Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi all—we have an 11 year old, 50lb pit who just had her front right leg amputated after an osteosarcoma diagnosis. She’s recovering so well—eating, going to the bathroom, very mobile, and itching to jog/explore/jump again. She’s on Gabapentin 300mg twice per day (from regular western med vet) as well as some herbs, a probiotic and mushroom blend (eastern med vet). The one side effect we can’t seem to shake is she cries/whimpers all day and night long. We’re fairly confident it’s boredom and frustration vs pain, but are interested to see if anyone else is experiencing this? We’re doing frequent trips outside, smell mats, lick mats, lots of laying in the sun, new squeak toys, fruit and veggies for treats, and someone is always home with her 24/7.
Hello and welcome. Your future posts will not require moderation. I am sorry to hear about her diagnosis of Osteoscaroma.
First when did she have her amputation. 300mg of Gabapentin is really not a lot of pain medication. The crying and whimpering could be a sign of pain not boredom. This is a major surgery and your dog is still getting used to using muscles that they have never had to use before.
The Lick mats, smell mats etc are all good things to keep her busy. How much outside time are you doing? Is she walking a lot? You said she is itching to jog/explore/jump again. Please try to keep her activity level low during recovery. The more she does the more it could set her back.
Other's will jump in with more help. I just wanted to get your post approved.
Keep us informed of how she is doing
Michelle & Angels Sassy, Bosch, Baby Simba and Sweet Snickers
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
My dog Riley had his amputation in late March and we had a similar issue. I believe it's "phantom pain " which you can read a little bit more about. I think there is an article on this site about it. Once we got him on a better pain med schedule he did much better. As Michelle said, 300GB twice a day might not be enough right now.
I would talk to the vet and try to add in some more gabapentin or some other type of pain med. It may make her a little tired, but it is better than being in pain.
Riley would yipe and jump around out of nowhere. Once he got more meds he was much calmer.
I did chuckle reading your post about how she loves laying in the sun. Riley liked the sun before surgery and now he LOVES the SUN! He loves lying in the grass in the sun. I've read this from multiple owners so it must feel good on the amputation area.
Good luck and I hope you can get the pain under control.
Bill
Rileys Dad
As you can see from the good input, you have come to the right place for support and information.
Ditto everyone else regarding vetter pain management . It may be that the Gaba would be more effective three times a day. Additionally, as Michelle me tioned, the dose she is on is pretty low.
It sounds like jer amputation was recent? The first two weeks she needs short leashed potty breaks and rest, rest, rest.
So let is know when the surgery was and if the Vet will increase her pain meds.
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Welcome! I'm glad your girl is doing pretty well otherwise, sounds like a very strong doggie! What's her name?
I'm curious too about her activity level. How long/far are here walks to go potty? Is she playing with other dogs in the daytime?
It sounds like you are doing a great job moderating her activity overall.
Do you have slippery floors? If so, lack of traction makes it harder to walk and requires a lot more effort to not slip around, even if it doesn't appear that way when you watch her.
Either way I would ask your vet if it's OK to spread the dosage throughout the day. Generally when Gaba is spread out over 3x daily it gives more consistent relief. Moving on 3 is a lot of work so that kind of pain relief can make a big difference.
Also consider having her evaluated by a rehab therapist. They can help her have a better recovery, find the source of pain (if it's not an anxiety issue), and show you how to keep her strong and injury free. The Tripawds Foundation can pay for your first visit too!
Thank you everyone for your concern. Her surgery was 15 days ago. Her name is Ava. We just had her two week follow up and the doctor is very impressed with her progress. Regarding questions about her activity level: we carry her up and down our stairs and right out to the grass to go to the bathroom. We let her take anywhere from 20-40 steps on her own (of course the first many, many days after surgery we barely let her take more than what was needed for the bathroom and slowly over time she gained strength and built it up little by little, day by day). Yes, we have very great traction around the house including adding amazing gym mats over every square inch of the floors for extra protection and grip for her. We are not concerned about her activity level but thank you all for your thoughtful concerns and wonderful intentions.
it is helpful and interesting to hear you think it might be pain related. Our holistic doctor actually said it might be the opposite—too much gaba and she might hate how she feels on it (makes her wobbly, slightly drowsy). The regular vet and surgeon seem to think her pain level is fine as of her appointment today.
She started chemo today so we’ll check in if there are any significant updates.
Bill, love to hear your dog loves the sunshine, too! It’s her favorite activity! We swear the cancer has given her a new side to her personality—she’s done with listening to commands and loves sitting in the grass with her head in the breeze soaking up the sun. Too funny. I agree—I’ve been seeing a lot of people say maybe it’s the way the grass and ground feels on their feet while they try to walk or how it feels when they lay down that must make them love it. Thanks for the well wishes and concern. Hope Riley is doing well.
You've got Ava's needs covered! Great job! 
it is helpful and interesting to hear you think it might be pain related. Our holistic doctor actually said it might be the opposite—too much gaba and she might hate how she feels on it (makes her wobbly, slightly drowsy). The regular vet and surgeon seem to think her pain level is fine as of her appointment today.
I think that your integrative vet may be on to something. Our Wyatt Ray hated being on certain pain medications. Gabapentin wasn't one of them, since it's not an opioid, but that's not to say Ava wouldn't be experiencing those side effects.
I'm super happy she checked out with her vet team. Did they suggest cutting back on the Gaba to see if that helps ease her anxiety?
Also, did any of the vets also mention the possibility of Canine Cognitive Decline?
Hey Jerry—no they recommended we stay the course on her meds. She just started chemo so there’s actually two new meds in the mix to help with nausea.
Neither vet has mentioned the canine cognitive decline. Can you elaborate?
Thanks for clarifying about the meds, glad they brought it up with you.
I mentioned canine cognitive decline because at Ava's age, it's certainly a possibility. Senior dogs sometimes start experiencing cognitive decline just like humans do, and the constant whining and anxiety is one symptom. You are doing all the right things to keep her from experiencing CCD, but if that's what's going on, there are other avenues to try with medication. Here's a good video webinar about it:
Before you jump to that, you might want to consider having her evaluated by a canine rehab therapist. These folks are often more in-tune with pain signals than general practitioners or surgeons, and pinpoint pain issues long before they do. Remember Tripawds Foundation can pay for your first rehab visit so it's easy peasey. Let me know if you'd like help finding a therapist.
This is fantastic information, thank you!
An update on Ava: we’re officially 30 days post-surgery and the progress is incredible. She’s off Gabapentin entirely (she finished her script from the vet and they feel her pain is under control but we can of course always call to request a refill) and we noticed a pretty immediate reduction in the crying and whining. I think our holistic doctor was on to something here. She is currently on: CAS Options daily, a probiotic daily, Kang Zhong Pian (5 pills twice daily), and Bu Zhong Yi Qi Pian (5 pills twice daily).
She is going up stairs on her own, and just today she jumped into our car completely on her own on the way to the park, and walked up the stairs completely on her own. Her mood is positive and happy. She’s physically getting stronger—reclaiming her balance, finding her center, strengthening her core, etc. She’s extremely communicative with us which is just wonderful and reflective of the respectful relationship we have with her—we are partnering very well in this journey together.
Thanks so much to you all for your support and ear during the earlier tougher weeks.
!!!
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