside. Yesterday morning he went out and walked just a bit as I was seeing if he would urinate, but other than that one moment he just hits the deck. When I say lets go inside he gets up and hopps in. His traction
boots should arrive today...maybe that will help.
Has anyone experienced such reluctance with the outdoors? Other than being emptied at the vet he shows no interest or attempt to go outside and urinate. His surgery was Friday, 27 July.
Also, when he walks it appears, he seems to be overcompensating to the right side both front and rear rather than putting weight on both back legs. Anyone else notice this in their tri?
I keep telling myself it's only day 4 and he's doing great.
You will see members refer to this as a 'roller coaster' ride and that is very true. Especially so early in recovery. It is not uncommon at all for the dogs to crash a few days after they get home. It's almost like they are running on adrenaline right after the surgery and then things finally calm down and they just need to rest and recover. Totally normal.
Zeus was a Husky mix diagnosed with Osteosarcoma at age 11. A visible lung met and suspicious spot on his liver meant a poor prognosis-six weeks was our vet's best guess. We decided to fight for our boy and his right front leg was amputated on 12/1/11. We did six rounds of chemo, changed his diet and spoiled him completely rotten. We were blessed with 10 great months after diagnosis. Against the odds, the lung met remained a single met and grew very little over those months. A wonderful furbaby with the most gentle spirit, he fought with a strength that we never imagined he possessed. We have no regrets...
http://zeuspod......pawds.com/
Yep, keep telling yourself that Jon, it's only day 4. Think about how a human would get around after losing a leg, and you'll really see how much progress that Odin has actually made. It can look like things are going slowly but I'll be that the recuperation is happening before your very eyes. You're just anxious to see more, and who can blame you?
Is he still on the pain meds? If so, that has a lot to do with reluctance to do anything (if you've ever been on heavy pain meds yourself, you know what he feels like). Also, do you have traction on the floor? When you say he hits the deck, is he trying to walk on slippery/uncarpeted floors? If so, this can really reduce his confidence and make him reluctant to go anywhere but his bed.
Many Tripawds will take a while to figure out the way their new center of gravity works, especially larger dogs. If he is still over compensating in a few weeks, a good physical therapist can retrain him to get him to walk without over compensating.
But for now, keep in mind that many dogs take up to two weeks to really stop being loopy and feeling a little spunk again, some will take a little longer. Try not to expect too much right now, and stay strong. Things will get better! You can always vent here, that's what we're here for.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Day 4 is really early on! You are deep in the weeds right now. The pain meds can really mess with their heads.
With Abby, we had the exact opposite - couldn't get her to come back inside once she went out. She REALLY wanted to just be left alone outside. She would stay out there for hours and no amount of coaxing could get her back in. We'd leave the door standing open so we could hear if she moved around or wanted to come in, but she'd just hang out out there on her own. Once she was done with the pain meds (I forget - think it was maybe day 10 or day 12) we started to get glimpses of her old personality again.
Hang in there!
Jackie
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Thank you for the responses. Since I last posted Odin wanted to go out on the deck with his two brothers. He went outside and laid down. I opend the gate to let the other two out onto the lawn, and unexpedly, Odin popped up and fell. He cried out, I internally freaked a bit, but he was fine. He seemed like he wanted the lawn, so I got the sling, and after a few moments helped up. We were just standing there for a few moments, and I thought he was going to sit again, but he pooped right on the deck. I could care less where he pooped. So I have a day 4 poop. Still has not urinated, but I guess when he has to he will.
When I write "he hits the deck", I mean he lays down. Probably a poor choice of words. He just lays down. The house if fine traction wise with carpets, where there aren't any I have put them down. The deck outside is slippery, and I will not make that mistake again!!!!!!!
His ruff-wear barkn boots just arrived. Does anyone have experience with these? And if so, did you leave them on or just put them on when you were going outdoors? Also, I ordered both the Ruff-Wear Harness and the Harness from AST. Does anyone have a preference?
Thanks for all of your support. I can tell you it has helped me immensely from just being prepared, to general knowledge, to staying in this mentally.
First of all- always talk with your vet if you are really concerned about a medical issue. Don't worry about bugging them too much! You need to be confident that things are OK with Odin so you can be positive around him.
That being said- 4 days in is very early. Maggie was a slug for most of 3 weeks, I had to coax her to do most anything. She was a rear amp- she would slip and fall and just sit there. It was hard to get her to try again. It took weeks for Maggie to learn her tripawd stance- when her remaining back leg came toward the center. Odin will figure out his balance and his remaining front leg will come toward the center.
Lots of pups really turn the corner when the meds are done and the staples or stitches come out.
Traction is really important as Odin learns to walk with three. I know if Maggie slipped on a surface she was really reluctant to walk on it again. And on our back deck, which is trex, she WOULD NOT come up the two small stairs unless her rugs were there.
Do you have Odin's bowls raised? If not try that- especially for big dogs having their bowls raised helps with balance.
