Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello and Happy Easter - My precious baby Butch, an almost 8 yr old, 110 lb Rottie-mix, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma on his ankle (tibia) and had a right rear leg amputation on April 1st - and I wish it had been an April Fool's joke! Today, Easter Sunday, I wish I could resurrect him. He is extremely reluctant to get up, even when I know his bladder and bowels are full and need to be relieved. I think alot of it stems from pain, but also from fear of pain, since he has had a few times when he has lost his balance and sat or fallen on his wounded side. When this happened, his yelping and crying shook me to my core, and ever since these incidents he is afraid and resists getting up and walking - even the 2 or 3 times to go outside.
He also has had a hard time with positioning to pee, and resisted urinating for more than 24 hours one day, but yesterday he pee'd 2x and I was thrilled beyond belief. I have been giving him pumpkin to help with pooping and it seems to be working, since he does poop mostly every day. His pain meds are Gabapentin 300 mg (every 8 hrs) Carprofen 100 mg (every 12 hrs) and after my calling in on day 3 and begging for more drugs, Trazadone for anxiety every 8 hrs. He also had a 5 day antibiotic, can't remember name, but its all gone.
What I cannot find on this website which would be most helpful is what to expect in these first few months - week by week (and yes I read the what to expect page). The surgery center only told me that the first week is hell (which it has been) and the second week will be tough too, but better. I took a week of work, but have to go back tomorrow. My daughter will be staying with him, so he will be in good hands, and I have indoor cameras (which I highly recommend for those short errand runs during the first week). I'm hoping to hear about his pathology report and subsequent chemo treatment early this week, but have no idea what to expect.
I know every dog is different, but my questions are:
1) When will the pain subside? I happened to have extra gabapentin and carprofen which the surgeon said I could extend as needed - and we are currently on day 8 post surgery and still need it. I wonder if it's making him to groggy to be motivated to walk. When should I back off the meds?
2) How soon after the first 2 weeks can I take him on a short walk - like maybe a block or two? He loved his walks pre-surgery and I'm hoping if I open the front door instead of the back door, he will get excited to go out into the world and do a little sniffing.
3) His left leg had a TPL surgery 4 years ago, and in fact the vet thought he'd blown the right one which is how we discovered the osteosarcoma. Will his bionic left leg be strong enough to support him, or could the extra pressure be an issue?
4) Is there any week-by-week resource on this website that I seem to not be able to find. I also couldn't find any resource for how to prepare for this surgery. I was in an unfortunate situation where my surgeon went on vacation and another surgeon did the surgery, and each of them thought the other had prepared me for what to expect, how much time to take off work, how to prepare my house for no slips, etc. It seems like all of this should be a hand-out in paper form that I received at the surgery center, but instead I got 1 page of info about drug dosages and that I should keep in a confined area.
By the way, I have purchased an outdoor rug for the patio (where he slipped once), rubber backed throw runners for all over my house which has vinyl wood-like flooring, and toe-grips (not the ones recommended on this website but some I found on Amazon that have better reviews. I also purchased (again on Amazon based on reviews) a harness with the handle and clips on both sides, but have yet to get it on him since he won't stand for long enough. Right now I'm literally pulling him by the neck to stand up, while slipping my foot under his good side. This seems to be the only thing that works.
It's gonna get better right?
Thanks for any and all input - Mama Melissa
Hi Melissa, welcome to the club nopawdy wants to join. Your future posts won't need to wait for approval so post away.
It sounds like you've done your homework and prepared as much as you could, which is great! And that your surgeon is good with extended pain control, another plus. I'll try to answer your questions since I'm sure you're eager for answers:
1) When will the pain subside? I happened to have extra gabapentin and carprofen which the surgeon said I could extend as needed - and we are currently on day 8 post surgery and still need it. I wonder if it's making him to groggy to be motivated to walk. When should I back off the meds?
Eight days out is not a long time. Bigger and older dogs do tend to take more time to recuperate so try to be patient. Most humans wouldn't be doing nearly as well at this stage.
