Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi Everyone,
Thanks so much for all the information! My 11 year old golden doodle Marty was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his front leg a few weeks ago. He had amputation surgery as well as another surgery to remove an unrelated cancerous tumour in his anal sac a week ago. He stayed in the hospital for a few nights and the first couple of days at home were really rough for him because he had diarrhea and was incontinent due to the anal surgery... I definitely had the common ‘what have I done?’ Moment.
fast forward one week and I have seen massive improvements in his mobility, I live in a condo so I was wheeling him outside in a wagon and letting him wander around on the grass and then wheeling him back in. The last couple of days he has been eager to walk outside on his own but I am noticing that he doesn’t seem to want to get up to go out.
I’m trying to get him out 3 times a day for bathroom breaks but he doesn’t want to get up to go out, I figure he wants to rest but I’m worried about his bladder, he seems to get up to go out when he REALLY needs to pee but this could be over 12 hours. I wonder if he is doing too much too soon by walking by himself outside but he seems so happy to do it.
Should I force him outside to pee or leave him to rest? Could he just not be producing much urine because he is less active? Is this normal? He’s a really big, slender dog so he has never needed several bathroom breaks a day, 3 is the norm for him.
Last night we went out and I was struggling to keep up with him he was walking so fast so I don’t think pain is an issue, his wound looks amazing! Maybe he is extra drowsy from the pain meds? Sorry for rambling... just wanted to see if this is normal? I’ve already called the vet so many times, I thought you guys might be able to give some insight!
thanks!!
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Hi Lauren! Thanks for asking great questions. You and Marty have been through so much, it's no wonder he just wants to lay around and be a couch potato most of the day! The fact that he is walking really well once he's outside is great. Here's what I'm thinking:
What pain medication is he on, and how much?
How far/long are the walks? Does he urinate / poop during the walks?
If he isn't getting as much daily activity/playtime as usual, then he's probably not drinking a lot of water, right? Have you notice a decrease in water intake? If so, that might explain why he just doesn't have to go as often. BUT, dogs shouldn't go more than 12 hours without urinating, so it's a catch-22.
What is his appetite like these days? Is he pooping normal amounts/frequencies?
I would consider all these questions and jot down notes, then give your vet a call. I know that you probably feel like you're bugging them but trust me you are not. They want to know these things. Marty's been through so much lately that it can't hurt to be extra careful when you suspect something is off. Give them a call and let us know what they say OK?
P.S. Please consider registering as a member so your future posts won't need approval OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Jerry, thanks for the quick response. I tried to register a couple of times last week but I didn’t receive an email.rnI ended up calling the vet and we concluded that he maybe had overdone it a little the day before. We didn’t go for long walks but just getting out of my condo is a far walk and it was the first day not using his wagon to go down. He is taking 400mg Gabapentin and some antibiotics. Eating and drinking pretty well, he’s never been a greedy dog, kinda eats when he wants. He’s been eating chicken and sweet potato since the surgery because his kibbles and canned food weren’t too appealing to him. He is peeing quite a lot when we go out, which is not surprising considering how long he’s wanting to hold on. I’m going to just lift him into his wagon to try to get him to go out more often, I don’t want him to get a bladder infection. rnthanks again!
Lauren said
I tried to register a couple of times last week but I didn’t receive an email.
FYI: There is no Tripawds user registered using the email address you've provided here. AND: When we emailed you to help get your account set up, it bounced back as undeliverable with the message " The email account that you tried to reach does not exist."
Click the "Register" link atop the forums, and provide a valid email address. Please use the sign-up code at the top of the registration page and note that the username must be all lowercase letters and numbers only. If you need assistance, email us your desired username.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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