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Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

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Aspen Matthews: A Siberian Saga
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On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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31
27 April 2020 - 6:34 pm
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 I’m curious what other Tripawd parents do in terms of leaving it on all the time or just when going outside.  

Both Jerry and Wyatt Ray have always worn theirs all day, it only comes off at night. Since we have stairs going in and out of our home, it's just easier that way, so that we don't get lazy and forget to use it. We've discovered through the years that the moment we don't think we'll need it, is exactly when we do!

As for the thickness of the harness...it is designed for Search and Rescue dogs, and the fabric is incredibly breathable. We've never had an issue with Jerry or Wyatt overheating while wearing it, even in warm summer temperatures. I do take off the Brush Guard during summer, however. And I really like the Flagline harness now especially for ease of use and those extremely hot days when I know that Wyatt would rather go naked, but for his sake, we put it on him.

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

Southern California
Member Since:
22 April 2020
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28 April 2020 - 9:12 pm
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Thank you for sharing your experiences with the harnesses. When Aspen was young, we lived in the mountains and she would get to play in the snow. I always thought it would be fun for both of us to train her with a sled, but we moved back to flatland before we got the chance.

Things have been really smooth today. No crying or whining at all. Her appetite seems to be getting better. She woke up this morning and wanted to go out into the backyard and hop around a bit. She has finally figured out I have been giving her meds in her hot dogs, so she's been refusing to take them voluntarily now. I'm surprised it lasted as long it did. She usually figures it out on the second round.

Overall good though. I think we're both feeling better about the situation now.

Also, photo test. Please let me know if this works or not!

https://www.ins.....2dBVw64E0/

Virginia







Member Since:
22 February 2013
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33
28 April 2020 - 10:17 pm
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Hmmmm..said account was private.  A techie will come along and advise .

Glad things are starting  to settle down  and Aspen is feeling good😎    It took me about three weeks before I felt ,like I could say I did this FOR my Happy Hannah  and not TO her.

Dogs are sooo funny about taking their meds.  They figure out pretty quickly if a goodie is hiding a foul tasting  pill 

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!

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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28 April 2020 - 10:35 pm
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That would be so neat to see her play around in the snow! And she can possibly still be on a sled team...even our Wyatt is a part-time sled dog 😉

Yep, Sally the Techie is right, the account is private so we can't see it. 

I'm sorry she got onto you about the medication! It's time to mix it up. Stinky cheese, meats, and other forbidden foods can hopefully help. Not sure if I shared our Pill Taking Tips but check 'em out if not. 

You do sound much better! Here's to a better day tomorrow and the day after that and .... you get the picture!

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

Southern California
Member Since:
22 April 2020
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35
28 April 2020 - 11:20 pm
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Thank you Sarah! I switched the privacy settings so I will try again and see if the pic embeds here, rather than adding a link.

Jerry, that's so cool that Wyatt can still be a part time team member! Thank you for the pill link and suggestions. We'll mix it up in the morning 🤞

So photo test Round 2:

https://www.ins.....2dBVw64E0/

Southern California
Member Since:
22 April 2020
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36
28 April 2020 - 11:22 pm
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Hm, I'm still not seeing the image show up in the post 🤔

Round 3. If this doesn't work, I'll figure something else out tomorrow...

Day of surgery.
https://www.ins.....cd8k3a8lhm

Southern California
Member Since:
22 April 2020
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37
28 April 2020 - 11:31 pm
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Success! At least from my end.

Few more from the past couple days.

Day 3
https://www.ins.....dtos434772

Day 4
https://www.ins.....sfrzxo2w64

Virginia







Member Since:
22 February 2013
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38
29 April 2020 - 6:53 am
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YAAAAAY!  WE SEE THE BEAUTIFUL  GIRL!!  I love the "close-up" of her gorgeous self!  

Made my day!!!😁

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!

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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39
29 April 2020 - 7:42 am
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Yay you did it!

