Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Ok, I think we went into this a bit with rose colored glasses. The first night was a trip, but the last 36, oh man. We could use some advice and encouragement.
We have a Great Dane, Duchess. She was 117 pound pre amp. She is VERY attached to my husband and I. We've always known her to be more sensitive than the average dog. She favored her leg, but never whined or winced much. Her surgery was on Wednesday. She actually came home with us that night and we took her back the next day for a few things. The vet said she was doing really well and looked great and excited upon my arrival. She walked to the car herself. Since then, she's not great.
The second night, she was up most of the night. It looked like she was following an imaginary bug back and forth all night. Talked to the Vet and we decided to lower her meds, fearing a reaction to the meds, especially since she'd done so well the day before. We backed her off the meds- better night last night, but whining. My husband slept next to her most of the night and she did better. We are in a different room because of stairs.
She refused potty for a long time, and really won't walk. We've taken her out to the grass a few times. No luck. A vet tech friend checked how full her bladder might be and said it was already. She is very stubborn. This is not new.
She woke up this morning howling and screeching. It was terrible. (Assume phantom pain ). We convinced her to move a little but she wasn't happy. No going out. We had to leave for a few hours and came back. She was standing up in a new room. She starting the gut-curdling screaming again. Hard to calm her down. She'd gone pee on her bad and poop in three places. Seems she didn't love having an accident. She's used to being along for 8 hours a day.
We tried to get her off of the couch to eat (to give her meds) and a small movement - screeching again. Lots of howling.
We can't tell if it is pain. Or if it is emotion. Either way, man. Any advice?
She won't move. When do we need to be concerned that she is basically not interested in moving?
Any advice trying to calm the pup?
We're trying not to be emotional around her, just encouraging. Lots of positive reinforcements like we use when training her.
This just sucks.
The magnificent Duchess, our Great Dane, brought us here. Diagnosed early July, 2014, Duchess had her front, left amp a week later. She handled her four rounds of carboplantin like a champ. She earned her wings late January 2015. A royal reincarnated into a wee-dane, she was bursting with personality and demands. We miss her a lot and are very thankful for the time we had with her. We welcomed a new rescue Dane into the family in March - Maverick! We're thankful he doesn't realize we'd meet all his demands if he put them out there.
Oh wow.... I was there. My girl Shelby was very much the same as your baby. It's probably her meds. Did you download Jerry's books? They see pink elephants and it's very hard. Shelby whined and paced ... Finally I had to shut her out of my room and just let her work it out. I put on some calming music and she soothed herself.
Also, Shelby was an extreme case, but we got her on some dog valium to calm her. Tramadol was really hard on Shelby and it was making her psychotic (the vet's word). We put her on Trazadone and it did help. She got some rest (and so did I) which helped her heal.
As far as the not moving, I am sure others here will have more advice. There was a pug here, Maggie, who was very stubborn and resistant to change. Perhaps Duchess is having a hard time coping with change?
Either way, you are not alone. I am sure others with better advice will weigh in but I wanted you to know you're not alone!
Hugs !!!
Alison & her Shelby fur-ever in her heart
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
I agree with Alison about the meds, it makes them very very loopy. Did it get worse when the pain meds were lowered? It could be that they were lowered too much. I would give your vet a call and just let them know how she's acting, you definitely don't want her to be in any pain. We actually had to switch pain meds, and put our Jake on Gabapentin for nerve pain. He did much better on that.
Mom to Tripawd Angels Jake (2001-2014) and Rosco (2012-2015) and Tripawd Tanner. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it”
Oh I'm so sorry, as hard as this is, it's common and Dutchess isn't abnormal by any means. Now, what kind of pain meds is she on? Maybe instead of lowering a switch to something else would help, along with some Xanax (yes they have it for dogs) to alleviate her anxiety? I would call your vet asap tomorrow, let them know the symptoms and get some different meds.
