Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Thank you EVERYONE!!!
I think I am just a wreck due to how fast this has all happened...that and that fact that I DONT SLEEP...she has a bit of separation/anxiety and I use the word "bit" loosely. I spoke with our local vet today and she has agreed to the Gabapentin and even said she will give me another Fentanyl patch if that doesnt work. My vet is really wonderful but I have to agree that I had NO idea how stressful this would be on me....I do sleep on the floor, in the same position for hours because she is laying on my arm....my neck hurts, my back is killing me, but my heart I think is hurting the worse of all....I miss my happy Josie, her tail barely wags anymore and I tell myself that it will get better....but it is so hard to convince myself of that when it can be so bad at times....
Today, she is doing good. I took her for two short walks and she is happy to get back in the house and lay on the couch...the stairs scare me, but so far, so good.
Thank you again!!!! I need to come here more often...you make me feel so much better.....
peace, friendship and wet sloppy kisses...
Mia, Josie and Gully.....
Hi Mia,
You are not alone!! Many of us have gone through the 2 weeks of hell!! It has been different for many dogs... some because they don't tolerate the pain meds. With my Jake, he luckily tolerated tramadol very well... and didn't need the gabapentin, but for others, it seemed to be a life-saver! Just hang in there... none of us has slept much during those first 2 weeks... but afterwards... it really does get better! Do you have a sling for Josie? Do you have a harness for when the stitches come out in about 2 weeks? They really do help alot!
Good luck!!
Angel Jake's Mom
Jake, 10yr old golden retriever (fractured his front right leg on 9/1, bone biopsy revealed osteosarcoma on 9/10, amputation on 9/17) and his family Marguerite, Jacques and Wolfie, 5yr old german shepherd and the newest addition to the family, Nala, a 7mth old Bengal mix kittie. Jake lost his battle on 11/9/2009, almost 8 weeks after his surgery. We will never forget our sweet golden angel… http://jakesjou.....ipawds.com ….. CANCER SUCKS!
I'm glad to hear your vet changed the meds. My Emily did not tolerate tramodol well and I can not imagine how bad she would have gotten if we had not taken her off of it! My heart breaks for you because I do know how stressful it is to have your dog look and act like she is on crack! It may take a little while to get out the tramodol of Josie's system. I don't know if it is a med that wears off quickly or not but I know we made sure never to give any more of it Emily!
Wondering if you did the right thing is normal. Just remind yourself that what you did was remove the source of great pain. Amputation is not easy (what an understatement) for them or us but trust yourself. You did the right thing.
Good luck. Try to get some sleep. It will get easier.
Debra & Angel Emily
Debra & Emily, a five year old doberman mix, who was diagnosed with an osteosaecoma. She had a right rear leg amputation on May 19, 2009. On November 10, 2009 she earned her wings and regained her fourth leg.
Maxidad said:
You did NOT make the wrong choice. You chose the option that has the best chance extending your dog's life, and you did it because you love her. That's doing right by your dog. Period.
Mia, Josie and Gully,
John said so very clearly and to the point that I really cannot add to that side of the discussion. We have all been there with the questioning, but no can know Jose like you and since you base your decisions on your love for Jose, by definition that means you are making the best choices. Now to more specifics.
We are very sorry to hear of Josie's diagnosis but as you can tell, you have found a great site, filled with wonderful people willing to share their collective experience base, provide suggestions, and give support. To that end, each of our companions responds differently so there really is no real "norm", but everyone will tell you that the first two weeks are the worse. Miss Cherry and Emily both had very bad reactions to Tramadol, and rather than increasing the dose, both were taken off the chemical. I discused it with Miss Cherry's team, but seeing how her reaction was cycling between doses, it was clear to me that it was the cause of much problems. In fact, removal of all pain killers was one of the turning points. Again, each respond differently and Miss Cherry's chemotherapy started just hours after the amputation, so she had many chemicals competing within her ravaged body. Above all, try to get some sleep yourself. As pack leader, you will have to be strong through this recovery.
I often have a full set of suggestions that might help, but since my posting is already getting long, I would refer you to that set via this LINK: Please go there for I believe that these may help. The last one of the suggestions regards keeping a very detailed journal. At this moment, writing down everything you are seeing in as much detail as possible would probably aid when talking to your vet. I will also tell you that I have refered to my journal just six weeks ago when one of you community was facing some issues. I could tell the very specifically that Miss Cherry also had those problem, when, how long it lasted, and how we overcame those problems. That is why I often suggest the journal, but please use that link and read all the suggestions and links from Jerry.
Wishing you a very speedy recovery and sending all the positive thoughts possible.
Spirit Cherry's Dad
josiethebluegreatdane said:
I am just a wreck due to how fast this has all happened…
Yes, this is a wild ride. We're all here to help you try and enjoy it. We're happy to hear Josie is doing better.
Based on your title for this topic, I thought I might suggest the following …
Treatment and Recovery forum topic discussing the lack of regret others feel about amputation for their dogs:
And, a book many of us have found helpful in coping with our decisions:
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I would of appreciated a similar explanation like MaxiDad said!(are you a vet by chance?)
