Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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We have a call in to the Vet today...Levi is just not responding well to having his Tramadol cut back. He is not eating..He'll pick at the Hamburger and Chicken I give him...
Physically he looks great. We did a .5 mile loop at the dog park and he was so happy but other than that day he just seems to be a mental wreck. Licking and licking some more at 4am then 5am...yup, I'm losing my mind.
He is also doing other strange things like hiding in the bushes and bathrooms. It seems like as soon as he gets the Tramadol he is somewhat normal. It's been 10 days. Hard to tell if it's pain or withdrawl from the medicine. I really don't think he's in much pain. He acts like an "addict" when he is due for a pain med. Twitchy and obsessive...
Really wish we could get this figured out because physically he seems to be doing great.
I'll keep you posted what the vet says.
Levi was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma 7-7-11
Ampuversary 10-14-11
Lung Mets Discovered 1-4-12. Chemo seemed to not be working so we switched to Artemisinin and other supplements. In May, Levi developed a sinus infection and started having seizures. The cancer had moved to his brain. We let him go 6-26-12.
Don't know about the licking thing (Abby licked at her incision like crazy - but basically because it was draining and she's a little vampire girl... The cone always solved that - much as she hated the cone...) but, the 'hiding' thing was very much the routine w/ Abby. She would go out in the yard and "hide" in the jasmine bush or behind our big potted plant. She really just wanted to be alone. It was a little heart breaking since she usually follows me around - but the vet/onc said it was normal. Dogs sort of take themselves off to be alone and away from the pack until they feel well again.
Hope the vet has some ideas to help with the licking! Hang in there,
Jackie, Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Since you have 2 dogs, maybe Levi is just trying to have some quiet healing time away from Koa.
The licking? I feel for you. Samson has been keeping me up the last 2 weeks by licking this little spot on his toe about 2am each morning.....slurp slurp slurp...now its a big pink bare spot.....slurp, slurp, slurp.... I put a sock over his foot and as soon as I fall back asleep he just takes it off...slurp, slurp,slurp.......I'm thinking another sock and duct tape or earplugs...
Spirit Samson was Spirit Tripawd Daisys four legged "brother" and ruled as the self proclaimed head of the Monkeybutt Federations East Coast Division. Lady Chunky Monkey stayed from Oct 2011 and left for the bridge in Apr 2012. Miss Perdy is left and has some big pawprints to fill.
Do you have what it takes to be a Monkeybutt? Find out more at the Monkeybutt Federation
Vet said they think he is still in a lot of pain. I guess they don't get "addicted" to pain meds. So we're back to 6 Tramadol a day...they reassured me it's not unhealthy for him and if he needs it-I guess he needs it. I'm just frustrated because I thought things would be so much better by day 10. Poor guy. He must be really miserable because he is just not himself-at all 
When did Abby start feeling better?
Samson-I know you feel my pain LOL slurp, slurp, slurp...
Levi was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma 7-7-11
Ampuversary 10-14-11
Lung Mets Discovered 1-4-12. Chemo seemed to not be working so we switched to Artemisinin and other supplements. In May, Levi developed a sinus infection and started having seizures. The cancer had moved to his brain. We let him go 6-26-12.
I'd say the hiding is probably normal. Usually pups who don't feel good will become antisocial. When Vito was really super sick he would come by for a petting, then wander off to be by himself. Now that he feels better glue couldn't stick him closer to me!
Samson might have a bug bite or an allergy that's causing the licking if it's that often. The dog I had before these two licked her front legs constantly because she was old and had arthritis. It could also just be an OCD thing, some dogs will get 'stuck' in a motion and just keep repeating it until their focus is broken. To me though, sounds like probably like a bug bite or allergy.
Hugs for Levi, hang in there!
Proud mommy of a Belgian Malinois tripawd named Lizzie, who is completely spoiled rotten, loves kids, and will be going into therapy dog training as soon as I can afford it. You can find her blog here.
Also proud mommy to Vito, 3(?) yr old GSD. Adoption weight: 58lbs. Current weight: 90lbs. Goal weight: 85-90lbs (ACHIEVED!). Tested positive for EPI on March 30th, 2011 and stable ever since.
"Sometimes it takes an imperfection to create perfection."
I'm sorry you are having such a time with Levi's recovery.
