Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Our 8 year old German Shepherd, Ozzy, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. After much researching and soul searching we decided to amputate his right hind leg. He will be doing chemo treatments also. His lungs were clear, so both our vet and the oncologist thought he would do very well with amputation and chemo. His surgery was 3 days ago. He was pretty anxious and whined most of the first night. He is doing better each day. He walks on a leash and needs some help coming up the step into the house. He tires very easy and mainly sleeps. He did show some interest in chewing on his ball, not for a long time, but I thought that was encouraging. He has peed but not pooped yet but from everything I’ve read, that’s not unusual. He’s on Gabapentin every 8 hours, cephalexin and rimadyl every 12 hours. He has had a couple accidents in the house. Sometimes when he pees, it takes awhile. Does that seem normal? It only seems trickle out. He gets his stitches removed in 2 weeks. Hard to watch my sweet boy who is so full of life struggling. Like others, I wondered if we made the right decision, but I know this will give him the best quality of life. He has 2 sisters, Ziva and Bella, also German Shepherds, who can’t wait to play with their brother again. Any advice on what to expect as we help our Ozzy through this difficult time would be greatly appreciated!
Thank You!
Hi Fran, welcome! Your future posts won't need approval so post away. I'm actually in the Tripawds Chat right now if you want to talk.
I'm sorry your sweet Ozzy was diagnosed. Based on what you described, his recovery sounds pretty normal. And yep, 
happens eventually! Sounds like his pain management
is good. As for the pee accidents, I'm wondering if the Gabapentin is making him so sleepy (it's common) that it's making him a bit incontinent? What's the dosage? Keep an eye on it, it could possibly be something else but hopefully not. Let your vet know too when they do a check-in.
As for mobility, because Ozzy lost a rear leg, it will be more challenging for him to go up stairs than down. Dogs have their propulsion power in their rear and when they lose half, it's a ton of work at first. Being that Ozzy is also a GSD with a low-slung rear end, it may be a little extra challenging for him, but he'll get there!
I know it's super hard to watch your dog be so out of it. It does get better though! Ozzy, Ziva and Bella will get to play and romp again soon! Stay strong and pawsitive and know that this is only temporary. Have you seen Jerry's Required Reading List or the Tripawds e-books library yet? We have lots of indepth info there, and also in our What to Expect article series.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks Jerry. It’s comforting to join such a supportive community. The dosage for the Gabapentin is 300 mg.
Hey Fran, you are so welcome. 300mg is pretty typical for a GSD-sized dog. I would just keep an eye on the leakage and let your vet know when they check in. Probably nothing serious but good to keep them in the loop.
Our Wyatt Ray sends his get well wishes to Ozzy and the pack!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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