OK, now this is the hard part; a little tough love on your part goes a lonnnng way. It's SO hard. But here's what I mean, watch this video by our friends at CARE, they'll explain.
Don't worry too much about the pottying right now. As long as she's taking in liquids and urinating, she's doing well. Poop will happen in time, some dogs take a few days for normal movements. It sounds to me like if she had accidents (was the poop runny?) it could be because of stress.
Please keep us posted OK? You can always come by the chat room too, you'll find us there in the evening, usually. Good luck. We'll be thinking of you!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hang in there guys, it will get better.
My guess is that the meds were lowered too much. I would err on the side of a little loopy than in too much pain. There are several pain meds, what was she on at first? Do call your vet first thing, although it will be Sunday. Do you have the meds she was on before? You should talk to your vet, but if you can't get ahold of them you should be safe going up on the meds so e as long as you don't exceed the original prescribed dose.
I know how hard the med reaction can be, my pug Maggie would sleep for about 30 min after a dose of Tramadol, then be awake for hours looking for those 'bugs'.
Let us know how tonight goes.
Karen and Spirit Maggie
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Ohhhhh, I know.this is.such a hard, hard time!
Needless to say, you'll get alot of first hand experience here...and alot of diversity as well!
This is MAJOR surgery.and most dogs are kept overnight...and on strong pain meds...especially big dogs. The first two or.three days the hospital meds are wearing off and the pain can really set in. I agree whol with some others...I would rather err on the side.of having Duchess on a little too much pain meds than to be feeling the awful pain of amputation, nerve endings firing off like burning hot irons, etc.
Her mobilit h will get better, but right now she needs rest and to have her painunder control as good as possible.
MY Happy Hannah...a 123 lb. Bull Mastiff whined, cried, could not settle for two minutes at a time...and this went on for nineteen hours straight. This as AFTER spending the first night in the hospital.
Gabalentin and Tramadol, as well as.Rimadyl were her pain meds. I think I eneded up having to increase the frewuency of the Tramadol to help kee p her.pain under contol. Yeah, pain meds can make some dogs a little loopy...but this sounds more like pain to me! Check with the vest as soon as y o u can about upping the dose...you can always back downlater, but for now it seems as.th o ugh she.needs.a steady dose of pain meds.
DUCHESS is still very confused.and trying to figure out life on three legs...probably while in pain and a little loopy on top of that! Have you tried a towel as a sling? My Happy Hannah would pretty much must freeze, but it's worth a try.
You're doing a great mob!!!! I know this is soooooo hard and scary and foreign! But, this is in the "normal" range of the very unsettling recovery period.
When you can, tell us more about your Duchess. She sounds so sweet and gentle. PICTURES TOO! We love those around here!
Continue to stay strong and confident around her...praise and constant reassurance. I always like to advise during the first week of recovery to eat lots of chocow!!! It does help!!!!
Please continue toupdate us. Give the increased meds time to kick in (if your vet agrees) and ask about Gabapentin too!
Gonna send you a truckload of extra zzzzzzz's tonight...but it may take another few nights before they get there!
Sending b you ((((((((((((((((Hugs)))))))))))))))))))))
Sally and Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
Oh wow, poor girl! I am sorry that she is having such a hard time of things. 🙁
Sadly, even though my golden was 85lbs pre-amp of front right leg, I can't really offer any advice on your situation. My girl stayed with the veterinarian for nearly a full week after her surgery. I get really anxious about her, and I was worried that I would freak out over the smallest things. Since her surgery was on a Thursday, I scheduled to pick her up on Monday.
When she came home, we had her on quite a few medications for pain. She ended up having 2 surgeries, so when she came home she was still sore. While her personality was different at first, she was not vocal at all. 
So I really don't know what to say.
I really do hope that she starts getting back to normal soon, and that this is just a side effect of the powerful medications she is taking. Here's hoping she improves quickly!! I am sure there will be others with solid advice. It was a great idea to come here for support. I have found their advice and directly communication very helpful during my times of need.
