Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Can't address alternating the two chemos..my Happy Hannah just had four rounds of Carboplatin every three weeks. I know some Oncos do the alternating thing. Others who have done that can chime in.
It took my Happy Hannah FIVE WEEKS before she laid in her amp side! Most dogs do it a lot sooner, but it really does vary dog to dog.
How is she overall today?
Give her n extra cookie for me.....carried to her in a silver platter of course!
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!
Murphy had a different chemo because his was histiocytic sarcoma rather than osteosarcoma.Â
You can try massaging down her back & her legs. Murphy loves that! He curls backwards like a "C" lol and moans & groans. I don't remember how long it took for him to lay on the side of his surgery, but probably a few weeks.
Donna
Donna, Glenn & MurphyÂ
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 Â
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
So, I can't post on most of the other things in your posts (or others) but, mysweetted was laying on his incision within the first couple of days after surgery - the vet even said that she thought it was helpful with the compression aspect of the recovery. Â If Kylie isn't laying on her incision side then maybe she IS still in pain? Â Ted had his front left leg amputated on 8 August and he's been doing great but he has had his fast and slow days throughout. Â There is a big difference getting around on three legs vice one - and especially with that one front leg bearing the brunt of stairs and trips and all kinds of various surfaces. Â I have also made a point of touching his incision site and massaging it etc. Â Tonight I noticed that one of his "internal" sutures that is supposed to dissolve is hanging out and when you pull it it is attached to a point higher up on his shoulder....! Â ugh. Â not gonna mess with it.. Sorry - I digress. Â I've been giving him tramadol over the last few days because he seems a little sore. Â He hasn't been eating as well as usual (even with that little bit of special wet dog food added) but he's never been a huge eater. Â It's been hot, we've had family and another dog visiting, he's been traveling around with us, etc. Â you might try touching the incision site and getting her used to that and also massaging around that area to get her used to being touched and allow you to see how she reacts?
Wanda
Milo lays on either side 50-50 these days. He first laid on it around Day 4, and would get stuck when he did. Â After a few more days he figured out how to get up. Â That said, he still gets stuck on occasion when on that side on something very soft like the bed or ottoman.
Sometimes I help him roll onto his back then stretch. He used to stick all 4 legs up and do a Superman style stretch when younger. Â That's what I help him duplicate these days. Â Â
I can't remember when Maggie started laying on her amp side, but it eventually became the side she laid on more often than not. Elly has been laying on her amp side since I got her about 2.5 months post amp. Both are/were rear amps. Elly is laying on her amp side as I type this!
Mag did a different chemo regimen so I don't have experience with the chemo they recommended. I have read here that the doxy can be harder on pups than the carbo. You should search the forums on one or both of the chemo drugs- I'm sure there are tons of entries.
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
Â
        Maggie's Story          Amputation and Chemo
Wow great stories and advice thanks everyone. She seems slightly better tonight before bed. We watched a few tv shows after dinner & she had her meds around then too so I think she had a good few hours to rest. When we went out for the bedtime pee she actually walked slightly steadier than she has been yesterday and earlier today. She also stayed out there longer with us, just wandering around slowly around the yard. So maybe she's finally starting to heal from whatever she's done & praying we're seeing the start of an uprise. I want her feeling better especially before starting chemo Thurs!Â
Chris & Kylie xo
Oh good! Just the kind of update I was hoping for! And remember, every "little" improvement is a HUGE improvement during recovery!! 🙂
For whatever it's worth, I felt like my Happy Hannah needed some additional recovery time so I didn't start her chemo until three weeks after surgery. I just wa ted her feeling a vit stronger before she had her treatment. Just keep monitoring ne. If you feel she needs a little more recovery time and a little more time to get her appetite back, you could delay it a little bit more.
@ots of 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!
Thanks Sally! Yes that's why i'm glad her chemo is not until Thurs. so we have an additional 2 days to get her stronger yet. Today was a good day! She was walking better and with more ease, her appetite is better than the previous 2 days, she actually ate some dry food on her own without hand feeding. BIG deal for us! Also her mood and personality were better, which is the best improvement to see! My husband said when he came home she actually got up to greet him at the door like old times, and then grabbed a toy, wanting him to play! Love seeing my girl feeling more like herself. 
I have been massaging everywhere gently to get blood circulated and just for comfort in general. oh and of course lots and lots of love! Some boiled chicken helped too! 
I also have stagged her meds a bit now, like I read online here. So instead of both at 7am then tramadol again at 7pm. She gets Metacam a couple hours later than the tramadol, I think this is helping her sleep better too since they're both not wearing off at same time by then.
I'm trying everything I can think of to get her through this. So scared reading stories about the chemo and possible side effects. I pray it doesn't totally wipe her out! My poor girl has been through alot already. I'm still reeling at the cost of it!! They gave us quotes for 5 treatments and for 10. They said its usually minimum 6 treatments and up to maximum 10. Is this the norm?
thanks in advance!
Chris & Kylie xo
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