Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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14 year old corgi mix - advice?
Hi,
My 14-month old rescued GSD mix puppy, who's been with me for a year, is in her third day recovery following front leg amputation and spay. She is currently secured in a pen and I use a sling to help her outside to potty. I want to be sure I'm doing the right thing by keeping her inactive for 14 days. That seems like a long time and she might atrophy from lack of exercise. Also, she's on Tramadol, Gabapentin, acepromazine, Carprofen, & Cephalexen twice a day. I'm wondering how long I should keep her in the sedative, and the pain meds. She finally went poop yesterday, after 3 days. I put puréed pumpkin in her dry food to help with that.
It looks like she's trying to scratch near her amp site, and I'm thinking of putting a T-shirt in her like I've seen in some photos on this wonderful, helpful, supportive site.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
P. S. I'm posting for the first time, so I hope this is right. Thank you.
Cheers, Connie & Téa
Hi Connie and welcome to you and Téa, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
Why the amp?
First off you might look through the Required Reading list or consider downloading one or more of the eBooks from the Tripawds library.
You will find lots of information on what to expect with amputation and recovery.
I am not a vet (I just pay for their retirement plans!) so these are just my experiences. Keep your vet informed on how Téa is doing and if you want to change her med schedule.
I'm assuming your vet prescribed the Ace to keep your puppy quiet during her recovery. I personally don't like that med and wouldn't use it for my quad pug Obie during his knee surgery recoveries. But for our purpose the tramadol and pain patch were sedating enough, and he wasn't a puppy.
Yes- rest is crucial during this time of recovery. When my pug Maggie had her rear leg amputated our surgeon said only short hops for bathroom breaks, the rest of the time she was to rest. Maggie was a slug after her surgery so it wasn't a problem 
. Mag was on pain meds for about 14 days post op, but we were tapering off during the last few days. Some pups don't need them that long but I think it is about the average time.
My current Tripawd Elly is a little pug mix rear amp who was hit by a car when she was 7 months old. I adopted her when she was 10 months old and past her surgery recovery. It must have been really hard to keep her quiet after her surgery!
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
Absolutely on the T-shirt. We were told that Otis must wear the cone of shame for 2 weeks. It was cutting the skin on his neck after 2 days, so we switched to the T-shirt. It worked, he was much more comfortable, and goodbye cone. We stayed on the Tramadol on a heavy dose until the staples came out, and then started tapering off. The surgeon allowed us to use our discretion, eventually we got to just one Tramadol before bed, and then none. It was pretty obvious to us when he no longer needed it. We had an antibiotic for 10 days, I think, and Rimadyl (surgeon told us to finish the prescription). You are doing the right thing by restricting the activity. For the 1st 2 weeks it was just out to potty on a leash, to the food bowl and from dog bed to dog bed. At almost the 1 month point, we started short (7 houses) walks. Any muscle atrophy will be built back up - I've been through cruciate repair with my other dog, it was 6 weeks before we could start activity and she has now built back all the muscle she lost.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
krun15 said
Hi Connie and welcome to you and Téa, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.Why the amp?
First off you might look through the Required Reading list or consider downloading one or more of the eBooks from the Tripawds library.
You will find lots of information on what to expect with amputation and recovery.
I am not a vet (I just pay for their retirement plans!) so these are just my experiences. Keep your vet informed on how Téa is doing and if you want to change her med schedule.
I'm assuming your vet prescribed the Ace to keep your puppy quiet during her recovery. I personally don't like that med and wouldn't use it for my quad pug Obie during his knee surgery recoveries. But for our purpose the tramadol and pain patch were sedating enough, and he wasn't a puppy.
Yes- rest is crucial during this time of recovery. When my pug Maggie had her rear leg amputated our surgeon said only short hops for bathroom breaks, the rest of the time she was to rest. Maggie was a slug after her surgery so it wasn't a problem
My current Tripawd Elly is a little pug mix rear amp who was hit by a car when she was 7 months old. I adopted her when she was 10 months old and past her surgery recovery. It must have been really hard to keep her quiet after her surgery!
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Thank you Karen. To answer your question about why Téa's amputation: she was born with a partial front right limb and I was told I may need to have it removed at some point. Not having had a tripod before, I wanted to keep her stub. But after months of treating the tip of it because it would get irritated and Téa would lick it raw, and someone sharing with me experiences of horrible mersa and staph infections entering thru open wounds on stumps, and my vet's suggestion and also the Tripawds helpline that it would be a lifelong battle, I finally agreed that amputation would be best for Téa. It was a difficult decision until I heard of the horrible infections she might incur.
