Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
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Hi all, my girl still seems to be doing well, her wound is healing beautifully and the swelling has gone down loads, we are offf to the vets tomorrow for a check up, hope i can get her in the car :-/
She is still on 2 previcox and 2 antibiotics a day and seems to be coping well on them. I am going to get some Gab just in case, i couldnt bear hearing her scream out....
She is coping with the stairs really well now, coming down and going up, she has also gone back to laying on the sofa where as a few days ago she just couldnt get comfy.
The sparkle isnt fully back yet but i feel we are getting there
Just wondering what evryone else is giving their dogs meds wise, how many and how many times a day, just out of interest really, thanks x
My boy was on both Gabapentin and Tramadol. Something that may help you get her into the car. Take a canvas reusable grocery bag and cut the sides out of it. You can put it under her like a sling and use the handles to help lift her. I have heard of people using beach towels also. Let us know how checkup goes tomorrow. Lori and Ty
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
My boy was on Tramadol, but he did have issues with it - made him very restless. He spent almost 24h without sleeping and would sit staring at a white wall. Also used previcox and antibiotics. As soon as I could, I got rid of the Tramadol, substituting it for metamizol (available in Brazil), a common pain-killer comparable to aspirin here.
Daniela
Our awesome Golden Boy was diagnosed for OSA in April 2014 in the proximal humerus, front-leg amp on 05/20/2014. Finished chemo (Carbo6) on 07/10/2014. Ongoing treatment: acupuncture + K-9 Immunity Plus ( 3chews) and home-cooked no-grain diet. Stopped Apocaps because of liver issues. Liver issues: controlling altered enzymes with SAM-e and Milk Thistle. October 17: started having seizures. Taking fenobarbital for seizures. April 18: started prednisone.
Just wondering what evryone else is giving their dogs meds wise, how many and how many times a day, just out of interest really,
Glad she's recovering nicely!
Great question. Dosages vary by dog and their size, but generally many dogs here are on
Fentanyl pre and post-op for a few days
Tramadol post-op
Antibiotic post-op
Gabapentin, sometimes pre-op but usually post-op
This article by Dr. Petty outlines the latest pain management guidelines by the International Veterinary Academy of pain management (IVAPM)
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
My first tri, Yoda, had a fentanyl patch to start, Tramadol throughout the first couple weeks or so, and I think that was it. And Rimadyl perhaps?? Gerry was on Tramadol and an antibiotic. Both were restless, but Gerry much more literally. He went through a phase of standing, endlessy that was really scary and I attributed it to pain and at first, but when increasing his Tramadol (per what the vet would allow) didn't help, I finally got him seen (he belonged to the shelter then) it turned out to be his stomach that likely was making him too uncomfortable to want to lay down. It's not always about the amputation! 
Gerry has been a tripawd since 12/16/2009.
He was a shelter dog with a mysterious past and an irrepairable knee injury.
Videos and pics of Gerry's pawesomeness can be found at: http://gerry.tripawds.com
My Leland didn't do well on Tramadol when he was prescribed it months before his amputation by a vet who conducted an MRI on his knee to assist with pain. Our local vet doesn't like prescribing Tramadol because of how it can affect a dog's behavior (and it's pretty much a narcotic) so he placed him on Gabapentin. When Leland had his amputation the clinic tried to prescribe Tramadol and we told them no and we just kept Leland on Gabapentin and it seemed to manage his pain fine.
Sahana and her Angel Leland
November 17, 2009 - June 30, 2014
May you finally be healthy and running free at the Rainbow Bridge. Until we meet again my sweet boy!
It is funny how Tramadol reacts differently with different dogs. For Murphy, he gets sleepy for a couple of hours and puts himself to bed. When our quadpawd Gus has taken it, he gets quite agitated and won't settle down at all until it wears off. I guess, like a lot of other things, we need trial and error to figure things out. What works for some doesn't necessarily work for others.
Keep up the good work!
Kathi and Murphy
Murphy is a five year old Lab/Chessie cross. He was hit by a car on 10/29/12 and became a Tripawd on 11/24/12. On 2/5/13, he had a total hip replacement on his remaining back leg. He has absolutely no idea that he has only three legs!
UPDATE: Murphy lived his life to the fullest, right up until an aggressive bone lesion took him across the Rainbow Bridge on April 9, 2015 and he gained his membership in the April Angels. Run free, my love. You deserve it!
Gilda was on tramadol when she had her last opperation and it just sent her sleep.
Shes done realy well on the previcox and my vet said he preffered that to the tramadol because of it making them drowsey.
I have taken tramadol for for my foot pain and its pretty good stuff, really chills me out, lol and i get a great nights sleep as well 
xx
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