Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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tlahaye said
Glad your baby is home.That does not sound like very much pain medication. For his first week to ten days, Casey took 200 mg Gabapentin (which was magical), and 100 mg Tramadol every 8 hours. I tore a small, (2 sq in) piece of bread, slathered it with peanut butter, and stuck the pills in the top. We called them cupcakes with sprinkles. He also got 50 mg Rimadyl twice daily with meals.
Too many vets seem to under-medicate for pain, and that is unfortunate. If the pain "breaks through" the medication, it is much harder to get back under control, so don't hesitate to discuss this in advance with your vet.
This morning she got up and what i would say screamed in pain 😭 and i gave her meds an hour early called the vet and they are adding gabapentin & i pick it up today. I guess the surgery meds finally faded.
And you were absolutely right about it not being a lot of pain meds i found her old bottle from when she had the lump removed in november and she was getting 75mg of tramadol every 12 hrs and they only gave her 50mg every 12 with an amputation ?!?
That was the most heartbreaking sound i have ever heard from an animal 😭 and she just pushing her head in to me like help mom!
She is not a good pill taker so we will have to get inventive lol , she figures it out after 2 days what we are doing lol so im prepared with cheese, hotdogs, wet foods, hamburger lol
My Miss Kitty was a stinker when it came to pills. A vet tech suggested getting the cheapest, thinnest prepackaged cold cuts, shaved if you can get them, and rolling the pills in them. HALLELUYAH! It works like a charm!
I put the pill in one end, roll it lenghtwise into a cigar and cut the cigar in 3. The first treat is an empty piece, the second has the pill and the thrid is another empty. When she sees the third piece coming she swallows number 2 whole.
My Miss Kitty was a stinker when it came to pills. A vet tech suggested getting the cheapest, thinnest prepackaged cold cuts, shaved if you can get them, and rolling the pills in them. HALLELUYAH! It works like a charm!
I put the pill in one end, roll it lenghtwise into a cigar and cut the cigar in 3. The first treat is an empty piece, the second has the pill and the thrid is another empty. When she sees the third piece coming she swallows number 2 whole.
THAT is just TOO slick, I LOVE it!!!!!
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
misskittymom said
She is not a good pill taker so we will have to get inventive lol , she figures it out after 2 days what we are doing lol so im prepared with cheese, hotdogs, wet foods, hamburger lol
My Miss Kitty was a stinker when it came to pills. A vet tech suggested getting the cheapest, thinnest prepackaged cold cuts, shaved if you can get them, and rolling the pills in them. HALLELUYAH! It works like a charm!
I put the pill in one end, roll it lenghtwise into a cigar and cut the cigar in 3. The first treat is an empty piece, the second has the pill and the thrid is another empty. When she sees the third piece coming she swallows number 2 whole.
Great idea! Thank u! She is much happier now with the added medication 🙂
GOOD FOR YOU FOR ADVOCATING FOR PROPER PAIN MEDS FOR YOUR FIRL!!! There is noooo reason on earth for Vets in this day and age to UNDERmedicate, but they still do!
Just so you,'ll know, many of us here are given a pretty good leeway when it comes to Tramadol. It can also be given every eight hours and sometimes even every six hours depending on the dose. And it's beneficial to give the Tramadol and Gabapentin maybe an hour or so apart just to keep some pain meds in her system at all times. NOT A VET AND NOT GIVEN VET ADVICE. It just breaks my heart to thing our pups and cats may suffer in pain when it can be prevented. I cringe to think what happens to those who are in a similar situation and don't have access to this site so their pets can have their pain properly managed.
Keep us updated and let us know if things settle down. And yeah, sometimes Gaba can make them a vit sleepy, but rest without pain is a good thing!
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!
So glad she is feeling better 
You are doing a great job, she's a lucky girl!
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
benny55 said
GOOD FOR YOU FOR ADVOCATING FOR PROPER PAIN MEDS FOR YOUR FIRL!!! There is noooo reason on earth for Vets in this day and age to UNDERmedicate, but they still do!Just so you,'ll know, many of us here are given a pretty good leeway when it comes to Tramadol. It can also be given every eight hours and sometimes even every six hours depending on the dose. And it's beneficial to give the Tramadol and Gabapentin maybe an hour or so apart just to keep some pain meds in her system at all times. NOT A VET AND NOT GIVEN VET ADVICE. It just breaks my heart to thing our pups and cats may suffer in pain when it can be prevented. I cringe to think what happens to those who are in a similar situation and don't have access to this site so their pets can have their pain properly managed.
