Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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thank you some more and more.
i don't know if martha is better...we haven't given up, though. she's still eating. at this point not her usual home made salmon with veggies, what she'll eat has changed. In the past few days she's become fincky--a first for her. anyway, happy sh'e eating! mac and cheese.is a new dish for her; a suggestion from her general vet. lucky she's eating, at all; we are told.
she's still groogy, little wobbly, a week after her amputation she was moving better than now; three weeks later. okay, so, my poor girl is still managing to get out to the sidewalk to eliminate. more diahhrea this morning, but her urine was NOT dark; a positive change. for the last three days it's been quite dark. she will only check her bowl on the way out the door. through the night she doesn't move much. she is finally lying on the surgery side, though. she pants off and on. i give her lots of water. she drinks it. her breath has changed a bit. it doesn't smell bad, just different. also, she seems a bit uncoordinated. her rear tripod leg at times lacks nuerological connection. my fear is either gabapentin dosage is too much (1800 mg a day) or dreaded brain mets. i took it on myself to lower gaba to 1200 mg. anyone out there w/experience lowering gabapentin?
yesterday i kept updating her main vet. i'm now GUESSING all this sickness is her liver disease. found it during pre-op ultrasound for spleen removal. vet called gnarly--with possible cancer mets from the spleen. they biopsied both with spleen removal and there was no cancer, but the liver disease was apparent: "old age" liver issues, also cirohosis and hepatitis. this was prior to AMC finding the walnut size inconclusive liver mass. i have been dosing her with milk thitle from holistic pet store but today will give denamarin a try. anyone tried it? western vets say it is more absorbable due to added chemistry.
lastly,CAROL, i'll be picking up an antobotic regimen from the vet. i'd like to get your feed back (or anyone else w/experience). since martha still has diahrrea. afraid it'll make it unstoppable weakening her even more. find vet instructions below:
"The antibiotic regimen for hepatitis consists of dual antibiotic therapy:
with an aerobic antibiotic and an anaerobic antibiotic. The second one is
Metronidazole and that will have the good side effect of helping her loose
stool. The aerobic one is Zeniquin, and you can wait to start that until the
diarrhea is controlled. "
vet advised to cut Metacam dose by half. confused as to why she didn't remove it all together. is it okay to stop cold turkey?
SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR GUIDANCE.
amalia
Okay, Martha s holding steady...that's good! And YOU are one strong advocate for your girl!
Can't give you much inutn tje specific questions...I jave used the denamarin for my dog I referenced earlier withliver issues. My vet has hsd god results with it.
May I suggest you also post your questions under Ask A Vet? Dr. Pam may be able to offer some good suggestions too, as well as everyone here.
Even though she's drinking okay, maybe yor vet could set you up with an enriched IV fluid bag to give her nder her skin at home. Could help n many different areas.
I do kow you taper off the Gaba and not do it cold turkey..so that's good the way you re dong it.
Search "green clay" on here.....this is crazy because I can't remember for sure...but it either helps with soft stools...or it's fro cnsitpatin...sorry, can't remember butit's worth checkngout!
Just wanted tolet you kow we're all here still cheering you and Marthaon. Some with more helpfulput will chime in I'm sure.....Again, consider the Ask Vet thread. Seems like meds could be causing someof these issues!! 'Be interesting to see if reducing the Gaba helps any.
Sending love and hugs!!
Sally and Happy Hannah
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! will do "ask a vet," too.
btw, don't know how to attach photos, here.
amalia
Amalia,
It does sound like Martha is doing better. She's eating and drinking, which is great! Don't worry about her being finicky...just give her whatever she wants, calories are important right now. She hasn't been feeling well, so being groggy and wobbly would be expected, especially if she's still on pain meds (Gabapentin can cause that sometimes, too, but it that side effect usually goes away). I do know that Gabapentin has to be tapered off, not stopped suddenly, but I don't know at what rate. You should probably check with you vet to be sure.
I don't know anything about Zeniquin. Sorry. Metronidazole is what Seven was on for a long time with his liver issue. It is used to stop diarrhea as well, so it shouldn't cause more diarrhea it should help her. Seven took it when he had colitis too, so it's healing for the digestive tract and colon. I see from what you wrote above that the vet suggested you wait until the diarrhea is under control to start the Zeniquin...that's good because if Martha gets diarrhea again after you start the Zeniquin then you can talk to the vet about stopping or changing it.
I know her eating is off, but see if you can mix some puréed pure pumpkin (not sweetened pumpkin pie filling) into her food...that may help the diarrhea also. And you could add a doggy probiotic, too. I've been told to separate the probiotic and the antibiotic by at least two hours for me, so I'm assuming that's true in animals too.