All dogs are different in how soon they are moving around again and there is always some discomfort during the first couple of weeks. BUT he should not be in so much pain that he cannot or will not move. If he is, then he needs more pain control. 300 mg Gabapentin for a dog his size is a pretty low dose. Generally that's the dose for dogs in the 50-80 lb. range. The nice thing about that medication is that there is room to move up. It's easiest to do when you have 100 mg capsules. Call your vet tomorrow and ask them for 100 mg and get permission to bump up to at least 400 mg 3x daily. Again don't change a thing until you walk to them.
The Traz is probably making him really groggy. It does that to MANY dogs. And since there is no pain control benefit to it, you can probably try taking it away and seeing what happens. Again talk to your vet about that move.
2) How soon after the first 2 weeks can I take him on a short walk - like maybe a block or two? He loved his walks pre-surgery and I'm hoping if I open the front door instead of the back door, he will get excited to go out into the world and do a little sniffing.
Again, there is no easy answer, all dogs are different. Once he is willing to move around more, you can try a short leashed walk of say 10 minutes at most. If he sits down, you've gone too far. Cut back and shorten it next time you go out.
If you are able to bring a dog friend or human pal he loves over for a visit, that may get him excited in a good way. Car rides are also awesome for a lot of dogs, if you're able to get him out and into the car without him protesting.
3) His left leg had a TPL surgery 4 years ago, and in fact the vet thought he'd blown the right one which is how we discovered the osteosarcoma. Will his bionic left leg be strong enough to support him, or could the extra pressure be an issue?
If it wasn't strong enough your surgeon wouldn't have recommended amputation. But for the best chance at a good recovery, please consider seeing a rehab therapist. They can help you understand what he needs to get strong, and show you exercises to help him get there. Tripawds Foundation can pay for your first rehab visit too. Remember too that getting back his stamina and strength is not about leg strength, but core (abdominal) strength, just like with humans.
4) Is there any week-by-week resource on this website that I seem to not be able to find. I also couldn't find any resource for how to prepare for this surgery.
Again, all dogs are different and no two recoveries are exactly alike. So no, a specific guide like what you are describing is not available but did you see the Tripawds e-books library? We try to cover all of the bases from pre-surgery to life on three in those books, and in our What to Expect series of articles (there is more than one, not sure if you saw them).
Right now I'm literally pulling him by the neck to stand up, while slipping my foot under his good side. This seems to be the only thing that works.
Have you tried the shopping bag sling?
https://gear.tr.....dog-sling/
Again, a rehab therapist is the best person to guide you on what to expect for your one-of-a-kind pup. We hope you'll consider taking advantage of the program.
If he is still reluctant to do his business outside this week, let your vet know. It's not atypical for this to happen, usually it's just a matter of fine-tuning pain control.
Keep us posted!
Thx Jerry for your very comprehensive reply to all my questions. I appreciate you taking the time on a holiday to answer.
Regarding the 8 days not being that long, the surgeon only prescribed 8 days of the 300 mg Gab and 100 mg Carprofen. She said that he didn't need a higher dose if these are combined. I think now I'd rather she had upped the Gab instead of prescribing the Trazadone.
Based on your suggestion, the vets 8 day prescription, and other things I've read, I'm going to back off on everything today. I still have Gab and Carporfen leftover from last June, when he was limping and I took him in and they said it was his CCL (with no xray). This made sense at the time, since he had a TPLO on the left leg. By the time I got to the vet a few days later, he had stopped limping, so they thought that he had just strained it and sent him home with both Gab and Carp. Now looking back it was probably osteosarcoma, but they didn't even check for that which makes me angry. He started limping again 3 weeks ago, and again I took him in and they said it was his CCL. In prep for the TPLO surgery they finally did an xray and saw the lesion. The vet swears that his CCL was also torn, which may be, but why do they not do xrays from the first limping symptom !!??
I am definitely going to look into rehab therapy and believe there is one at the surgery center (I live in Las Vegas and it's called the Las Vegas Veterinary Specialty Center - they have surgeons, oncologists, a hydro treadmill and I believe therapists, so I will take advantage of all of these. I have 80% coverage from my insurance, thank you God, but this is still hard on me financially so I may take you up on the free offer for at least my 20%.
I did not initially purchase the book because it seemed rather expensive and again I'm financially strapped. Yesterday I actually found a paperback on Amazon and purchased it. I won't say how much it cost, but it was a lot less. Wish I'd seen it a week ago.
