Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi,
Dylan, our sweet yellow lab had his left front leg amputated 2 weeks ago due to myxosarcoma. His recovery is going great. He got the bandage off and the staples out yesterday. He is doing so well, I'm amazed.
Last night, while he was sound asleep, he woke up yelping in pain, and crying. I thought maybe he just bumped himself and he would be alright. He went back to sleep. Then it happened again this morning. He didn't bump himself, he just woke up crying and whelping. Then it happened again early this afternoon. Then again, a short while ago.
Now I know there must be some pain involved after losing a limb but he has not done this during the 2 weeks after the amp. This just started last night after the bandage and staples were removed. Is this what they call phantom pain ? If so, what can be done about it? if anything. He has been off his meds for over a week, although, we did give him 2 tramadol after it happened early this afternoon. We put a call into our vet and we are waiting for him to call us back.
Just wondering if anyone else has had this issue. Thank you.
Helen,
Dylansmom
Hi. My Leonberger Odin was yelp free for two weeks and then had some phantom limb pain. It came and went for a week or so. A couple of times each day. If the crying is for long periods I might be a bit concerned, but if its a moment or two I am sure it's nothing to worry about as its probably just phantom pain . There are meds to control it; however I never had to give them to my guy. Hope this helps.
Hi Jondell,
Yes this does help. It gives me a little peace of mind. The yelps do not last long so it makes me feel better to know that it is not uncommon. Our vet said to give him the tramadol over the weekend and if it gets any worse to bring him in on Monday.
I never heard of a leonberger dog. I looked them up and they are beautiful.
Thank you for your response.
Helen,
Dylansmom
Hi Helen,
That definitely sounds like phantom pain . Sometimes it just takes a while for the brain to connect that the missing limb is gone, and it has these little freak outs when trying to communicate with it, and it turn, it's real scary for the pup. Search throughout the forums and blogs for "phantom limb pain" and you'll find lots of info about it. Our Required Reading List also has some info. If it continues you may want to talk to your vet about a drug called gabapentin, which is often used short-term for this very situation. Thankfully it usually doesn't last more than a few weeks at most.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you Jerry,
This makes me feel so much better. I will ask our vet about the gabapentin if this keeps up. He did not have any episodes last night or this morning (thank goodness!) I would be so lost without this forum.
Helen,
Dylansmom
That only happened with us twice, so we never had to try the gabapentin, but lots of folks here had good results with it. It is very scary when they do that. So hard to hear them in pain. Hang in there. Hopefully the episodes have passed already and if not, some gabapentin should help!
Jackie, Angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
I'm so happy to hear Dylan is doing well, but sorry to hear he is uncomfortable. A very similar thing happened to us, a bit later than with Dylan, but the symptoms sound exactly the same--a week of Gabapentin solved it for Loa. She hasn't woken up whining/crying since. Please ask your vet about it.
What a sweet picture of your boy. Loa is a yellow lab too 
(We are almost three months post-amp.)
Wow! I never heard of phantom pain . This looks like a great place to read up on what to expect. Thank you to all of you for your posts.
Karen
Hi Karen, you're so welcome. Please let us know how we can help you and your new Tripawd, I'm so sorry to hear you've found yourself in this club. Feel free to start a new topic in "Beyond Cancer" so we can learn all about you two. Good luck.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
melissaw said
I'm so happy to hear Dylan is doing well, but sorry to hear he is uncomfortable. A very similar thing happened to us, a bit later than with Dylan, but the symptoms sound exactly the same--a week of Gabapentin solved it for Loa. She hasn't woken up whining/crying since. Please ask your vet about it.
What a sweet picture of your boy. Loa is a yellow lab too
(We are almost three months post-amp.)
After reading the questions on phantom limb pain, and having many sleepless nights from the whining (Tahoe) and worrying (Us) I was glad to hear there was mediation for it. I called the vet this morning and he's prescribed the Gabapentin. He explained that there are two major nerves that get severed - the femoral and sciatic, and that the brain is sending signals to them and not getting responses. He gave us a month's supply. I'm so happy to hear that it's worked for others. It breaks my heart when he whimpers.. I'll let everyone know how it works and fingers are crossed!
Tahoe, you sure have a great vet who understands how to cope with a dog's post-amputation pain. Yes, keep us posted on how the gaba worked for you OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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