No, I'm not a vet. Actually, I'm a cop – my medical knowledge is limited only to the basic first aid/CPR training they give us (which basically boils down to "keep them alive until someone with true medical training arrives"), and what I've observed out in the field with paramedics and ER personnel. I know about the nerve issue from our vet, who told us the same thing when Max lost his leg.
But my job has taught me a great deal about stress and how to deal with bad situations, so Mia, please take my advice here. This may sound strange, but your first priority is to take care of yourself. You're of little use to Josie or anyone else if you allow yourself to get so tired that you can't think straight. Sooner or later you'll make a mistake that could hurt one or both of you. Think of it like the oxygen mask instructions on an airplane – the ones that tell you to put the mask over your face before you put it over your child's. You have to make sure you're going to be able to breathe before you try to help your kid – doing it the other way around is likely to go badly for both both of you. Josie can't take care of herself any more than a kid on a plane can, so you have to keep yourself in good shape if you want to help her.
You say you're tired from sleeping on the floor. If lifting Josie onto the bed is not an option, then you need to sleep on the floor sensibly. If you don't already have one, go to a sporting goods store and buy an inflatable camping mattress. I don't want to second-guess you here, but is it absolutely necessary for her to sleep on your arm? As long as she knows you're right there next to her, that's often good enough. Maybe you could sleep with your hand on her instead, just so she feels the contact with you and is reassured that way. You'd definitely sleep better if you did that – at least you'd be able to change positions and get comfortable yourself.
And by the way, we had Max on Tramadol as well after his amputation. It didn't affect him as badly as it seems to have impacted many other people's dogs on this forum, but it definitely made him dopey. We weren't happy about him being so out of it, but we figured that having him be spacey was a lot better than being in pain. I agree, though, that in Josie's case it's probably a good idea to try other painkillers. Even if she's not yelping or showing visible signs of pain, an injury like that isn't going to be comfortable. Having something to take the edge off is going to help.
Get some sleep and eat a decent meal, Mia. Josie needs you in good condition right now. Take care of yourself so you can take care of her.
Maxidad, thank you so much, your advice is terrific and so reassuring!
One thing I wanted to add is that I think that painkillers make dogs (and people) dopey for a reason. If we felt great, we would try to overdo things which would slow down our healing. As hard as it is to see our dogs dopey, it's also a way to get them to rest for a week or two.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Maggie had a fentenyl(sp?) patch too before and after surgery. They don't last too long though for the cost...huge bummer 🙁
So glad your vet agreed to switching her pain med to Gabapentin...I hope it helps her as much as it did Maggie.
Mia, I think you are my twin...your post just stirs up so many feelings for me when I went thru this with Maggie 5 months ago. But I'm here to say yes, indeed, it WILL get better and you'll be sooooooooooooooooo happy you made this decision for Josie in the coming days and months. You don't mention if she's eating well or not? I assume yes, as you didn't mention it? Yay for Josie if she is!!!!
Tracy, Maggie's Mom
Maggie was amputated for soft tissue sarcoma 10-20-09
Maggie lost her battle with kidney disease on 8-24-13
Josie will pull through and you will survive with a little help from Tripawds. I know that I felt the same way as you when Chuy had to have FHO surgery and he's already an amputee. The first few weeks were living H E double hockey sticks! After that, things got better, ALOT better! Chuy had a bad reaction the the phentanol patch, but the Tramdol worked great for him. Each dog is different when it comes to the pain meds as they are on how long it will take to get them back on their feet. Think we all have spent our share of nights on the floor, comforting the loved one and praying for speed in the recovery so we can rest again. 
Know that you are not alone and that we are all here for you.
Chuy, showing everyone that Tripawds do everything 3 times better than regular dogs!
Glad to hear that Josie is doing better this afternoon. What is her story? How old is Josie and does she have OSA or why did she have an amputation? Try not to worry. My dog Tazzie was not a happy camper for a few weeks, but then was happier then ever pretty much until his last day. Don't worry about the end either. Dogs do well until then. It is just hard when getting them (and us) back on our paws post-surgery.
Hang in there! I originally posted my chronicle of Rusty's cancer under the blog "Rusty's Cancer" which is almost a day by day diary of what we went through from the first diagnosis, amputation, recovery and beginning of chemo therapy. I have not updated the chronicle since mid-February as we have been getting our lives back to normal. It has been a wild two months! (Rusty's surgery was January 25th) We spent 2 weeks sleeping on a couch and recliner in our spare guest room keeping Rusty confined, medicated and taking care of him. I was able to reach down from the couch and touch him to reassure him that we were there. Between the pain meds, antibiotics, & cancer meds we were giving him pills every 2 hours the first several days. He did very well on Tramadol (he was taking 50mg every 6 hours for the first 7 days and then every 8 hours for the next three weeks). There were a couple of times that he cried out in pain when he moved wrong or when I put the sling under him to help him out to his potty box, but otherwise did not seem to suffer much pain. Rusty being so young (20 months the end of this month), which was one of the factors in our decision for amputation and chemo treatment, knowing the odds are against us, that he has bounced back very quickly. Our dog park friends that knew him before cannot believe how quickly he has returned to normal activity. We have been going for about 1/2 to 3/4 mile walks everyday for the past 3 weeks, he gets tired (especially the days after his Chemo treatments) and lets me know when he wants to go home. I am working up to running short stretches with him (I am 71) which is easier for him than walking where he has to hop with the rear leg.