And finally, I do have a sling. Again I purchased it on Amazon (since I work so much and don't have time to shop, Amazon Prime has been a lifesaver to me and always saves me $). The one I got is super nice with a lambs wool liner and comfortable handles. But since I only way 10 lbs more than my dog, it isn't easy to hoist him up. Also I find it difficult to get under him, while he is laying down. I think by pulling him by the collar and leash I have strained his neck, so as we speak he has not gotten up out of bed since last night at 9pm and it is now almost 9 am. I'm hoping my sweet talking and the pressure in his bladder and growls in his stomach will motivate him to get himself up. He's done it a few times before, so I know he can do it.
If I have one complaint to voice to the world is that no one prepared me for this. I hope soon I can say I am glad I did it, but at this point I am really questioning my choice.
Sorry for the length of my messages - good therapy for me to get it all out! Appreciate anyone with the time to read and respond, including you Jerry! Thx again!!
Hi Melissa!
I wanted to add on to Jerry's response since our dogs are similar sizes (Great Pyrenees mix- 97 pounds) . My vet had Ellie on 400mg gabapentin 3xday and 100 mg carprofen 2xday for 10 days. after that I was just doing 400mg gabapentin 3xday with the go ahead to taper her off. They suggested 300 mg 3x a day, then 300 mg 2x a day then stop.
That didn't work for Ellie she was extremely uncomfortable and it was really hard because she had been doing really well. I went back up to 300 mg x2 a day (roughly- I've slightly adjusted it every day over this past week since I have 100mg tablets), and today I'm going to do 200 mg x3 since she is getting uncomfortable in the late afternoon. I plan to chat with the vet about it tomorrow since we start chemotherapy then (ack!) to see.
As far as exercise before surgery Ellie and I were averaging probably 1.5-2mi a day walks around the neighborhood. At 2 weeks post op I got the go ahead to increase her activity (before that it was strict only potty breaks), but as Jerry said really watching and scaling back if she was tired. We are up to a block to maybe a block and a half. I've never pushed her to the point of her sitting down while out on the walk (like you I'm pretty anxious about not straining her remaining limbs), but after each walk she takes a super deep nap so I think it's going well.
I want to state that this has just been my experience and all dogs are individuals- but you sound a lot like me where you want as much knowledge as possible to be prepared (also I'm really sorry your vets let you down with that miscommunication and not telling you what to expect, that sounds just miserable)
I also was sent home with a hold'em up harness that has a front and back portion to help dogs get up. the vets said she could stay in it for as long as needed and just check for any rubbing. I like it because it has clasps on either side so it was a lot easier to get on if she was laying down. I wonder if that may help Butch if he could wear it for a few days and it would already be on him to help him up? maybe it will help him gain back some confidence.
I would definitely push back on your vet for more pain management - it does sound like poor Butch has lost some confidence and scared to try because it hurts! I'm so sorry you are both going through this and absolutely understand the gut wrenching second guessing. As hard as it is I remind myself that the bone cancer itself is really really painful, and as time went on it would only be more painful and put them at risk of a fracture. What he's going through now is temporary and he has a great advocate to help him get past this. I would definitely suggest PT for him- I have been going with Ellie and they a have been really flexible with how often I go and giving me homework at home. it's been a learning curve, but my old Ellie is starting to coming back slowly but surely- so stay strong you got this. I look forward to hearing more about Butch's recovery!
Oh! one more thing- I HATE trazadone. At least for Ellie- it turned her into a zombie and she didn't want to get up and ended up urinating on herself several times because of it. I only gave her one dose (150mg), but it took her about 36 hours after to be more alert and have the motivation to go outside (she would go outside with me, but wouldn't urinate she'd just stand there staring at me making me feel awful).
I wouldn't give it to him unless he's getting so active he's at risk of harming himself- if he's pretty mellow like Ellie it doesn't help anything.
Thank you W Charkey! It's nice to hear from someone with a similar situation. By the way, Butch should weigh 90 lbs., but his mother spoils him. As soon as we are past the worst of this we will both be on a diet, since I've been stress eating too!!
