Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi Cutie is 13 yo 70 lb lab, just had back leg amputated 12 days ago. For some reason the vets were very conservative with the meds in the beginning (300mg gabapentin / tramadol) every 12 hours … she was very restless, anxious, etc so we called the vet and we went to 450 mg Gaba & tramadol every 8 hours along with Trazadone after a week …
I’ve been reading a lot of conflicting info on tramadol about efficacy, but also side effect may be what’s making her dysphoric (panting, rapid breathing when not panting, restless) …
long story short, having major regret about all this …
Can’t find the right combo of pain meds to make her sleep through the night …
anyone give THC? and if so in what dose and how often …
Hello and welcome. I am approving your post so others can jump in and give advice. Your future posts won't require moderation
I am sorry to hear about the issues of pain meds. First CBD given to dogs doesn't have the THC in it and if it does you really shouldn't give that brand. I haven't ever used CBD chews for pain for my dogs so I can't help you with that. Maybe someone who has used it will jump in with advice.
Michelle & Angels Sassy, Bosch, Baby Simba and Sweet Snickers
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
I have CBD I just started giving her … I’m wondering if anyone has used THC …
BTW, love the name "Cutie".
Such a bummer you haven't been able to get proper pain management for Cutie. So many Vets are still not up to date on best pain management for amputation surgery. Your Cutie definitely needed more Gaba and more frequently!
long story short, having major regret about all this …
Its certainly understandable why you feel that way right now. Seeing Cutie showing pain signals and not being able to get that addressed adequately is difficult to say the least. Once you get the right meds for her, the right freq, etc both of you will feel better!
Check out this link on pain management .
You are spot on with some of the research you have done. Yes, it has been proven that Tramadol is not effective for this type of MAJOR surgery pain. It does cause anxiety, restlessness, etc in some dogs. Trazedone does nothing for pain. It's basically a sedative and can cause dogs to be "out of it".
Of course, we are not Vets and not giving Vet advice. Every dog handles pain and meds differently. However, if you need to find another Vet who will adequately treat her pain then that's what you jave to do.
Have no insight into the CBD THC, but I think if you can get the Gaba at the right dose and frequency, drop the Tramadol and Tazedone, you might get better results. Again, not Vet and not giving Vet advice and don't do anything without Vet approval.
How is Cutie doing overall? Eating, drinking, potty and okay? How about her Mobility? She needs to still be taking it easy and just doing short-list day breaks right now.
Stay connected and update when you can. We will help you navigate through recovery and on to brighter days for you and cutie.
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!
Hi Adam, welcome. Sorry that Cutie is having a rough time with the pain control. You are doing an excellent job advocating for her.
So if the vets haven't added Amantadine into the mix it's worth asking about. It does sound like she is having some uncontrolled pain, likely from moving around in a new way and not necessarily directly related to the amputation surgery itself. Did you know our Tripawds Foundation can pay for your first rehab visit for Cutie? These therapists are really good at pinpointing pain and how to treat it. We will pay up to $200 for your first visit so if you'd like to take advantage of the program, go to that link, or pm me your location and I can help you find a therapist.
Meanwhile about the cannabis .... I'm a certified Veterinary Cannabis Guide, and have taken courses to get a better understanding of cannabis medicine for pets. I also occasionally write articles for our Cannabis Corner with Tripawds series. Although I don't have one specifically about THC in our series, what I can tell you is this:
When given under veterinary supervision, sometimes THC can work when used in combination with other cannabis molecules. However, at this stage it would be really unwise to try any cannabis medicine on your own (especially with a THC molecule combo) until you know exactly why she is experiencing discomfort. I can connect you with a veterinarian team member who is knowledgeable about cannabis medicine if you'd like to have her evaluated. But please, do not try any product with THC or you could make her anxiety and dysphoria even worse.
P.S. Here's the latest on Tramadol.
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