Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hey everyone!
Teddy is day 8 post op from a right forelimb amp for periarticular histiocytic sarcoma. We are confirmed no spread (yay!) and hope to have many more years with our boy (median survival is 30 mo). We start chemo 8/25 - they will also remove staples at the same appt.
The first few days Teddy was showing incredible resilience. He ran out of the hospital tail wagging to us and was able to walk the very long distance to potty - never issues with pooping, peeing or eating! Since his nerve block wore off around post op day 5 til now - now he has been very disinterested. He sleeps or just lays a lot. He will get up right away for food/treats, potty or to greet one of us if we come home. If he is going to potty and sees someone - he gets hyper and is excited to see them. (We live in mill condos - hence the long trek to potty and the additional people). He has 43 staples. We have been icing and basically when I am home from work (I work 10-12 hour shifts, husband works from home) I am on the floor with him, laying beside him. Icing him, rubbing belly. When should we expect him to perk up again? He is on Gabapentin 300mg 3xd which the last dose for that is tonight, carprofen 50mg 2xd and an antibiotic for 14 days total. I have been giving him CBD oil here and there (which was cleared for use by oncology and surgery). I would like to add that prior to surgery he was on both of these meds but the gaba was only 2x a day and not 3 so I really don’t think meds are contributing to the issue as he was completely normal and crazy prior to surgery.
He appears comfortable - meaning - no pain responses that I can illicit. His breathing appears comfortable with no panting. No drooling. No restlessness. He is quite content where he lays. I’m not sure if he is just maybe a little depressed or if this is still maybe just him adjusting. I will be honest that we are thankful that he appears comfortable and is not going crazy - we don’t want him popping any staples - but it’s so sad to him him not like himself - if that makes sense.
His sister is not very helpful, she is mostly jealous and even tho I make sure to give her separate attention. I think she is very confused on what’s going on.
adding a photo
of teddy from today where he is actually smiling with his box of treats an friend sent. It’s the first time he smiled in a week!
Aww what a great photo! That boy just knows he is loved!
but it’s so sad to him him not like himself – if that makes sense.
Yes of course it makes sense. As humans, we aren't used to seeing our dogs in any kind of mood other than what they've always been in. So it makes sense that you feel sad. We did too. But one thing to remember is that eight days is not a long time at all. Try to picture where you would be, physically and mentally if you had a leg amputated and had 43 staples in your body. Most of us would not come close to handling it as well as our dog or cat does.
A lot of dogs act as he did right out of surgery. Then the physical nature of being an amputee catches up, and they slow down. That isn't unusual at all. My guess is that Teddy is in healing mode. He's smart enough to know that right now is a good time to lay around. Plus, those longish walks and all that excitement seeing people when he goes potty may also be taking a toll, and he needs recovery time when he gets back home (your place sounds cool!). Rest is medicinal right now, and in time you will see his sparkle come back, when his body is stronger.
Also, eight days is a pretty short course of Gaba. Watch for pain signals with him, many dogs are on it for at least 10-14 days.
You are doing all the right things to help him heal. He's getting there!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
What a sweet boy Teddy is!
I don’t have any advice to add since we are also only eight days into Tripawd life but wanted to note that Rucca also started slow our down a bit as the first week wound down and week two begins. Like you, we’ve also got a bit of a trek to get outside and have found our stroller for to be a fantastic tool. She’s walking a bit longer with each outing and her stride continually gets smoother but she’s clearly tired. Like Teddy, she’s relaxed and doesn’t seem to be in pain though.
Jerry’s words ring true to me - I can’t imagine doing all the things these dogs do days and weeks after a minor surgery, let alone an amputation. I hope Teddy’s smooth recovery continues!
Thank you to both of you for replying!
I started noticing today that Teddy had some increased respirations and drooling. Also tucking his tail. I had an emergency dose of gaba from a previous injury available (albeit 100mg pills so I had to give him 3) and we called the animal hospital and they prescribed him 7 more days of gaba and sent the script to our local Walgreens (his animal hospital is out of state!). He is doing much better tonight and is much more comfortable again. How many days should I try to do on the gaba before I stop again? I don’t want to keep him on all 7 days if I don’t have to - also he’s been on it since May - so is this a med that needs tapering? I’m wondering if he could have had withdrawal and it wasn’t pain. I should have asked the pharmacist on the phone but I honestly forgot!
Good job getting more meds for him!
It's hard to say how many days he needs the meds- every dog is different, but average around here is probably two weeks or so after surgery.
I've been through a few surgeries with my Pugs and I always taper pain meds when they have been on them for a week- even less time if I'm not sure of their pain level. I always discuss with my vet of course, but with a major surgery I won't ever just stop giving pain meds. I like to taper because by slowly reducing the dose or frequency I can tell if they get uncomfortable and I can go back up again before the pain gets too bad. Keeping pain under control is easier than trying to get it back under control when it gets too bad.
When my quad Pug Tani was on gabapentin for her arthritis I read that you needed to taper off of it because of the way that medicine acts in the system, going off too fast could cause seizures. By your description it sounds to me like Teddy was in pain not withdrawal but that is a good question for your vet.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
I have a call out to the surgeon to ask!
i guess I’m just getting super bummed that he is nothing like himself. I know I was told to expect this but it’s just killing me. I don’t know if I should be trying to entice him to get up more or what. He got up to greet when I got home and he walked the slowest ever hop to get to me. I got out his favorite ball and I tossed it to him in a way he could catch it just by sitting there. His tail was wagging the entire time. He let me throw it only a few times with him and the one time it missed his mouth - he didn’t attempt to get it. I also noticed he walks with almost like a hunched back appearance (if that makes sense). I guess I’m just ranting now but I am just not sure what I’m expecting and if it’s too much. His appetite is great. He will get up and potty. He will take treats (but most times won’t walk to where we are to get them). Does he seem pretty normal?
Hi there! A hunched back is a pain signal. Teddy may have tweaked a muscle even if he wasn't doing anything particularly strenuous. You might want to try massage and passive range of motion exercises with him. I posted some information about those in this blog post - https://griffin.....l-20-2020/. I wouldn't start any of the other exercises yet, but you can ask your vet about starting them once the staples are out. Good luck! ~ 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
Oh yeah, that hunched back and walking reluctance are definitely pain signals that dogs and cats give when they are hurting. Just a guess but like Stacy said, he could have pulled a muscle. This is something you definitely want to discuss with your vet.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you Stacy and Jerry. I was wondering if he pulled something too. Poor guy can’t catch a break. His oncologist said it will be safe for him to start PT as long as we book it safely around chemo. So I’m definately looking into that ASAP. In the meantime I’m heading to your blog post Stacy!
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