I totally agree that the 300 Gabapentin is not enough. Even online the dosing charts say 5 mg per 10 lbs of weight, so he should be getting 500 mg. The trazadone was a response to me calling in on day 3 and complaining that he was stressing, panting, and in my opinion still in pain. The vet thought 300 was enough with the Carprofen and prescribed trazadone for anxiety. Well it worked, but maybe too well. I have a call into the vet's office now to ask for the 100 mg and possibly more carprofen too. I can't believe they only gave me 8 days worth of medication! When was Ellie's surgery? Sounds like your on the 2nd or 3rd week?
I did buy a similar harness on Amazon. It has been really warm here and he's panting alot, so I hate putting a thick layer of harness on him. I will take your suggestion and see what I can do when he's laying down. I did walk him everyday about 1-2 miles like you. I think being house bound is what is depressing him (and me!), so I'm really hoping after this week we will get the green light to increase it a bit - if I can get him up and going, that is!
Thx again 🙂
Melissa,
Ellie's surgery was March 21st, so she'll be 3 weeks post-op tomorrow! I spoke to the vet about Carprofen, because they have a pretty strict cut off for it. If I remember correctly, it's pretty hard on dogs stomach, hence why you have to give it with food (and if they aren't eating they were strict saying don't give them the carprofen).
Umm... I don't want to know how much weight I've gained since her diagnosis, I've definitely been eating ALL my feelings, haha. I'm excited to be moving more as well!
I totally get the house bound being depressing! I had to go back and look, but literally 8 days post-op I took Ellie to the park because she seemed really depressed and I was convincing myself that something was horribly wrong so before I put myself into a full fledged panic I took her out. We didn't really walk, just enough to get to a fork in the path so she could sniff around and watch people/dogs... do something other than be stuck at home. It really helped. With that said, I never really had an issue with Ellie getting up- she balked at me trying to help her get up or walk so I stopped trying pretty much the first night she was home. I really hope that increasing his pain meds a little will help him feel better and want to get moving some. You guys got this!!
If you're at all interested I've been tracking Ellie's progress through a blog on here- there's a whole post on our trip to the park (and lots of pictures, because I can't help myself), haha. it's at: https://ellbell.....pawds.com/
Let us know how things go 🙂
Online
As you can see from Jerry and Melissa's invaluable feedback you have definitely come to the right place for information and support.
Just want to reiterate the importance of better pain management . Most dogs, not all, are on Gabapentin for the first two weeks. My Happu Hannah went I to three weeks on it (tapering to a lesser dose during the third week. If I have read this right (and probably didn't), he has been off pain meds for two days now??? Please confirm that you jave gotten him back on Gaba at the very least. As Jerry ahd Melissa voth mentioned, the Trazedone is a sedative and does nothing for pain. I also a not a big fan of that either.
A Surgeons job, is to d0 a successful amputation, but often little feedback on recovery is provided. They see the dog hop out 24 hrs later so that's all they see. Those of us on here offer the support and information on what recovery is REALLY like! And the first two weeks are definitely the hardest.
We call the early phase the "What have I done TO my dog?" phase. Soon you will be celebrating for doing "this" FOR your dog!!
Butch only needs potty breaks right now. If he likes laying outside in the sunshine on a blanket that can be good for his spirit.
He has probably used a lot of his energy, not only trying to recover from MAJOR surgery, but using his strength to fight pain. It takes a solid two weeks-ish to get past a lot of the surgery residue and avout thirty days to get a good gait flowing as he adjusts to three.
Do try and massage around his shoulders and neck area and up and down his spine. His muscles are very tight now, and especially if he has fallen and if he is being pulled up to stand, etc.
Yes, non slip scatter rugs are crucial,. Good job of getting that handled.
Butch will feel uour energy. So continue to have a strong and upbeat positive energy.
Recovery doesn't last furever! Promise! Yes, it does get better! Butch will be Butch again without that bum painful leg.
Is Butch eating and drink fairly well? Celebrate that if he is. And he is peeing, so that's good. He'll figure out the vest stance for that. Ha pooping happened? Celebrate that!
And, most importantly, take care of yourself! Getting to this point in the journey is exhausting mentally and physically. And like Melissa, I find food (especially junk food) to be my "comfort source" when I'm anxious. Actually I devour junk food for no reason at all!😉
STAY CONNECTED! We'll look for your update.
