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Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

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How much bruising too much?
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Member Since:
14 May 2018
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14 May 2018 - 8:12 pm
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Hello I came across this site while searching how much bruising too much. My pug benny had his back leg amputated on friday he also had a growth removal on the opposite side that is about 9 inches so he is having a horrible time because on both sides he has incisions.any advice on how to lift him with this kind of surgery I also happen to get sick maybe it was too much but I developed fever but nothing compared to him today he pooped  first time and had some water he is walking but so much pain I even considered putting him down the first day since all he did was cry and cry but I was there telking him how good he was and he was gonna be fine I slept on the floor the first night but its hard any advice sorry for the long post 

Livermore, CA




Member Since:
18 October 2009
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14 May 2018 - 8:47 pm
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Hello and welcome, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.

Benny has been through a lot!

First off- what type of pain meds is Benny taking?  Did he come home the day of surgery?  He should not be in a lot of pain so talk with your vet about getting him comfortable.

Can you post a picture of the bruising?  Here is how to post photos.  And look in our gallery to see post op pictures, scroll down to the surgery and treatment pictures.  There are some pics there of bruising.

What type of cancer is Benny dealing with?  My pug Maggie lost a back leg to mast cell cancer, she also had a tumor removed from her side but it was about 6 months before her amp.

With a little more info we can help you better.  Hang in there!  The recovery period can make us question our decision.  Maggie lived almost 4 years after her amputation.

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

 

              Maggie's Story                  Amputation and Chemo

Member Since:
30 April 2018
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14 May 2018 - 9:21 pm
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I can tell you that the crying the day after can be from the anesthesia. Sierra did that. But also, if you think he's in pain, I would call your vet & see if they can give him something more. I don't know what your baby is taking, but Sierra came home on Meloxicam (an anti-inflammatory), Gabapentin & Tramadol.

Also, I don't have any experience seeing her bruising since Sierra's vet wrapped her up. But they did tell me it's like a human bruise. It will look "uglier" before it looks better. They said days 2-4 it looks the worst. That said, maybe you can send a picture of it to your vet & let them decide if it looks worse than it should.

Hugs for you & your baby!
Melinda

Virginia







Member Since:
22 February 2013
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14 May 2018 - 9:52 pm
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YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!  WE ARE RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE AND WILL HELP YOU AND BENNY GET THROUGH THIS!!

Oh gosh, hang onto  us, okay?  You are smack dab jn the middle  of the roughest part of recocery.  It is MAJOR sirgery, and your little Benny basically  has TWO surgeries!  You both are exhausted and you both feel miserable!!

And yes, most dogs spend  one night st the clinic.  So if you  brought him home the first night that was REALLY hard on you!!

And yes, as soon as uou can, let us know what pain meds he's  on.  As Melinda said, most dogs here are on Rimadyl, Tramadol and Gabapentin, and an antibiotic .  Sometimes  you have to rweak the doses a bit to get the right balance. 

Soooo many of us can relate to wondering  what jn the world we did TO our dogs during the first week or so of recovery.!  But once we got past the hard part of recovery and their  sparkle came back , we knew we had done this FOR our dogs!!

We'll wait for your response  about the meds, etc.  Right now, rest, rest and more rest...for voth of you.  Just short leashed potty break and back to bed.  No, you don't  jave ro be on a leash for your potty break...just Benny🤣🤣🤣

Sending  lots of hugs

Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!

PS  Call the TRIPAWDS HELPLINE  if yoj need some additional  help.  844 tripawd

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!

Michigan
Member Since:
2 April 2013
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14 May 2018 - 11:02 pm
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As you can tell, you've found the right place!  smiley  Pain control is often a problem.  When Murphy had his surgery, he came home on Tramadol (a narcotic), Rimadyl (anti-inflammatory, like Motrin) and Gabapentin (for nerve pain) - that one is usually the key.  Some also come home with a Fentanyl patch or antibiotics.  You can make an ice pack wrapped in a cloth to apply to the incisions for 10-15 minutes a couple of times a day.  Alternate that with warmth - you can put warm water on a wash cloth & put in a baggie.  You can massage around the incisions to increase blood supply to help with healing and to help re-absorb extra fluids.  Yes, some bruising is normal, and sometimes they can form what's called a seroma (if you search in the forums, you should be able to find out more information about them).  It's basically a build-up of blood & fluid under the skin - it will be absorbed, but it takes time.

Recovery can be rough, like a roller coaster, you're going to have ups & downs.  There's often a crash around day 3-5.  Right now Benny mostly needs to rest, limit his activity - just short potty breaks, and they sometimes become finicky eaters (probably because we've hidden pills in their food! lol, and they just don't feel well).  

Reach out to us, we've all been there, and we're all willing to share what worked for us.  You may need to pester your vet to be an advocate for Benny, many of us have found our voices here.

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

Donna.png

Member Since:
14 May 2018
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15 May 2018 - 4:57 am
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Thank you all for the support we are really thankfull benny had mast cell tumors one in his right leg that grew very big and spread to lymph nodes and one by the left ribs.

He did spend the first night in the hospital they gave him morphine but when he came home he kept crying he never ever cries.

This morning I could see little spots of blood I think it is because he keeps moving I cant tell he is uncomfortable 

The medicine is Codeine 30mg for pain and rimadyl for anti inflamatory. He was also prescribed sonething to keep him relaxed but he became hiper and very awake so I stopped the name trazodone.Im sorry I cant unpload puctures but I will keep trying and thank you again for the support

Benny had both surgeries the same day becaise the doctor said it was better to do both same time but now I repent

Michigan
Member Since:
2 April 2013
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15 May 2018 - 9:31 am
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Make sure you are alternating the medications so that he is getting something every couple of hours.  Also, call the vet - see if he is getting the appropriate dose of the medications.  Sometimes they start with a low dose and can increase it if needed.  Also ask them to give you the Gabapentin, it really does make a huge difference.  Tiny spots of blood are ok, as long as it's not bleeding ... it shouldn't be enough that it's running or dripping.  If you need to, you can take Benny back to the vet to have them check the incision (they shouldn't charge you for the visit).  You can clean the incision with plain water.

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

Donna.png

Member Since:
21 January 2018
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15 May 2018 - 12:41 pm
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Hello, I’m not sure how much help I can be but my dog had his front leg amputated due to  Mass cell tumor. They had to remove his shoulder, some of his chest muscle, as well as a tumor on the opposite side so helping him get around was tricky. He had the amputation done on a Saturday and came home on Monday with a harness. He developed an infection caused by the harness so his surgeon gave me a sling to use instead. I used his sling for the front part of his body so I could angle it away from his incision. I used a towel for the back half. At first he didn’t know what I was doing to him but he figured it out. He’s 11yrs old so it took him a bit to get the hang of things so the sling really helped me out. It was easy just to slide it under him. Now he’s jumping over pillows and hopping on three legs! 

As for the bruising, my surgeon gave me an ice pack to wrap in a towel(to avoid freezer burn) to apply 2x a day for 10-15 minutes to bring down the swelling and bruising. The bruising was mainly down the incision line.

As for his pain meds he came home with a Fentanyl patch, Tramadol, previcox and antibiotics. He was definitely feeling loopy. 

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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15 May 2018 - 1:02 pm
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chance4chance said
I used a towel for the back half... 

FYI: You can also make a handy sling from a canvas shopping bag.

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