Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Surgery was Tues (Nov 10) and we brought her home yesterday noon.
Last night I was by her side but she was restless and her exhales sounded like soft whines most of the time. We didn’t sleep much.
This morning she is more alert than yesterday, moving her hind legs more, but also very vocal which is unusual for her. Occasionally she twitches. Her body seems tense. She’s more distressed when both of her people aren’t in the room, but still has these behaviors even when we are all together.
Rimadyl 50 mg every 12 hours
Gabapentin 300 mg every 12 hours
Fentanyl patch is in place
What are we looking at here?:
Awww I just want to reach out and give her a big smooch. I'm so glad surgery went well.
She looks really good! Since I can't hear any sound, it appears that this may be dysphoria related to the Fentanyl. Her ears are up, her eyes look good and I'm not noticing any really rapid breathing. Send the video to your vet clinic and see what they think.
(((hugs))) you've got this! I'm in the Tripawds Chat for a little while if you want to talk.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Are you sure there’s not a “sound on” button to click, like on Instagram? It’s a lot of distressed whines and deep groans.
Now she’s back to sleeping with her eyes open, so weirdly unresponsive that I check to see if she’s breathing. 
I’ll reach out to vet but I’m also so glad y’all are here!
addition: Stevie had a fentanyl patch two years ago for a mass removal, but she didn’t have distress like this, just the glassy eyed look.
As I read through and then saw the patch, that's probably what's causing some weird vocalization.
If I recall, one way to tell if the vocal are from pain or the patch is , basically, if the vocals are not sounds she usually makes, or are not "ouch! This hirts" sounds....then it's reaction to the patch. And the patch is still at a solid strength right now.
Ahe's wearing a cone, she must had MAJOR surgery, she still jas some hospital meds, the patch, Gaba, etc.
Now, all that said, DEF contact your Vet if she seems to be unresponsive to stimulation.
Update when yoj can, o,ay?
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!
It was nice chatting with you today, I'm glad you talked to the vet!
Keep us posted on how things are going. I'll try to figure out the sound thing...
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
The over-medicated fentanyl-fog dog is gone!
Huge thanks to @jerry, who talked me through dysphoria vs. pain and helped me ask the right questions of my surgery team!! What a scary and unnecessary experience that I was not prepared for by the vet! @jerry helped me realize there was no way that Stevie was in pain; she'd had a Nocita "nerve block" after all. So of course I was looking at dysphoria from overmedication! The prior sleepless night had made me dumb.
In all the literature that vets send home with me (which I always read), it never seems to contain what I end up needing to know: is xyz normal?! They included two pages just about fentanyl patches and their side effects, yet nowhere did it list muscle weakness (Stevie's hind legs wouldn't bear weight). I later DID find weakness mentioned in the Tripawds e-book -- ha! Nowhere did they list crazy groans, glassy stares, incontinence, or sleeping with the eyes open!
I can't believe the clinic even sent her home with such clear signs of over-sedation, yet no mention of that possibility to me. Too bad that at the exact hour I was picking her up from surgery, I was missing the excellent webinar interview with Dr. Downing on pain!!
With doctor approval, the patch came off yesterday. Now that the fentanyl is clearing her system, we have a different dog. Whew.
Stevie is coming down from her bad trip. She stopped urinating in place, which told me she was holding it and might want to go out. Would those hind legs be awake enough to bear weight yet? Yes! Our first real steps since surgery 3 days ago! We had our first outdoor pee!! We rested awhile outside to regain strength, hydrate, and enjoy the fresh air.
After that adventure, Stevie's been having a nice, solid nap in her bed. Eyes CLOSED! 
Oh my dog you have no idea how much this makes my heart happy!
Stevie, your amazing pawgress has lifted my spirits today. Just knowing that you are feeling brighter and your human can relax a little is exactly what I needed. Thank you for the terrific pupdate. What fantastic photos and video. It's an honor to have helped in some small way.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Oh Stevie, what a relief!! You know we had weird pain med side effects too, I wonder if this is common. And as you say, so unnecessary. Nice to see her smiling and enjoying the sun. Onwards!
Devo's Tripawd Story here
YAAAAAY!!! So happy Stevie is aware and being Stevie again! Yeah, those patches can cause havoc!
The pictures of an ALERT Stevie are priceless👍
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!
1 Guest(s)