Higs
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!
**UPDATE ON BUTCH**
First - thank you to EVERYONE who took the time to reply to my message about our post-op trials. I totally get why they call the first week "what have I done to my dog?" since I must have asked myself that a million times. After writing my original message, and somewhere around day 11, Butch turned a corner. My daughter and I were eating dinner at the table and he was laying on his bed as usual looking depressed. We were deep in a conversation when suddenly I felt a wet nose on my elbow and looked down and there he was. This was the first time he got up on his own volition (the smell of our dinner was a good motivator!) We were both so happy to see this sudden change. Things have gotten even better since then, with taking little walks and his being able to get up and get around all on his own, when he feels like it. Tomorrow will be 3 weeks post-op and he's even now using his doggy door with little to no effort. Also tomorrow we start chemo. We are shooting for 8 IV treatments of Carboplatin over the next 18 weeks. Also I have signed him up for PT starting in mid-May. One question - I have insurance but if they don't pay, how do I get that free PT session?
I hate the odds of 60% survival to 1-1.5 years since my Butch is only 7 (8 in June), but I'm putting all my chips on the 10% that are totally cured and live a normal lifespan. Can't even let my mind go to the 30%. Praying every day for all of us going through this horror. And to those in their first 10 days post-op, hang in there. It does get better.
Grinning ear to ear to read rhis update! It is so thrilling to start to see theirmsparkle come back and to see them reclaim some of their normal routines. And it still gets vetter and better!!
Certainly not a Ver, but just throwing this out there. Generally we see sogs fet between four or mau six Carb treatments. Butch may be a special case and there may be a reason for eifht I ejections. Just being curious, that's all.
Keep in mind not to focus on days on a calendar because sogs sure don't. And Butch doesn't jave a timefram stamped anywhere on his Rottie (mix) butt! Just make each moment the best moment ever and live in the NOW just like Butch!
Thanks for the good....great.....update!
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!
That's awesome! Thank you for letting us know he's doing so well! And the doggy door too? WOW! SO many people worry their dog won't be able to use one afterward. If you can get a video of Butch using it (upload to YouTube and share the video URL here), we would love to show the world 🙂
Did you get him into the specialty center you mentioned? They're awesome, I know lots of folks who were very happy with the care their Tripawd received there. I've visited and interviewed vets there myself, it's a fantastic clinic.
Info on the rehab program is here:
https://tripawd.....bursement/
For some success stories see:
https://tripawd.....tag/rehab/
YAY BUTCH 
Sorry for the delayed response. I work alot and with my focused free time attention on my new tripawd, seems like I don't get on here enough. Correction to above statement of 8 treatments. That must have been a mistype. We are shooting for 6, but it may end up being 4. The first treatment went just ok. The onc vet called me and said that Butch's white cell count was low. She noted that his white cell count has been historically low, which is concerning to me, but she said it just might be normal for him. However, she decided to make chemo #1 less of a dose to see how he handles it.
So far (it's been 8 days), so good - no vomiting, diarrhea, eating just fine, energy good. Tomorrow I take him in for another check of his blood for white cells since he's hitting the immuno-compromised stage post-first chemo. Praying it's up so he can take the full dose next time and kill those little micro-metastases that might be up to no good. Anyone else out there have an experience like this?
Otherwise he is doing great and yes I will try to get a video of the doggy door action. He's got it down going out, but for some reason is funny about coming back in (it's a step down going out and a step up coming in, so maybe that's it?). Gotta love my weirdo! Thx for all the encouragement. We are cherishing every day and every moment together. Just wish I could work from home or take him with me so I could have every moment.
Oh I'm glad he's doing really well! I hope today's onco visit goes great and the labs come back with a "Go!"
Many dogs have to hold off on chemo because of low white blood cell counts. It's not unusual at all. A forums search result shows a lot of discussions about it:
https://tripawd.....;include=3
Too cute about the doggy door. My guess is he will figure it out in time. Yes since it's a little different and he's a rear legger with less propulsion capabilities, it's a big jump to come back inside. That's not odd at all, very normal for your little weirdo!
Don't feel bad about working, it's life. All that matters is when you are home, you are 100 precent with Butch. He knows that too.
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