Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Well, we are officially on vacation, and Henri is not feeling well~ : (
He has thrown up several times this week...and of course he is coughing more. I have a fear that he has lung mets but not sure if throwing up is a sign of that or not...I know the coughing could be. My Vet says why bother getting Xrays because it will just cause me anxiety. SIGH
What I am thinking is that the piroxicam and doxocycline are really taking a number on his tummy. 🙁
Each night, I give Henri his medicine and I dip it in peanut butter. Well, this week, he turned his head when I approached him with his pills and peanut butter. I do not think Henri wants to keep taking the medicine. I could tell he did not want to take them and now ,....he gets this really sad look when I come up to him with the medicine so I am thinking it is making him sick. I do give him a pepcid ac with his meds but nothing is helping. Our first day here has been rough...Henri woke up and got sick early this morning...thought he was ok after that...( which he was making the noise and nothing came out ) plus he was coughing etc. Then he ate his breakfast ( which by the way is EVO wet food ) mixed with Science Diet sensitive stomach kibble...Well, he ate it all and enjoyed it but threw up MASSIVE piles about an hour after he ate. Cleaning that up was joyyyyyyyful! : ( Poor Henri~
He went outside to potty....and ended up having diarrhea... : (
So now he is snoozing and still has his ruffwear harness on....thank GOD I brought it~~~~
I feel bad for him....I am thinking I should stop the meds for a few days and see how his tummy does...I should probably stop the wet food too and just give him the sensitive stomach kibble.....
I do not even think there is a 24 hr critical care for pets where I am, would probably have to drive a couple of hours or wait until tomorrow to take him in somewhere...
He does not seem lethargic...just seems like his tummy is hurting. : (
Has anyone had to deal with this too? ( Henri is on Metronomic chemo )....He did not tolerate the IV chemo well at all.
The other issue I am having is that there are 5 stairs ( wood ) to both the front and back of the rental vacation home. Henri does not do good with stairs at all! SO it has been a HUGE ordeal trying to get him to go out and potty and we are here for a week.....UGGHHHH
The only thing that has somewhat worked and it is still VERY difficult is the door that leads to the garage. Those 5 stairs are at least carpeted.... I help him walk down with his harness but he HATES me helping...but I have to.
Then, it is HORRIBLE trying to get him back in. He just does NOT want to come back up the stairs. It is so hard lifting on him because he weighs about 80 pounds. I WISH for an elevator right about now....ughhhh!
But we are trying to make due the best we can...
I am so frustrated but hoping he feels better soon!
Any advice would be appreiciated!
Thanks
Wendy & Henri
UGH! Sorry Henri is feeling so crummy! First off, the pill thing...I used to give Jack his pills in peanut butter and he would eat them in about .2 seconds. One day, he just refused to take anything with peanut butter! I switched to plain butter and he loved that. THEN he stopped eating the butter ones so I switched to cream cheese which is amazing stuff - you need less of it because it really sticks to the pills and you can get it in a ton of different flavors so the doggie doesn't get bored with the same thing. Second, the throw up and vomit. Jack has always had a sour stomach, even when he was a puppy. I just got used to the diarrhea and vomit, but when I moved back in with my parents my mom said it wasn't "normal" and had me take him to our vet out here...turns out he had a food allergy! He's had perfect poop and minimal vomiting since we switched him over a couple months ago. Did you guys go someplace different on vacation? If Henri is like Jack and enjoys eating foliage and dirt, it could be he is reacting to something new where you guys are. If it was my dog, I would lay off the meds for a couple days to see if that helps at all (just to see if it really is the medication and not another issue...). Just do what you think is the right thing, and perhaps a visit to the vet would be in order when you return home 🙂
<3 Laura and Jackaroo
One thing that can help with giving regular meds is variety! If Henri is on to you with the peanut butter trick, mix it up a bit with cream cheese one day, liverwurst another, etc.
But please keep in mind that long term use of many NSAIDs can cause serious intestinal problems. Ask you vet about switching to Metacam, that was the non-steroidal part of Jerry's metronomic therapy and he tolerated it very well for months. Every dog tolerates drugs differently, so maybe you just need to find the one that works best for Henri.
Finally, does Henri have any sort of support harness? The Ruff Wear Webmaster is the most poupluar, but a canvas shopping bag slit up the sides makes for a handy sling with handles if necessary.
One more thing about the meds ... remember, it's all about quality of life. If you believe Henri's meds may be making him feel ill, stop them for a week, watch for results and consult with your vet. Regarding the x-rays ... we believed it was better not to do frequent follow-up x-rays with Jerry. But eventually, there comes a time where they can help you determine whether or not the meds are effective anymore. And about those puke piles ... at least it's only rental! 
