Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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I am not sure but knowing him I just feel he is frustrated, confused, and in a little pain. I am keeping him on carprofen (like rimadyl) for a few extra days. He finally came in, went outside to do his business, and came back in and he is laying down on his bed. Gabapentin i think is making in depressed. It has been a rough day, and really a rough 2 months since the whole cancer diagnosis.
Thanks for thinking of us.
Well, Po is showing some feisty attitude as far as not wanting to go to the Vet, so that's actually good that he feels well enpugh to protest!
I agree with Camille, his behavior certainly seems to indicate he's having pain. Many dogs are on Tramadol and /or Gabapentin for three weeks or more. Rimadyl is more of an anti-inflammatory and not much good by itself to fight the kind of pain Po .may still be feeling from the surgery.
Probably going to the Vet really wore him out emotionally and physically and he just wanted ro stay in the car and rest up.
As far as the face paralysis, what specifically is happening? Is he avle ro eat and drink okay? Does the Vet have suggestions as to what may be causing this or how he can ease up the symptoms? Is it possible he got bitten by something? I wonder if whatever is going on is causing him some pain and discomfort maybe.
Try not to compare Po's recovery to ohers. Some recover slower, some faster. Po is recovering in a manner that works best for him.
As hard as it is, continue to remain upbeat and confident. Lots and lots of praise and getting overly excited anytime he goes out tompktty, or eats, or drinks! Just constantly be upbeat and praise him for every little thing!! You can also try some of those "Kong toys" and put peanut butter or high value treats in. And also check about keeping him on some more pain meds if you and your Vet feel like he is still having pain, and his behavior sure does seem like it.
Continue to stay connected and we'll help you stay strong for Po. We know you're exhausted and frustrated. Po is not defeated and.neither are you! You two are a good team and can get through this!!
Lots 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!
PS...As far as taking him on walks, remember to do that with @ots and lots of rest along the way. A fifteen minute walk straight out of the box is not to be done without rest srops. If Po stops to sit down, he's already tired. He's using muscles in ways he's not used them before.
I' know you have in the back of your mind what your Vet told you six days after amputation that maybe Po had lost the "will to live".' And then today you menioned you had "given up" and you felt like Po had too. I jist can't help but think that statement has colored the way you are seeing Po's recovery.
I'm merely trying to reflect back where you are emotionally based on what you've said.
You mentioned the Vet had no idea what was causing Po's face paralysis. You mentioned you feel like he might be in some pain and yet, from what zi understand, he's basically off all pain meds.
I'm just wondering if you want to take Po in somewhere for a seond opinion? Possibly another opinion could at least give you a vague idea what may be causing the paralysis and what can be done about it.
For now, try really hard ro focus on what Po CAN do, not what he can't do. He's going out to potty. He's moving around on his own. He seems to enjoy being outside and sniffing around some.
I know I've me tioned this before. It took me three weeks before I could say I did this FOR my Happy Hannah and not TO her!! Second guessing yiurself is perfectly nor al this early on. Try and let our first hand experiences give you some reassurance and comfort.
Lots of hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS...And keep trying really yummy foods. You can get back to the dry kibble later.
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!
Hello Po’s mommy. You are absolutely in the right place. This website is a god send. My Golden Abby is two weeks and two days post amputaion for OSA. I think the bigger dogs take longer to figure put how to move around. I mean after all ..... they have a lot more to move around. Abby is hopping around well and I had ramps built since I live in a split level. Try not be be down and dont ever blame yourself for what you did. You SAVED his life. He may look different amd move different but they didn’t operate on his brain or personality. The old Po will come back. Do not stop giving the medications until you are aure he is ready. As long as they arent hurting him they are a good thing. Gabapentin and Tramadol are both drugs that he can potentially be on long term. He may be experiencing phantom limb pain and both drugs will help with that. My Abby has pretty much been just laying around and being lazy but honestly that what she did pre-amputation. I cannot wait for spring so she can be outside more. What kind of facial paralysis is he experiencing? Is he still eating and drinking? This website is amazing and I love that everyone is in various stages of amputation so there is a ton of advice. Hang in there and just love him everyday!