I'm very happy to have you confirm the 14-day activity restriction. I thought maybe I didn't hear them right. I also appreciate the info on the pain meds. I don't want her in pain, but I also don't want to over medicate her. My vet said 5 days for sure and then taper the 6th day to see how she does. If we need more, he'll prescribe more. It's sounding like, from the posts here, that we should be prepared to use the pain meds longer than the 7 days worth we have right now.
I so appreciate you sharing your experiences. Thank you so much.
Cheers, Connie & Téa
Hi Connie and Téa!!! I am so glad you posted here!! You'll get lots of great advice as I see you already have! 🙂 Téa is doing beautifully and you are doing amazing ....
Connie is local to LA and she and I have chatted a couple times and I am glad she finally found her way to the forums where she can get lots of great advice about how to care for young Téa. She texted me a photo earlier and Téa looks great. She's also a real beaut to begin with!!!!
Hang in there ... the recovery as we have all said is not a picnic but once you get over the hump ... things will be super!!
Cheers and hugs!
alison with spirit shelby 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
Connie & Tea welcome! So glad you posted, and that the surgery went well.
Yep, 14 days. Leashed potty walks are all she should be doing. You can do lots by exercising her brain instead of her body, we have tons of tips for doing so like these.
Also, regarding the Ace. Yeah, not my fave either. On it's own it makes a dog's body immobile but their brain is still very much processing everything and can be stressful. However we've recently learned that vets will prescribe it in conjunction with Gabapentin, just for the recovery phase. If you sense that she doesn't need it, ask your vet about cutting back the Ace and see how she does. Most dogs do fine without it.
Keep in mind that a regular pain medication schedule at this point is a good thing. Check out our most recent posts about pain management :
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
It sounds like you've got it pretty much covered! Murphy never wore a cone, but we did use a t-shirt to keep his incision nice and clean and keep him from scratching or licking it. It worked really well. He came home on Tramadol, Rimadyl & Gabapentin and took those for about 2 weeks, weaning down during the 2nd week. You might want to look into getting a good harness, such as the webmaster ruffwear harness . It has a handle on the top, which really helps get Murphy out of the car. I can manage his weight (he weighs about 50 lbs) myself getting out of our Escape. Murphy pretty much restricted his own activity, so we didn't have any trouble there.
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
Hi Tea and Connie!
Glad you have been having chats with Alison. I know she's been very helpful and supportive to you!
Amputation is often the "solution" when a "stump" is involved for all the reasons you were given.
Hopefully you can go on and eliminate the sedation ACE from his daily dose of meds. The actual.pain meds are "generally" given for approximately two weeks. So yeah, Id suggest having the vet give you more lain meds than just enough for seven days. This is MAJOR surgery and it hurst!
As everyone has said, just short potty breaks for now. He can do a bit of "free roamy" in the hoise when you are there. Most dogs will spend most of their day resting and maybe just make a trip to the kitchen every now and then looking for a scrap. Of course, having such a young dog you may have to monitor him a little more. If you jave hardwood floors make sure you put down non slip rugs for traction .
You're a wonderful advocate for Tea! Once recovery takes place, you will be amazed at how well Tea does! Enjoy the ride!
Stay connected and let us know how you and Tea are doing!
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS...Alison, can you post that pocture Connie sent you?
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!
jerry said
Connie & Tea welcome! So glad you posted, and that the surgery went well.Yep, 14 days. Leashed potty walks are all she should be doing. You can do lots by exercising her brain instead of her body, we have tons of tips for doing so like these.
Also, regarding the Ace. Yeah, not my fave either. On it's own it makes a dog's body immobile but their brain is still very much processing everything and can be stressful. However we've recently learned that vets will prescribe it in conjunction with Gabapentin, just for the recovery phase. If you sense that she doesn't need it, ask your vet about cutting back the Ace and see how she does. Most dogs do fine without it.
Keep in mind that a regular pain medication schedule at this point is a good thing. Check out our most recent posts about pain management :
otisandtess said
Absolutely on the T-shirt. We were told that Otis must wear the cone of shame for 2 weeks. It was cutting the skin on his neck after 2 days, so we switched to the T-shirt. It worked, he was much more comfortable, and goodbye cone. We stayed on the Tramadol on a heavy dose until the staples came out, and then started tapering off. The surgeon allowed us to use our discretion, eventually we got to just one Tramadol before bed, and then none. It was pretty obvious to us when he no longer needed it. We had an antibiotic for 10 days, I think, and Rimadyl (surgeon told us to finish the prescription). You are doing the right thing by restricting the activity. For the 1st 2 weeks it was just out to potty on a leash, to the food bowl and from dog bed to dog bed. At almost the 1 month point, we started short (7 houses) walks. Any muscle atrophy will be built back up - I've been through cruciate repair with my other dog, it was 6 weeks before we could start activity and she has now built back all the muscle she lost.
benny55 said
Hi Tea and Connie!Glad you have been having chats with Alison. I know she's been very helpful and supportive to you!
