Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
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It's hard to talk avout pain meds when different kinds are used in different countries. I wish we could figure out a comparable pain med to the Gabapentin and Tramadol we use here in the States. As your vet said, there is pain with this surgery. However, with proper pain management it should be somewhat manageable during the rough part . It is MAJOR surgery and you are only day three. Not wanting to get up could be a pain sign, now that the hospital meds are out of the system.
It did sound like she may be experiencing some phantom pain . Check out the link to phantom limb pain.
Contnue to assist her to help her stand. For now, maybe bring her food bowl and water to her rather than ask her to get up. Let her save that energy for going to potty.
Continue to massage, massage, massage. Maybe put a warm towel from the dryer over her as you massage.
Is incision still looking good? Is she sleeping fairly well? How about you, are you getting some rest? Peeing and pooping? Eating and drinking?
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!
Now it is 19:50 in the evening and she still does not really want to stand up.
She cried out loud 3 times today while trying for nearly half a minute. It's horrible.
The wound still looks good, I put her a fresh T-Shirt on.
Eating is ok, drinking too, but we were not outside today.
I'm in the Tripawds Chat right now if you want to talk OK? Back in a sec...
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I'm so sorry, I know this is hard. At just a few days post op, and because she has to do stairs to go outside, she is probably really sore and tire. And while I'm not a veterinarian, it does sound to me like she is lacking in good pain control. Please, call your vet and ask for stronger, better pain management . Tell them exactly what her symptoms are, how often they happen and that you need more pain medication. I know that Gabapentin is used in other countries so that is a good one to ask for. Codeine is also appropriate as long as it's used together with Gabapentin. See:
Best (and Worst) Pet Amputation Pain Drugs
If you see a drug in this article that your vet hasn't heard of, ask them to google the drug's name in your country. Don't take no for an answer. Leyla is depending on you to help her feel better, and better pain control is very likely the way to do that.
Unfortunately the hardest recoveries out there always seem to start with poor pain control. That in turn stresses out the parent, which causes everyone to spiral out of control and feel hopeless. Do your best to stay strong and know that we are here for you OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Just want to ditto what Jerry just posted. Send the I fo in her links to the Vet and see what other types of meds may work better.
It may be that the drug you are using now (althoigh anolder drug and one that has been banned I some countries according to Google which may or may. Not be the case)....just isn the right one for your sweet pup. Every dog reacts to drugs differently and it may be that this drug is not the best for your pup
A yway, show the I for Jerry posted to your Vet and, hopefully, he will be open to finding a better way to treat your pup. You have to rely on your Vet and his knowledge and we certainly understand that. It's just that it looks like your pup needs a different approach than the one he is using.
Update when uou can.....and remember to breathe!!
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!
Ditto what Sally said. All creatures have different chemistries, and what works for one body may not work for another. It may very well be that Leyla needs a different medication to help her feel better.
Another point: pain control after amputation surgery usually requires treating it with multiple methods. So in addition to hot/cold therapy, massage, etc., different drugs to different things and work on different pain pathways to control pain in the body. There is more than one type of pain that animals go through after amputation surgery. I hope that makes sense.
Either way, this is the time to let your vet know OK? Be strong and give them a call. And I"m still in the Chat if you want to talk.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
My quick 2 cents worth. Gabapentin is used for epilepsy, also here in the US for nerve damage. It helps with phantom limb issues in pets. My mom takes it for back surgery that she had. It's definitely worth looking in to. Some pets do ok without it but the majority, including my Huckleberry had great benefits from it. Most use it short term.
It's so hard to push for medications without sounding odd, but gabapentin works synergistically well with the other medications.
I hope this helps. Please speak with your doctor and ask them to look into it if they have hesitation.
Hugs❤
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Hi, While I'm not an expert on pain management I just wanted to say I agree with all the others who have spoken for gabapentin. I'm also from Europe (Finland), and I do realise that medicines vary from country to country even inside Europe, but at least here gabapentin is very, very commonly used after this kind of operations. Yes, it is used for epilepsy, but also for "periferic neuropatic pain". The pain medicines you are using now might well be strong enough, but as others already said, maybe you just need different types of pain medicines for different types of pain that are to be expected after amputation. A medicine for nerve pain would certainly be a good addition.
Best wishes & fast recovery!
Razbeg the rescue borzoi (born in 11.06.2009) became a tripawd in 20.09.2018.
He and his adopted "brother" Myrsky have their own facebook page:Razbeg & Myrsky
Today it looks a bit better. We were downstairs for an hour until pooping and peeing. She is used to walk a while before that and does'nt want to make it near the house. But now it's safer to just walk out the door. Then back home and eating, drinking and sleeping.
Later I must buy some things before the weekend and have to leave her alone for a short while. I think, this is possible now.
🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞 Good luck
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
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