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I am sending you a huge hug because I am going through the same thing right now and we have an appt with the vet in an hour.
I can only echo what everyone here has said...I wish there was something else I could offer but I have nothing and my bag of tricks with the pills have been emptied.
I absolutely know the look you are talking about. I have actually stopped all supplements for right now....is there any problem with stopping his meds?
Does Henri do well with ramps? Maybe you could get a piece of wood and make a temp ramp down the fewest amt of stairs to make it easier for both of you.
Good luck.....here is another huge hug {{{{{{{}}}}}}}}}
I know this may sound harsh, but I've stopped giving pills with food. I don't want to risk her spitting them out (she got good at that) so I slightly open her mouth, come in from the side/back of her mouth and push it way way back and she has to swallow. It's fast so it's over before she almost knows what happened. Otherwise we fight and she's unhappy and I'm unhappy. Also, she no long suspects her food is tampered with so she eats more readily.
Seriously check out "The Honest Kitchen". They make human grade dehydrated dog food…many different types including one for sensitive stomachs. You rehydrate it (I use homemade chicken broth) with hot water so it's actually warm when you feed it. Ruthie likes it warm and I kick it up with added chicken I cook. They have carb free, lots of different types,,,check out their web site. The price is reasonable and shipping is pretty cheap since you aren't paying to ship water. And you can measure out only as much as you want so there are no cans or waste. I will never buy a can of dog food again. Ruthie completely stopped eating kibble months ago.
As for xrays, I hate waiting for the results, but they let us know if the drugs are working and make changes accordingly. Ignorance is not always bliss. I would hate to think I stopped trying too early or kept trying when they weren't working. To make informed decisions you need to know the facts. I have cried over xray results, but I also have jumped up and down with joy.
Ruthie & Me
We love The Honest Kitchen, and recently did a write up about their products in our Tripawds Nutrition blog.
I don't think that pilling a dog without treats is harsh. Like you said Ruthie, it's quick, painless and gets it over with without a struggle. We've discussed it and a while back posted advice links on how to pill a dog in the Forums, "Desperately need tips on getting Yoda to take his meds!!!"
Doxycycline can cause nausea. Do you have anything you're giving him for it? If you have any ginger handy, you can make a tea out of it and put it in his water. Ginger is excellent for nausea. And steamed sweet potato, yam or pumpkin will help with the runny poo. If he won't eat it from his bowl you can always try spoon feeding it to him. Most dogs love it.
I'm so sorry. I know it's hard to know when you're doing the right thing for your pup. As for stopping the pills, you have to do what you feel will help him the most at this time. That's something only you can decide but you should definitely give your vet a call too to discuss it.
Good luck, keep us posted on your beautiful boy.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Oh, I feel so badly for you and Henri 🙁 First off, Maggie, too, can't do stairs...especially if they don't have carpet on them! She's OK with 2 or three...but heaven forbid should she slip a bit(and that's always going up not down)...then forget about her trying again. I stayed at a cabin recently and I specifically asked for the least amount of stairs possible...there were three. One time when I was asking her to go up them without her Ruffwear harness on to help her, she slipped...stupid Mom never did those steps again without the harness! Can the place where you're renting supply you with some sort of plank for a ramp, perhaps? I have a ramp for my car but I didn't bring it with me to the cabin I rented cause I knew there was only 2-3 steps so hoped we'd be OK without it.
Henri's tummy... if he were my dog, I guess I'd stop the meds. But that's me. My sister's 15 year old Pitbull recently had a really nasty time with Metacam - she was getting it daily for 2 weeks and she ended up puking and bloody diarrhea! She was fearful the time was near to end her life...but in the end it was the Metacam!
Trust your instincts, Wendi...go with your heart.
Hope Henri improves!!!!
Tracy, Maggie's Mom
Maggie was amputated for soft tissue sarcoma 10-20-09
Maggie lost her battle with kidney disease on 8-24-13
Whenever Max had an upset stomach, we would stop his regular diet and meds and switch to a bland one, which generally consisted of chicken with either white rice or mashed sweet potatoe. We grilled skinless, bonless chicken breasts. The sweet potato usually worked better than the white rice, but that was just Max's taste.
maximutt said:
Whenever Max had an upset stomach, we would stop his regular diet and meds and switch to a bland one, which generally consisted of chicken with either white rice or mashed sweet potatoe. We grilled skinless, bonless chicken breasts. The sweet potato usually worked better than the white rice, but that was just Max's taste.