Keep us updated and let us know if things settle down. And yeah, sometimes Gaba can make them a vit sleepy, but rest without pain is a good thing!
Higs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too
Thank you! Yes the meds are split up for the most part exceot one dose but she gets the gaba 3 times a day every 8 hrs so right now she has
7:30am tram & anti inflam
11:30 am gaba
7:30 pm tram , inflammatory, gaba
3:30am gaba
im gonna see how she does in the next 24hr and may end up giving the gaba at 7:30 pm to 8:30pm
she sometimes licks the floor (foam matts) not sure if she thinks she licking a famtom leg, or licking to sooth because of pain 😕
Ok, go ahead and laugh at me 🙄 maybe the mats just taste good?? Serious.. sometimes you just find something that they love the texture or taste of.(who knows?) It's so easy to overthink when we are guilt ridden and worried about our companions. If she's just licking it and isn't in a frenzy maybe she just likes it 😊... just saying...
Breathe... This is going to be ok, you are all over this ❤️
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
paws120 said
Ok, go ahead and laugh at me 🙄 maybe the mats just taste good?? Serious.. sometimes you just find something that they love the texture or taste of.(who knows?) It's so easy to overthink when we are guilt ridden and worried about our companions. If she's just licking it and isn't in a frenzy maybe she just likes it 😊... just saying...Breathe... This is going to be ok, you are all over this ❤️
Lol thank u this made me smile! Yes so worried about her hurting but like u said she just may want to lick lol true some dogs lick toys for her it must be the mat lol
It may be just that 
You have seen a positive difference in her comfort level, I think that's great. You are so in tune with her needs and making sure she is comfortable. I agree with you changing the gaba from 730 to 830 just to split them up. Hope your girl had a good night last night!
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
mira702n said
Too many vets seem to under-medicate for pain, and that is unfortunate. If the pain "breaks through" the medication, it is much harder to get back under control, so don't hesitate to discuss this in advance with your vet.
This morning she got up and what i would say screamed in pain 😭 and i gave her meds an hour early called the vet and they are adding gabapentin & i pick it up today. I guess the surgery meds finally faded.
And you were absolutely right about it not being a lot of pain meds i found her old bottle from when she had the lump removed in november and she was getting 75mg of tramadol every 12 hrs and they only gave her 50mg every 12 with an amputation ?!?
That was the most heartbreaking sound i have ever heard from an animal 😭 and she just pushing her head in to me like help mom!
That's the pain "break-thru" I was referring to. So sorry it happened. That still doesn't sound like much Tramadol. I have another dog on Tramadol for back problems. He weighs 46 lbs. and has been taking 300 mg/day for nearly six months now. I always want medication in his system so rather than give him 100 mg every 8 hours, I give him 50 every 4 to 6 hours.
Hi Cricket and Furmily,
i am just catching up on Crickets journey. I am sorry that you find yourselves here, but you have found a truly supportive group!
I certainly agree with everyone when they say “good job” on sorting out the proper medications for your girl! It is so important to stay ahead of the pain! It is a great learning process for most of us and it sounds like you have things under control. Well done!
mira702n said
she sometimes licks the floor (foam matts) not sure if she thinks she licking a famtom leg, or licking to sooth because of pain 😕
It could very well be that Cricket like the taste of her floor mats, but it could also be a symptom of a sort. Stewie is a Bernese/Rotty/Retriever. He is 8yrs old and had his left front leg removed last July. He would lick the floor where his leg used to lay and he would also lick his side. Licking the floor was a common occurrence, licking his side was obsessive! But once I started acupuncture and Ortho-Bionomy on him (Stewie goes to a ‘special’ hooman acupuncturist, ‘cause he doesn’t have a dawg one close by!), he very rarely licks the floor where his ‘phantom limb’ should be. He never licks his side anymore, unless it is for a good scratch. I realize that it would be too early to start any kind of therapy for her, as she needs nothing but bedrest at this point. Maybe have a chat with your vet about Crickets symptoms and it could very well be another indicator of pain? Could this be considered a form of phantom pain ?
And then again, she may just like the taste of floor mats!
Sometimes our pups do stranger things right?!
All the very best for now and hoping for more success stories about Crickets healing!
Petra, Stewie and his snoozing Kittens
Remember...“live in the moment!“ 
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