Rox & Aimee
Thanks for all of the encouragement!
She is currently on tramadol and previcox along with an antibiotic. When I talked to the vet on Friday morning, we discussed that her seeing things could be caused by 1) Too much medication or 2) Too little medication. We took her down just a little bit on the amount, and deleted one dose completely to help her sleep. Friday night the yelling started, but no "bugs." Saturday lots more yelping, very little movement. Last night = long night. More yelping. So, given our conversation, I gave Duchess the dose of tramadol we "deleted" in the middle of the night. This morning my husband just pet her head gently and she started yelping. For her next dose, I put her back to the full amount. Hopefully this helps, but at least we will know one way or the other. I'll call the vet first thing tomorrow with a report. (I have her personal number, but this is part of what we talked about, so we'll see if this helps our girl.) I'll ask about the Gabapentin, possible other drugs and see what she thinks about adding an anti-anxiety drug. I don't want Duchess to be in pain, but I'm afraid of drugging her just to drug her.
Jerry - thanks for the links. We are afraid of babying her too much, good to have it reinforced as well as a bit of a gut check. Specifically for the eating while laying down. Since Duchess is basically just laying down for now and in recovery, what are the thoughts on having her do it while laying down? I know this dog will not eat standing up, not right now. Better to have the food in her system than to be on "hunger strike," no? At least for a little bit while she's getting all these meds? I'll add that question for the Vet, too.
Benny55 and Mom2Shelby - so "nice" to hear about your similar experiences.
As far as the walking goes, we aren't a whole lot better today, but she did go pee once we coaxed her into the yard and she did go up a few stairs (she wouldn't be convinced to walk up on the grass). Small positives!! My instinct tells me she just needs more time. From another forum, we got a great piece of advice. Cut up a canvas bag and use it as a sling. We had been using a towel, but this works much better!
For now, she's just hanging out on her bed. A little glassed out. She is a very sassy girl. I can't wait to see that little bit of something come back. Oh man, I hope it does.
The magnificent Duchess, our Great Dane, brought us here. Diagnosed early July, 2014, Duchess had her front, left amp a week later. She handled her four rounds of carboplantin like a champ. She earned her wings late January 2015. A royal reincarnated into a wee-dane, she was bursting with personality and demands. We miss her a lot and are very thankful for the time we had with her. We welcomed a new rescue Dane into the family in March - Maverick! We're thankful he doesn't realize we'd meet all his demands if he put them out there.
OKAY.....WE'VE GOT A VICTORY HERE...ever so slight, but a VICTORY none the less!!! Walked up a few stairs...went out to pee...YAAAAAAAAY!!! That "little bit.of.something" will come back...and then some!
This will be a mantra you'll hear from all of us this week....."It's so very, very early in recovery"!
Just my 2 cents...do whatever it takes to get her to eat and drink for now. Ifhting pain and recovering from major surgery uses a lot of energy. If she's too uncomfortable standing, then feed her laying down...hand feed...spoon feed...whatever it takes! Sure, once recovery is taking place on a consistent basis, then you nay need to coax her to eat standing up.
As far as the pain meds, and I'm sure your vet would agree, it's much harder to "catch up" with the pain if pain meds are not giving consistently. A skipped dose allows the pain time to "wind up" and it's much harder for the meds to catch up. Im no vet so check with them. But I really, really encourage you (with vet approval), to kkep pain meds I her system CONSISTENTLY...even if it's a reduced amount. In no way are you "drugging" her to just drug her" as far as pain meds. .I think if you find the right amount of pain killers you wouldn't need to cnsider any doggy valium.
Duchess is very lucky.to have such a strong advocate on her side! I KNOW this part of the journey is intense and scary...and, if you're like me you're probably second quessing your decision.and have convined yourself it was a bad decision!! You are doing this FOR Duchess, not to her! That wil l become apparent soon!