This part of recovery is really hard- you are doing fine, hang in there!
Karen and the pugapalooza
Hi Karen,
Thanks!!! Yes, his bowls are raised. Oh, no worries about calling the vet. I have no worries about calling or driving there or whatever. My attitude is I have made the decision....I am all in!!!! I am not going hesitate on anything. Granted, I don't want to always suffer from "parental-overreactus". Better safe than sorry is my attitude though.
Thank you!!!!
Hey Jon, thanks for shopping with us, we are very grateful! To answer your questions about the boots and harnesses. Check out this post first:
How to Make a Good Introduction to the Ruff Wear Webmaster Harness (this applies to all harnesses)
You'll find the AST is really good right now when he has less mobility. As he gets stronger the Web Master will be just right. Save the AST though because as a dog grows older it really comes in handy.
As for the boots, introduce them slowly as you would the harness. If he's never worn them before, introduce a little at a time to make sure he will allow you to play with his feet. He will walk funny at first but will likely get used to them. Only put them on a few minutes during each session, start with the socks first and then the boots. Most folks don't leave them on all the time, just when they are going for walks or traveling to unfamiliar places where the surfaces are unknown. Keep in mind that dogs sweat through their feet so you don't want to leave them on all day if it's warm out. You'll find during winter though, that they are super helpful when getting around icy surfaces.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Odin is doing so good!!! Sweetpea is a back leg amp and when we tried the sling, she refused to move. so we just picked up her #80 bum and moved her that way. Then we took her to the vets on day#4 to have the drains removed and my husband carried her to the tx room and then they brought her out and she ran to us. The vet didnt understand why the heck we were carrying her:) Our house has wood floors and the shoes are the best ever and once again we thought we knew more then her and thought- awwhhhh poor sweetpea, she cant walk far and then put the shoes on and she went everywhere. We have a trail of rugs, for when her shoes are off. Bunches of luck, prayers & hugz to Odin!!!!
This all sounds totally normal to me. Some days he'll be great, and then he won't. I wish there was something to say other than "get used to it," but that's the way it'll be for the first month. It takes a few weeks for the nerves that used to go to Odin's leg to die off, and during that time he'll tend to brush up against things without realizing it, which will set off those nerves and cause sudden pain. He's going to yelp and be sensitive for a bit, but it WILL get better. In some ways it'll be even worse for you, because you're the one who has to grit your teeth and not show Odin how upset you get by seeing him in pain. Be strong for both him and yourself, and have faith that within a couple of months, he'll be back to his old self.
reading this with interest. My greyhound was amputated after breaking a hind leg badly, 7 weeks ago. We had ups and downs, but for the last couple of weeks he was doing brilliantly and i really thought we were all on the up. he was running freely and comfortably, but not excessively madly...and back to real cheeky personality. But for the last few days he has been yelping intermittently and limping and wobbly. Took him to vet, put him on Carpreve and said he thinks it is the remaining hind just been strained a little. But it is now clear there is also pain in the front leg/shoulder on the side of the stump. he is low and not himself, though eating and toileting normally. When he lies down and gets up he is stiff and wobbly. But if he is motivated...ie with on of the other dogs...he can go happily for a short walk and seems to get stronger as he goes, though he is more tired afterwards than he was last week. We will be back at the vets next week, but is this a normal downer at this point in recover? In the past he has had downers bt this seems to be lasting longer...is it or can it be just a sign of the new stresses and strains he is putting on his body as he learns to operate as a tripawd? Would really appreciate some advice! Thanks in advance...Joanna
Hi Joanna, thanks for joining us here. Please consider starting a new topic so we can keep track of your pup's story more closely. But for now, I'm thinking that perhaps this is an issue of him doing too much after surgery. Seven weeks is not a long time and if he's trying to keep up with other dogs, he could be placing a lot of stress on muscles that arent' used to working hard. If he is a front-leg amp, it's especially harder on him to keep up.
I think the reason a lot of Tripawds will keep up with other dogs so soon after surgery is that they have a survival instinct to keep up with the pack. We've noticed this on a few occasions, where they will hide their pain until they are no longer in the middle of the pact activity.
Have you done any sort of exercises to help him get strong? If not, check out our Gear blog for helpful core-strenthening exercises that will help him get strong and eventually build up the endurance he needs to keep up with the other pups. Search for terms like "walking" and "core" to find lots of helpful posts with exercise tips that can help.
Let us know what the vet says.
Can't wait to hear more about your pup! Thanks again for registering with us.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Many thanks. I will try to get a new thread on so perhaps more people will see it and be able to offer their suggestions. It is too easy to panic about setbacks as they are so hard to take when things were gong well! I am not aware of Spud ever having really overdone it, but i suppose he could have strained his newly changing muscles at any point, maybe even just turning too fast or leaping up after lying down. I just hope he gets back to normal quickly!
I will look at the exercises you suggest...anything to make him happy again!
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