You said it in your first post- as soon as he gets the tramadol he is somewhat normal. That might be telling you it is a pain issue. I know it is really hard to figure out because the sypmtoms of pain and the symptoms of some pain meds seem to be the same. Maggie was really not herself for about 4 weeks after her surgery. She was on tramadol for the first two weeks. I don't think it was pain after that- she was just not happy with her new situation. She didn't hide- but she often would not interact with me. But she came around and came back to being the same obstinate pug as before the surgery.
On addiction to pain meds- I don't know, I've heard different things. Quad pug Obie had a serious eye injury last summer and was on tramadol twice a day for two solid weeks (it was a large dose for him, he only weighs 17 lbs). I went down to once a day for a couple days to judge his pain level- then just stopped giving it to him. No effects that I could tell.
On the licking- I know how hard that is to deal with. Obie has been diagnosed with OCD- his biggest symptom is licking, he will do it for hours if I let him. Ohhh that slurp noise!!!! It just drives you crazy. I am still working on it but I have found that keeping my stress level down when he is doing it helps a little, he gets more agitated when I get tense. I have also been able to distract him with nylabones- they give him something else to do. Does Levi like kongs or other chew toys? Is he a front amp? I don't remember- chew toys for a new front amp might add stress.
I think I said in another post that exercise also helps. I hope when Levi gets the sutures or staples out he can increase his activity level, that will probably help. When it is OK with your vet you might start on some simple strengthening exercises. This will give him something to do and maybe tire him out a little. Just don't over do!! Here is a link to some ideas.
It is really great that he is doing well physically, that is something to hang on to. Hang in there, he will come around.
Karen and the pugaplooza
Chili Dawg would do the licking thing- and it drove me nuts, but he had allergies, so the licking only happened in the spring and summer and then once the frost happened, we were done until the following year. I totally sympathize with you about how it drives you nuts though- it did drive us nuts- we'd have to give him benadryl almost every day to keep the licking to a minimum otherwise he'd have no fur on his belly or his one paw would be raw (it got worse when he became an amputee, because then he only had 1 front paw to lick).
Hang in there!
Jenna & Spirit Chili DAwg
Diagnosed with OSA: 5/2/2011 Ampuversary: 5/11/2011 OSA returned in hip: 8/26/2011
Chili Dawg crossed the Rainbow Bridge on 8/30/2011 & is now pain free. He was my heart dog, and I miss him every day.
Sammy wouldn't eat at all so we made frozen treats that he loved to lick. He only did the licking thing a little so we did this more just to get something in him....but it definiately filled a need because he would be fixated on licking too. We would melt peanut butter in a sauce pan and then stir in vanilla frozen yogurt - put in individual cups and freeze. He was so intense licking that I often would take it away after a while for fear he would make his tongue raw (my own paranoia, it didn't really happen!) Hang in there! xo Sue and Sammy
It all sounds pretty typical to me, although I'll admit when Tate was 10 days out I was a wreck. Recovery is definitely not linear. Which makes it hard because I was looking for cause and effect ("I made this change, and here's how he reacted") and it's just not that simple. I finally had to accept that I couldn't fix it and he just needed time. For Tate, it was between 3 and 4 weeks before I saw incremental improvement every day.
I'm sure in another week or so, this will all resolve itself and your happy boy will be happy once again.
Jan & Tate
http://tate.tripawds.com/
August 16, 2006 to November 28, 2011
TATE ~ Forever in our hearts.
What I did for Gus was feed him canned food that had gravy, made sure it had gravy. He was on just dry food before so canned was a treat, that really helped the eating part. Can't help you with the tramadol, we had to take Gus off after a few days, he didn't get along with it. I don't think I can say Gus was looking much like himself until almost three weeks, sorry, sometimes the recovery road is longer for some than others, like they are saying, hang in there, good luck, Spirit Gus and Dan
My buddy Gus had a left front amputation on April 7, 2010 and lived a great life until July 26,2010
When did Abby start feeling better?
It's been so long now (almost one year!) that I had to go back to the beginnings of her blog and see when she started to feel better. I wrote on the 12th day that we were seeing "glimpses" of her old puppy self. On day 14 she was well enough to go for a happy little walk around the neighborhood. It wasn't until 3 weeks that she was really pretty fully back to her old self (although still had to build up her stamina of course).
Once he starts to really improve, I think you'll see him come around quick. I hope you get to that point soon. Like others said, sometimes it's not linear - one hop forward, two hops back...
Hang in there! We're pulling for Levi!
Jackie, Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
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