That's exactly what we were going to suggest!!! Zeus loved chicken and wihite rice and it helped so much with an upset stomach. I, personally, would stop the meds for a few days and see if you can get his belly back on track. I know that when I take anti-biotics, I always end up with an upset stomach the entire time I'm on them...sometimes the meds that help one problem cause another and unfortunately it's trial and error especially with our fur kids. 🙁
I sure hope Henri starts to feel better soon and that you hang in there - TRY (note the word try) to relax - I'm sure he's picking up on your stress a little bit too. Keep your chin up and know that we are thinking of you and your baby.
Love Heather and Zeus.
Heather and Spirit Zeus - Our life changing journey…from the earth to the heavens…one day at a time…always together
Wendy & Henri,
It is going to be hard to add much more than the excellent advice and support voiced above. I was extremely lucky that Miss Cherry never gave me problems with pills. Just open, place it very deep on the tongue, and she swallowed. I guess that it was due to all the practice of stuffing nearly all her food during the chemotherapy. (Had not yet gotten those magic biscuits or the ice cream until after the chemotherapy was over.)
Have to totally agree with Di about the bland food. However, I took it even further. When Cherry bloated in March of last year, could not keep food down, and developed extreme diarea, her vet and I moved her onto Hills Science Diet I/D. This is an extremely great, and is normaly "prescribed for the nutritional management of dogs with Gastrointestinal Disorders affecting the stomach and intestines." Cherry was able to keep it down without incident. People may think me crazy, but she did not truly return to normal until I gave her some Activia. I gave her half of one of their cup serving size - each day for eight days. It worked and that is all that I cared about. The I/D is not cheap, but considering what you have been going though, it may be worth it. I would have continued it with Cherry permenately, but as with nearly every one of her diets, she decided one day that she no longer liked it. She was very picky after the chemotherapy, but never before.
I will close by saying that on at least four separate occasions starting in March of last year, Cherry had a downturn that I would swear was the beginning of the end. However, she rallied each of those times and returned to a good quality of life. We WILL be optimistic.
Sending Pawsitive Thoughts and Prayers,
Spirit Cherry's Dad
Wendi;
Just adding my two cents - I would stop giving Henri the meds, too - and, of course, like everyone else is suggesting - talk to your vet when you can.
Whenever Sophie's tummy gets upset - I take away her food for a day or so - give her water as often as she wants it - little bits at a time - and then start her back on boiled ground beef and brown rice. I have heard that pumpkin and sweet potato are also very good. Ginger is also very good for settling upset stomachs. (Hence, ginger ale....without the bubbles when you have the flu.)
I think it's also worth considering that you are in a different environment - I know Sophie would be eating grass, dirt, whatever... which may affect the stomach if we were on vacation - even the water may be different enough to make a difference.
I think we really do get so caught up in making sure that we give our fur-kids the medications that we forget that the meds are supposed to be giving them a better quality of life - thank you for reminding us of that !!
X-rays - yeah - we're just at the stage where we've had 2 chemo treatments - and are going to x-ray to see if they've had any effect on Sophie's lung growths. That will determine whether or not we continue the chemo. So I totally understand about stressing over x-rays.
I hope that Henri is feeling much better very soon, Wendi.
Golden hugs,
Sophie and Tana
Sophie (1998 – 2010)
"Going Dog" def: living every day in the moment
"It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are."
–Unknown
Piroxicam can certainly lead to vomiting and sometimes ulcers. Any blood in the vomit or diarrhea? I would stop the piroxicam and if the pepcid alone isn't working then I would add Prilosec (generic omeprazole is fine) and give 1 tablet once daily in the am for 7-14 days. If the vomiting stops you could try the piroxicam again or have your vet change to another NSAID. If you are seeing blood or severe diarrhea then I would find a vet so you can get some Carafate and metronidazole. Your home vet could also phone both of these in to a pharmacy on your route.
Pam
There's already been plenty of great advice here, Wendy. All I have to say I'm so sorry Henri's feeling so poorly.
Trust your instincts.
You've already got a lot of hugs, but I'm sending you some more anyways.
Carmen, Catie and Riley.
Catie -
Birthday – November 4 2003
Amputation – January 13 2010
Crossed the Bridge – June 2 2011
Everyone has added so much advice - I can't offer anything.
But I just want you to know I'm thinking about you and am hoping this is just a little bump in the road for Henri.
Lots of hugs,
Comet's mom
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
henri, i don't have any good advise either.... my first thought was 'the water'. when we go somewhere and drink 'non-home' water...it can make us have wacky tummy stuff. sorry to hear you're feeling punk during your vacation...paws crossed for feeling better very soon!!!
gayle
Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included). She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.
Love Never Ends
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