Stay connected to us! You are not alone! Please continue to update js and, when you can, we'd love to see more pictures!!!
Sending you hugs and applause for staying strong!!!
Sally and Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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 Liz -- You've gotten great advice from some fabulous folks. Bet a valium-ish addition to her meds cocktail will help. Gabapentin works wonders on nerve pain and phantom limb pain, and doesn't seem to have the same side effects as Tramadol.
Also, make sure she's getting a high enough dose based on how much Duchess weighs. You might need to go up a bit in the short term. We've upped the Gaba dose with Lexie here and there, and it helped.
Good luck with your gorgeous girl, and keep us posted!
Deb and Angel Lexie* Diagnosed at age 13. Tried radiation first; wish we had amputated upon diagnosis (even with lung mets). Joined Club Tripawd April 2014 & Lexie loved life on 3 legs! Advice: Start physical therapy as soon as your vet clears it, especially hydrotherapy if available :-) See Lexie pics here.
Good work Duchess! going into the yard and peeing! Each day you'll heal more. It's scary for you and your Mom and Dad. But they're taking really good care of you so try to trust them. It's going to get better big girl.
Buddy sends you good Golden wishes.
Oh gosh of course she'll get her sparkle back! What did the vet say? How is she doing?
As for eating while laying down...I would probably continue doing it little by little for a few more days. Remember that when animals are on pain meds, they just don't feel like eating a whole lot, and that's usually OK, they are reserving their energy for healing. Maybe start with some hand feeding once or twice and then leave her food in its usual spot to see what happens. How is her water intake? Tough love can be so challenging, but you can do it!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Well we are doing much better today!
Monday she went to the Vet to have her drainage tube out. They decided to keep it in a little longer and watched her for a few hours. Adjusted her meds along with added Gabapentin. Since Monday, she's made improvements every day and the "screaming" has really gone down. Also, we apparently/accidentally fashioned her bandage too tight, so we were cutting off circulation to her good leg. Sigh *hits forehead with an open palm.* D-ouh. We still have some pain, some whining and sporadic movement at best, but every day she has been doing a little more. Plus, she just looks happier.
The eating and drinking are still inconsistent, but I'm sure that'll come along. She had her drain out today and on came the "cone of shame " as she started the licking. She in and out of the car ALL BY HERSELF and walked herself inside. Then she laid down and, basically said, that's as far as I'm going today. YEA!!!!!!
We got some results back from her leg, and it showed no additional known tumors/metastis. So, next week we'll likely start chemo. We need to begin discussing this next. Sigh.
No if she would just go to sleep at night. She is up whining. If we sleep next to her, she stops. But that isn't really sleep. We are like walking zombies. Dear gawd I hope she sleeps soon..
And I'll try to get some pictures linked here soon! Of course we think she is beautiful.
The magnificent Duchess, our Great Dane, brought us here. Diagnosed early July, 2014, Duchess had her front, left amp a week later. She handled her four rounds of carboplantin like a champ. She earned her wings late January 2015. A royal reincarnated into a wee-dane, she was bursting with personality and demands. We miss her a lot and are very thankful for the time we had with her. We welcomed a new rescue Dane into the family in March - Maverick! We're thankful he doesn't realize we'd meet all his demands if he put them out there.
Lizjkc how is Duchess doing now? Has she started her chemo? Is she sleeping at night? Does she feel more comfortable? It is really awful if you can't get your sleep! It sounds like she is making improvements. Buddy was quite vocal the second week of recovery. It wasn't whining or screaming. That must be so difficult for you. He would huff and cough. But I could tell it meant he was feeling uncomfortable and things pained him.
Please let us know how you and Duchess are doing now. Has she gotten her stitches out? So good that she got in and out of the car by herself! Way to go Duchess!! 
Make your mommy and daddy happy! Buddy may never be able to do that without help from me and a harness. And such a relief that there is no additional tumors or metastisis. Do post some pics. Would love to see her.
Mardi and Buddy
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