His super personality has not changed and he is such a happy dog that it has been been worth every minute of our time, the extreme stress on both of us and the changes in our lifestyles to accommodate Rusty's needs. We just hope and pray that he will be with us the full 1 to 3 years of his prognosis, knowing it could be much less, and cherish every moment with him. No regrets on our decision for surgery and Chemo! He has another 4 months of Chemo, which he is tolerating reasonably well. The biggest problem now is keeping him from being bored; as long as he is on Chemo he can't visit his friends at our dog park and he really misses the twice daily visits. We had planned to have Rusty join one of our local therapy dog programs (he needed to be 18 months to join) before the cancer jumped us and hope to be able to get him in the program once he is through with Chemo.
I made a special ramp (I will post a photo when I figure out how and where) for getting up and down from our bed, purchased the "Ruffware" harness that has a handle to assist lifting him in and out of the SUV and an orthopedic bed (right from the surgery) which he really enjoys. Now that it has finally warmed up here in the desert, we hope to get him back in the pool this week; he really enjoys the pool and hopefully that will aid him in recovery. I have a video of him surfing last summer and hope he will be able to surf on three legs as well.
Rusty's (level three soft tissue saracoma, left hind leg amputated January 25th) dad Chuck
ceholli said:
I made a special ramp (I will post a photo when I figure out how and where) for getting up and down from our bed
We made a ramp for Max as well. This photo was taken right after his amputation. That's Max in the background, doped up on Tramadol.
Even though he's gone now, we didn't take it down. Partly out of sentiment, but also because our other dog Linda and the new puppy like running up and down it, and my wife and I find it a convenient bench to sit on when getting ready in the morning. Might be a handy idea for Josie as well.
My wife Diane and I were discussing my earlier post, and she made a very good point that I want to pass on, hopefully before you run out and buy an air mattress. When we were going through the post-amputation process, we purchased a full-size air mattress. They only cost about $40, have a nice sort of felt coating instead of plain vinyl, and ours even came with a battery-operated inflation pump. Very handy. The advantage of this is that there was plenty of room for Max to get on the mattress with Diane since it's only a six-inch step up, and a mattress wide enough for two people is certainly spacious enough for a dog. Max was always a leaner – he liked to sleep in positions where he could feel someone else in contact with him. If Josie is the same way (and I get the impression that she is), a large air mattress might be just what you need. And once Josie gets better, it'll make a really nice pool float. I still use ours for that all the time.
Maxidad - I love that ramp! Did you have problems getting Max to use it? Trouble isn't very adventursome when it comes to things like that. She's actually a little spooky.
Mia - I absolutely agree with Maxidad - You MUST sleep. One of the things I try to remember to tell new members is to rest when the dog rests. Fight that urge to sit and watch them sleep. If they are sleeping, they are fine. It's just like having a baby, take advantage of every opportunity to recharge - it makes a huge diffence in how you perceive and process all the new things happening in your life.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
There is so much great advice here and I also wanted to reassure you that it will get better. Like everyone has said, the recovery period can be extremely difficult. During Mackenzie's recovery there were several days where I absolutely thought I made the wrong decision....the pain meds have a real affect on their physical and mental well-being. It's a real balancing act with these pain meds. Once we got through the critical period of managing her pain and then weaning her off the medication, things turned around so dramatically. I knew then that we did make the right decision afterall. There's no getting around it - the recovery period can be hell. The vets don't quite tell you how bad it can be (they probably don't want to discourage you from going through with the amputation.) As my husband said, they give you this sense of optimism and hope that your dog is going to be up and about in no time. But that's really not the case during these 2 weeks. So hang in there....if you can get through these next few days, you'll be amazed at how well things did turn out afterall.
I also wanted to comment on Maxidad's advice for taking care of yourself. I slept with Mackenzie on an air mattress for the first 10 days and didn't leave her side. I was so exhausted and stressed out by the end of it all that I ended up getting strep throat because I was so worn down. So you definitely need to get your rest and make sure that you are strong for your girl.
My heart goes out to you during this time. It will get better. We promise....and you'll soon be saying what we are all saying now - no regrets!
Kami (Mackenzie's Mom)
My sweet golden Mackenzie. She became my angel on Dec 29, 2010 at the age of 8 1/2 although she was always my angel from the time we brought her home. She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in Sept 2009 and officially became a tripawd (front leg) on Nov 5, 2009. She will be forever in my heart and now she's running free with all of our other tripawd heroes. I love you Mackenzie!
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