Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

cvb5 said
Otis is home. The vet said he is so incredibly athletic that his recovery has been one of the easiest he has seen for any big dog, let alone a giant breed!

Excellent News!!! Well done Otis! 

We are going to follow the excellent advice we have received from everyone here and do our best to keep Otis contained, comfortable, and pain free over the next few weeks. The vet says Otis is going to try to overdo it, given how fast his post amp progress has been thus far, so we are going to work hard to make sure he gets the rest he needs. I will post a hop video when I take one!

Well said... it sounds like your challenge is definitely going to be getting Otis to be a good patient! 😉 He had this Tripawd thing down a long time ago Mum! Great job to both of you! 

You never believe it until you see it with your own eyes and your own dog but it really is better to hop on 3 than limp on 4! We are so happy we found Tripawds and made this decision.  

You’ve got that right!!! It really is an incredible feeling when they show you that you definitely made the right decision!!! He will be eternally grateful to you!!!

Keep up the good work and all the very best to you

Petra, Stewie and his Pride Of kittens.

Stewie says Thank you! Six months has flown by like the wind! Each day we learn to love him that much more, I never knew it was possible!

it is excellent to hear that Otis is able to find that comfy position in order to get his rest. It’s okay that it takes him a little bit, that will get easier as he adjusts and heals. Well done Mum and Otis! You’re doing great... keep up the good work and you’ll be on top of the roster for sure with Bubba!

Petra, Stewie and his Pride

cvb5 said
Not a lot of sleep our first night home with Otis, but today he's been resting. He's confused, but we see glimmers of his normal self.

Pretty standard fare around here... Excellent to hear that Otis is showing you glimmers of himself through his haze of meds!

He was so excited to see my dad pull in the driveway today that he wanted to hop out and go for a ride in my dad's truck. Other than that, he has been subdued and out of it. He has been outside a few times to go to the bathroom. He is eating normally. He will sleep or lie quietly for an hour or so before he gets up and repositions and then he'll whine for a while.

That excitement of his will bring him back full force when he is ready! It’s is so lovely to hear that Otis loves your Dad so much, as to make that effort for him! Good boy Otis! You’re eating well and that is a MAJOR BONUS!!!! And going potty all by yourself!! Getting LOTS of rest!!! You are rockin’ this recovery dude! In a couple of weeks, you’re going to wonder what all this fuss was about!

He whined off and on through the night. As I type this, he is staring at me from his bed while whining. I miss his exuberant, happy self but I know we have to be patient. Physically, he seems great. No assistance needed and no real struggle to go to bathroom or get around. Can't wait until I can say the same about his mental state!

Physically it sounds like he is doing great, but he also seems to be pretty normal in his mental state. Just remember, that it is the medications that are making him ‘unlike’ himself. It is still super early in his recovery and he is resting well. Stay close to his side and give him reassurance that he is doing super well and just keep telling him you love him tons and that’s all he wants to know! Be sure to keep a calm and positive attitude around him. He is looking to you for guidance and reassurance that everything is still okay. Try not to feel sorry for him, he won’t read that message the same way!

Jackie also made a very good point in saying that if he continues to whine and you are feeling uncomfortable about it, do call your vets and ask if the meds need to be tweaked. 

I took off his cone but he went straight to licking the stitches, so he will be keeping the cone on until those come out. He is licking his bed a lot, which I assume is a bit of a coping strategy for not be able to lick himself. 

As long as his incision is looking good, then you are probably right about his constant licking. But it can become an obsessive behaviour if not kept in check...  If you are able to distract him from that constant licking, maybe with a gentle massage session....?

Stewie was also constantly licking and it was into his 3rd or 4th day that I noticed that he was starting to soak through his bandage, so I took him into the vets and he had formed a seroma . (A build up of fluid beneath the skin) I had to have the incision site drained 3 times over the course of 4-5 days.

Sending love and good vibes out to all of our tripawd dog and cat friends-- this is really hard and it has helped so much to read about everyone else's experiences ♥️  

Yeah, this part is super hard, but give Otis a couple more months and you are going to be amazed at how he has bounced back to his ‘new’ normal hoppy self! 

Love and good vibes heading back your way! Thank you!

Petra, Stewie and his Pride Of Kittens

Way to go Otis!!!  You keep rocking it boy.  Bubbs also had a Penrose drain and our vet recommended T-shirts.  The T-shirts helped absorb the drainage and we would have to change his shirts a few times a day.  We fed and watered Bubba in bed for every feeding.  Mainly due to the crazy enormous cone.  

For the T-shirts we would just fold them up towards his shoulder or use a rubber band to make sure they weren't hanging down for him to get caught up in when he got up.  So nothing fancy for clothing here.  Always listen to your vet's advise.  Bubba still wears a t-shirt, 27 days later.  His hair is still growing back.  Once it has grown out enough then we will retire the shirts.

Keep moving in the right direction Otis boy.  And Bubba is over 100# too and thinks he's a lap dog.