Thanks for the advice and kind words. I sure need them right now. Abby's mom, Po also just laid around the whole day even before his surgery except for him walks. I am sure he misses them. It would get so excited when he heard his collar make noise.
As far as the facial paralysis, it is only visible when he is panting hard where one side of his lips goes higher than the other. That is it. The vet took a look at him and said other than that she can't see any sign of anything. She is a surgeon though and not a neurologist. But again Po has had enough vet visits. I will keep an eye on it and try to pamper him as much as I can. I will give it a few weeks and see how his lip does. If it is a stroke there isn't much I can do. Last year he had Hornet's syndrome that resolved on its own. It came and went for months especially when he was under stress.
Hopefully today will be a better day.
I reduced his gabapentin from 3x a day to 2x a day since he got his stitches removed and wow! what a world of difference. He is almost back to his old self, begging for food, following me around, trying to play with our cat. It is heart warming. The oncologist called me and told me his lymph node they found is clear of cancer, another good news. We are starting chemo monday 🙁 not looking forward to it. Hope he does well...
Otis seems like he is making an amazing recovering. It was impressive the way he walked on the video. 🙂
Thanks for thinking of us.
This is great news! I‘m so glad to see he‘s doing better - and that maybe it was just the meds making him loopy.
Keep posting- it helps those of us a few weeks behind you in recovery to know what to expect and watch for! My Gus just came home from the vet today. Rear leg, osteosarcoma. He‘s a 70 pound retriever, so a larger pooch.
Hoping tomorrow is better for you too.
Sarah
sunshine4209 said
I reduced his gabapentin from 3x a day to 2x a day since he got his stitches removed and wow! what a world of difference. He is almost back to his old self, begging for food, following me around, trying to play with our cat. It is heart warming.
I am so thrilled to be reading this! Congratulations to you and Po for figuring it out! Big hug to both of you!
sunshine4209 said
Otis seems like he is making an amazing recovering. It was impressive the way he walked on the video. 🙂
Thank you...I was amazed that he was in bed for two straight days with his infection and then he could hop like that! These giant breeds take a bit more time, and he is so tall the few times he has fallen have made me very nervous, but I think continuing to modify his meds and monitor his infection has paid off.
I know Po is bigger than Otis, but he will be hopping better and better 🙂 you've done a wonderful job not giving up on figuring out how to make him more comfortable!
OH HAPPY DAY!!! SO MUCH GOOD NEWS FROM THE MAGNIFICENT PO!!! We are all sooooo happy to hear his sparkle is starting to come back AND the report came back clear!! YAY!!! 🙂
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!
Po is doing so well, he's really bounced back! Very impressive and such great news.
Chemo isn't always the ordeal we imagine it to be. I was surprised at how easy it was when we sat in on a session with Daisee.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Sarah & Gus, We are just 2 weeks ahead of you. I am sure Gus is gonna recover quickly. the first two weeks have been the hardest so far. I worked from home with Po the first 10 days of his recovery and now I leave him alone about half day.
Po is about 100 pounds, probably 90 since the surgery. He has always been a small St. Bernard. Not sure why or if he is even purebred. I got him from a rescue and she got him from a high kill shelter. He was malnourished when I got him because of his allergy to corn. He doesn't like to eat much.
Thanks guys for the words of encouragement. 🙂
Have anyone of you experienced this? I took Po to the park today. We walked like 15 minutes which included lots of sniffing. It seems like every time he goes in the car and does something somewhat physical, he just lays in the car for hours (and I mean hours). It has been 5 hours he is refusing to get out of the car. Not sure if he is in pain, tired, or just an ass.
Just a little background: Po is a stubborn dog and that is an understatement.
any thoughts?
I am about to stop taking him to the park because I need the car to go grocery and run errands when I have to. 🙁
may I add that He was super excited to go. He was almost running to the car pulling on his leash.
Otis has done this on several occasions...but not for hours! Otis is food motivated so a few treats will generally get him moving but it's weird that he does this now. I've wondered if maybe he's just tired and it's comfortable so why move?
Wish I could be more helpful but wanted to let you know that Otis also does this to a lesser degree, and only since amputation. However it is awesome that Po was out at the park and happy to go, love hearing that!
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