I'm not sure why the vet didn't have you stop the Metacam. I don't think it has to be tapered off, but I'm not sure. You should ask the vet. If I were you I would want to stop it, at least until Martha is feeling better.
Sally's right...you should post in "ask a vet", too. They're much more qualified than I am :-). But I'm happy to offer any support you need, and share any of my experiences and what I've learned.
Please keep updating!!
Hugs,
Carol
Amalia,
Do your vet recommend Pepcid or another med of the same type? It doesn't cure the problem, but it helps with the nausea associated with the high liver enzyme values. That may help with her finicky eating.
Hugs,
Carol
Oh I posted this on your other post but Shelby also had some runny poo (but she's been getting chemo) but it never seemed to stop. So they told us she had colitis and Flagyl helped with that ... for a while. What has really helped is getting Shelby on a probiotic. Occasionally still (ironically only at her afternoon poop) is is slightly looser/mucusy but for the most part, it has helped. She drinks less obsessively and is less super hungry all the time. Poor thing was probably dehydrated and starving from pooping it all out!
I hope this is useful.
Alison and Shelby
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
thank you for the support!
martha's doing better. all pain med lowered--esp GABApentin. finally heard senior dogs may be be "sensitive". certainly wish i'd been warned or the dosing lowered before weakening her as it did. 1800 mg. a day for a 13 yr old dog? i'm upset. anyway, looks like antibiotics are heling, too. still son't if it was the liver or some bacterial infection somewhere...
we're now dealing with edema on her remaining rear leg. anyone have any experience with it? also going to AMC alternativemed/rehab. consultation today. currently she can not walk. but can eat and know what's going on around her. a change for good.
again, thanks.
amalia
Well now, this calls for a YAAAAAY!! And that YAY's not nly flr sweet Martha, it's for Amalia too!!! You are two strong women!! GREAT TEAM!!
Can't realy adress the swelling in the leg. I do know I have definitely seen posts here aout it from time to time on the remaining leg. I know sometimes it disappears as quickly as it pops up. others can chime in though.
Realy glad you have that cnsultatin today. What a great specialty "department" to have. Will be looking forward to their feedback.
Do NOT beat yourself upover the Gaba. We are all at the mercy of the professioals and we allould have do e exactly as you jave. The important thing is...because you are such a great advocate...you stayed determned and are doing changes now that are clearly helping her!
Sending you so manyhugs!!!
Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
With each new day I'm seeing more progress here, this is fantastic.
Edemas have occurred in many Tripawds after surgery, many are treated with the diuretic Lasix. Has your vet recommended that? (I know, more pills, ugh!). Here are some search results that tell more about the condition and how to deal with it.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
thank you sally and jerry.
my heart is broken. we euthanized martha last night. alvarez, nuerologist dept and an emergency doctor all thought she was too sick, not just having trouble walking. nuerology and rehab did a quicker less precise sonogram athat apparently alerted them to a larger growth with liquid.
the nuerological assessment was possibly a pinched nerve on her upper honches where disk fused together. vet suggested options: euthanasia, leave her overnight with IVs, tranfusion, blood work, sonogram; do STAT blood work for liver enzymes and sonogram, to helo with decision making. she assessed anemia and some jaundice (ears yellow lite). she feared liquid and or blood in the abdomen and suggested ER do an aspirate which would, if results found blood it would affirm the leakage of blood from growth into Abdomen. it was all too fast emotionally.
aspirate found some blood along with liquid. doctors did not push but suggested strongly to euthanise. i didn't want to, but vets hint strongly they know the most humane way. i, on the other hand, always feel i can help my dog!
ultimately, of course i knew she would die, sooner or later. obviously don't want her to suffer. vets tell me she's suffering. personally, suffering, i'm not so scared of, as long as martha gets better. but at the point of emotional confusion i agreed.
why are vets so scared of a little suffering?
I am sorry to hear about Martha. Run free little girl
hugs
Michelle & Angel Sassy
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
I am sorry!
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your beautiful girl, Martha.
Many hugs
Linda and Tucker
Oh my ...I am so incredibly sorry ... please know you are in my thoughts...
Alison and Shelby
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
My heart just broke into pieces, I can't imagine how devastated you are. I'm so very, very sorry.
Please know you did everything possible for Martha, she will always be a part of your soul and this community. Love like that never fades.
Lots and lots of hugs coming your way. {{{{{{hugs}}}}}}
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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