What a love bug! She is soooo pretty! Thanks for sharing, count us in as a follower.

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

Member Since:
1 April 2020
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40
29 April 2020 - 9:07 am
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She is soooo pretty!!! sp_hearticon2sp_hearticon2 (I must admit I'm always a little bias when it comes to huskies but even then..she has that adorable cute face)

I'm glad to hear she is doing well. I'm sure that soon enough she will be back to her normal self and that you will be excited to see how well she is doing on 3 legs. 

Livermore, CA




Member Since:
18 October 2009
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41
29 April 2020 - 10:55 am
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Glad to hear she is doing well- she is beautiful!

My go-to for pilling is cheese- a method I call cheesy plate smiley4.

A year or so ago my little Tripawd had a very invasive dental surgery so I made a video with some of the tricks I use to get pills down. I know what you mean about not eating the food once they find pills in it.  TriPug Maggie was famous for this- in fact if she found a pill she wouldn't take the food from me (pill or not) for weeks!

Maybe something here will help:

Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls

p.s. sorry if I already linked this to you, I've done it several times the past couple of weeks and have lost track...

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

Southern California
Member Since:
22 April 2020
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42
29 April 2020 - 7:51 pm
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Thanks everyone, I'm glad I got the photo thing figured out.

Thank you Karen for the pill tips. I will give it a shot in the morning.

So today was another pretty quiet day. Aspen's appetite has picked up quite a bit, so I see that as a win. We've just spent the day on the couch watching Marvel movies together. She has seemed a bit more tired today and has been breathing a little more rapidly.

I read through some of the other threads on here looking for causes, so I'm assuming it could be pain signals , or possibly a side effect from the tramadol? I'll keep a close eye on her tonight, but if it continues tomorrow I'll give her vet a call. 

Her stitches seem to be doing well.  Nothing looks out of the ordinary and she hasn't tried scratching them at all yet *knocking on wood intensifies*

That's about it for today. We'll see how tomorrow goes.

Virginia







Member Since:
22 February 2013
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43
29 April 2020 - 7:59 pm
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Yeah, could be the pain breaking  thru.  Is she on Gabapentin  also, or just thr Tramadol? It appears that the Tramadol by itself is not as effective as when you use gabapentin and Tramadol. And that scenario you would give the Gabapentin and then give the Tramadol maybe an hour or two later. 

Tweaking the pain meds can be a little bit of a hit and miss for a time or two, but you'll find the right balance. Glad to hear that otherwise she's doing well and being a good girl and not trying to get at her stitches.

! Hang in there! Recovery doesn't last forever, it just seems like it!

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!

Southern California
Member Since:
22 April 2020
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44
29 April 2020 - 8:17 pm
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Hey Sarah,

No Gabapentin. They had a Fentanyl patch on her for the first few days but it was removed Monday. So it's just been 100mg tramadol every 12 hours since then. She's not crying or whining at all. Just the panting/rapid breathing. I'm sure the fact that we're already experiencing temperatures in the 90s isn't helping the situation either 😐 Neither of us handles the heat well, so we're trying to stay cool.

New York, NY
Member Since:
24 March 2020
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45
30 April 2020 - 2:35 pm
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Hi Shane! - It seems like every vet has their own approach to pain management and meds after surgery.  I don't know how Jerry and Sally and the other long-timers on here keep track of dosages and combinations, but I'll leave that to them.  With Griffin, panting on its own is not usually a pain signal, but you know Aspen best and it seems like the heat might be factor for you now too.  I'm glad her appetite is picking back up - another milestone in the recovery road.  I hope both of you are having a good day today! ~ Stacy

Griffin lived an amazing life for 11 years! Diagnosed with osteosarcoma on March 17, 2020, Griffin's right forelimb was amputated on April 2, 2020. Ten days later he was running and playing fetch! Lung metastasis discovered in July 2020 did not slow down Griffin and he lived joyfully for the next 7 months, passing peacefully at home on February 11, 2021. https://griffin.tripawds.com

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