Amputation is often the "solution" when a "stump" is involved for all the reasons you were given.
Hopefully you can go on and eliminate the sedation ACE from his daily dose of meds. The actual.pain meds are "generally" given for approximately two weeks. So yeah, Id suggest having the vet give you more lain meds than just enough for seven days. This is MAJOR surgery and it hurst!
As everyone has said, just short potty breaks for now. He can do a bit of "free roamy" in the hoise when you are there. Most dogs will spend most of their day resting and maybe just make a trip to the kitchen every now and then looking for a scrap. Of course, having such a young dog you may have to monitor him a little more. If you jave hardwood floors make sure you put down non slip rugs for traction .
You're a wonderful advocate for Tea! Once recovery takes place, you will be amazed at how well Tea does! Enjoy the ride!
Stay connected and let us know how you and Tea are doing!
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS...Alison, can you post that pocture Connie sent you?
Thanks Guys. I so appreciate your support. I'm going to begin weaning Téa off the ACE this morning as it worries me, and see how she does. She's so out of it, it's making me nervous. I will refill her Tramadol and Gabapentin. I'd post a photo of Téa, but I don't have the time right now to figure it out, so Alison if you have time, it's fine with me. Thank you all so much. Off to prepare Téa's meds. Cheers, Connie & Téa
Happy to post photos of the beautiful Téa!!!!
I think this was her first day home... beautiful incision... nice and clean.
This was a day after her amp. Look at that sweet face!!!! She's so cute!!!
Now she came home the day OF her amp AND spay so bless Connie's heart for dealing with a poor girl that not only became a full tripawd but also lost her girly bits and can't really hop since she's got stitches in her belly!!! But she's doing great and pooping and peeing are a great thing. This pooch is going to be amazing!!!
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
Wow Connie, you are pretty darn amazing and get the Badge of Tripawd Courage for bringing her home same day. She looks great! Would you mind if I shared that 1st photo in our gallery? It's a beautiful incision (I know, we're weird like that here!).
Oh by the way, no need to requote everyone each time you post, it tends to bog down the database. THanks!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Guys,
Téa is still off her food and water for the third day, and wouldn't take her meds this AM, but she did pee this morning - small victories. She gets around fine, and sleeps thru the night, so I think we're doing OK. I give her water using a medicine syringe, and she will take a little that way i(maybe 10 tsps at a time).
Alison, thank you for your kind and encouraging words, and for posting Téa's photos. I know you all know the comfort of having this wonderful forum, and I am grateful for it.
Rene, thank you for showing me how to reply on the forum, and for your suggestions of the pill gun, and flavoring the water for Tea, both of which I'll try.
Again, the good thing is, she gets around no problem, so I'm guessing she's not in pain. It helps that she was born a tripod, and she has no other health issues.
Thank you all again.
Cheers, Connie & Téa
Considering she was spayed and had major amputation surgery jist six days ago, Tea is doing very well!!
As far as drinking, try swirling a little ice cream in her water! My Happy Hannah didn't want to drink water either for some bizarre reason. So I would have her start licking a scoop of ice cream in front of her water bowl, then drop the scoop in the water, swirl it around and BAM! She woukd drink her water!!
The not eating maybe a result of the meds upsetting her tummy. Glad you're off the ACE. I know it's hard ro get food in her tummu, but she needs food with her pain meds to coat her tummy.
Try stinky stuff like liverwurst, even a can of Friskies cat food. I'm sure you've tried boiled chicken and hamburger. Maybe a drive thru cheeseburger would taste good to her.
You may also check to make sure she doesn't have a temperature. Sometimes a bit of infection can set in after these operations.
Keep js posted. Overall this early Tea is doi g well...and so is Mom!
Lpve and 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 Guys,
A quick update on Téa. She drank a little of the chicken-broth flavored water last night, and actually ate a cup of her food. The only med she is taking now is Cerenia, and she slept thru the night fine. This morning she was PERKY, and both peed and pooped - so happy! She's getting back to her old self, and if I would let her she'd run up and down the three steps we have to the backyard and patop, but she now waits patiently for me to slip the sheepskin sling under her belly and against her amp stitches to help her down and up these steps. The sparkle is back in her eyes, even though she's not drinking or eating like I'd like yet, but we're on our way. Thank you for all your support. Cheers, Connie & Téa
Progress! Thanks for the update.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet