Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hey all,
My little Murphy has not been doing well today and our vet is out for the weekend here in California.
Here's what he's doing:
1) refusing to settle down unless one of his humans is actively petting him, near him and talking to him.
2) startling awake from a settle-down period and thrashing around, meowing loudly and flipping over onto his side, then standing up again and flipping onto the other side, trying to escape, panicking in general. Can't be soothed. The only way to get him to stop is to hold him tightly until he gets sleepy, usually about five minutes.
3) attacking his cage when we do put him in it (large golden-retriever-sized metal one, very sturdy, we only put him in it when we absolutely cannot be snuggling him actively), butting it with his cone and trying to climb out.
4) attacking his cone with his front paw very rapidly, until his paw is bleeding. We think he might have hurt his claw. It bled quite a bit.
I don't know what to do and I am very, very scared. Is it just the medication? He's on .2 ml buprenorphine oral syringes every 8-12 hours. For the past three days (pre-surgery, at the vets in the morning, at home) he has been on one 6mg pill of Onsior. Those pills won't be taken again, his three day dose is up.
I am so, so worried. They told us he would just sleep. He's been more active than pre-op. I'm so scared...
Has this happened to anyone else with a feline amputation? What do I do? I need to sleep at some point and I've barely eaten all day it's been so intensive. How do I keep him from panicking and hurting his incision? His toe?
Please help.
I suspect this is about pain. Your vet must be affiliated with an emergency on-call vet. Phone your vet's clinic and there is likely a telephone answering service who will put you through.
Are you giving the buprenorphine every 8 hours? If you are doing 12 hours then you might want to go to 8 hours. Ensure you are putting it on his gums because it is absorbed that way.
My cat was also on Metacam, which is somewhat of a painkiller and anti-inflammatory. I found out later that it should be given at a different time than the buprenorphine.
This could be phantom limb pain - talk to the vet for a pain killer for that.
You can also phone the Tripawd helpline at 844-874-7293.
Hope this helps.
Kerren
While waiting for help you might want to put ice in a towel to dull the pain at the surgical site. Also cover the cage with a towel or blanket to make a nice dark, quiet den for Murphy.
I feel bad for you.
Kerren
My goodness, so sorry this is happening to you guys. I haven't had a tripawd cat, but my dog Jake could not take opiates. They made him act really looney. He paced constantly, showed his teeth at me, stare at walls, etc. I didn't get any sleep either and we ended up having to change his medication. I'm not sure what pain meds they can give cats but I know someone will chime in. Is there another vet in the office covering for your vet this weekend? It sounds like Murphy is seeing pink elephants. Is he bothering the incision, can you take the cone off? That might be freaking him out some too. If it calms him down a bit not to have it on, it may be safer to leave it off.
I am glad he's comforted by one of his humans being with him. Anyway you can take turns, at least until you can talk to your vet about possibly changing the meds?
Poor Murphy and poor you! I hope someone with a kitty chimes in soon. HUGS.
Mom to Tripawd Angels Jake (2001-2014) and Rosco (2012-2015) and Tripawd Tanner. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it”
I forgot to answer your question, yes, this could be the medication. My Mona was nuts on it. Mention that to the vet also. I've read some pets can get dysphoria from pain meds but I'm not sure what that looks like.
You are doing a great job. Believe me this is the worst time.
Kerren
kazann said
I suspect this is about pain. Your vet must be affiliated with an emergency on-call vet. Phone your vet's clinic and there is likely a telephone answering service who will put you through.Are you giving the buprenorphine every 8 hours? If you are doing 12 hours then you might want to go to 8 hours. Ensure you are putting it on his gums because it is absorbed that way.
My cat was also on Metacam, which is somewhat of a painkiller and anti-inflammatory. I found out later that it should be given at a different time than the buprenorphine.
This could be phantom limb pain - talk to the vet for a pain killer for that.
You can also phone the Tripawd helpline at 844-874-7293.
Hope this helps.
Kerren
Kerren-
Thank you for your support and advice! I would agree that he's in pain after doing some more research. We called a family member who is a vet tech at an all-cat hospital and she said to up the frequency of his dose as well. We gave him a dose at about 5:30 and will be doing it again in the middle of the night. Mom is sleeping next to his crate tonight as that seems to be the way he is the most calm. He still panics at random intervals, but they are farther apart. I'm sleeping with my door wide open, as his crate and my mom are right outside it. Currently he is panicking again. I feel that there will be even less sleep than last night.
I called the vet clinic and found this out: they recommend two emergency vets and they are both an hours' drive away. The seven-minute drive from my house to the vet is enough to terrify him already. I left a message and they will hopefully call us back on Monday morning. As of right now, we have two syringes to dose him tonight and tomorrow (sunday). Is the helpline 24-hours? I might try that next and see if I could just give him a teensy teensy tinsey dose of a baby sedative or something like that. Just enough so he can let his front paw heal from hitting at it.
Again, thank you. Tonight will be tough. This week will be tough, in fact. Stitches out on Friday and hopefully the pain will be better then.
Yikes! This jas got to be so unsettling. Remind yourself that is TEMPORARY!!!
Like Elizabeth snd Kerren mentioned, it sounds like the meds could be playing a big role. And, as Elizabeth suggested, if you could try taking the cone off while watching Murphy that may help too. Perhaps he needs a different pain med? He definitely needs to be on something to stop the pain from this major surgery.
How 'bout potty...has he peed yet? I guess eating and drinking are out of the question right now.
As far as sleep, my Happy Hannah whined a d cried and was restless for the first three days almost non stop. It was just myself and I was exhausted beyond word. After the third night, I think she and I both slept for three hours.
It DOES get better!!! I do hope there is a vet so ewhere on duty who can help adjust the meds...up...down...or another kind...whatever works!!
Stay connected and please update us when you can!
We're all with you hokding you tight!
Hugs and love!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
elizabeth said
My goodness, so sorry this is happening to you guys. I haven't had a tripawd cat, but my dog Jake could not take opiates. They made him act really looney. He paced constantly, showed his teeth at me, stare at walls, etc. I didn't get any sleep either and we ended up having to change his medication. I'm not sure what pain meds they can give cats but I know someone will chime in. Is there another vet in the office covering for your vet this weekend? It sounds like Murphy is seeing pink elephants. Is he bothering the incision, can you take the cone off? That might be freaking him out some too. If it calms him down a bit not to have it on, it may be safer to leave it off.I am glad he's comforted by one of his humans being with him. Anyway you can take turns, at least until you can talk to your vet about possibly changing the meds?
Poor Murphy and poor you! I hope someone with a kitty chimes in soon. HUGS.
Elizabeth:
My dearly departed Golden Retriever Emma was like that, too. Acted very strange on certain medications. She had 4 legs when she passed, but it was still so hard. My little corgi, Abbie, is a bit different. She acts like she's supposed to when on medication.
One of the bad parts about life in a small, fairly rural California community is that the nearest emergency vet is an hour away and every clinic in town recommends them instead of keeping someone on-call. I left a message.
We gave Murphy a break from the cone of shame for about fifteen minutes when he was already sleeping from his dose. He woke up and worried the incision a little bit, so it went right back on.
Mom is sleeping on the floor tonight, right next to him. My bedroom door will be staying open, since it's right next to the crate. I think I got five hours last night? Four? Something like that. Heaven knows what tonight will be. I'm already fairly zonked out from lack of sleep but need, NEED, to stay awake so momma can give him his dose at 11:30. He sleeps after the medication but then it wears off and he goes nuts.
Thank you so much for the support. I don't know what I would do without the help of this community. Besides cry and scream more than I'm doing right now.
I guess it's just frustrating because we were told he would just sleep all day and then be better than ever. Instead he's just in pain and it breaks my heart.
I guess having a newborn will be no big deal after this, eh?
Thanks again,
Veronica
benny55 said
Yikes! This jas got to be so unsettling. Remind yourself that is TEMPORARY!!!Like Elizabeth snd Kerren mentioned, it sounds like the meds could be playing a big role. And, as Elizabeth suggested, if you could try taking the cone off while watching Murphy that may help too. Perhaps he needs a different pain med? He definitely needs to be on something to stop the pain from this major surgery.
How 'bout potty...has he peed yet? I guess eating and drinking are out of the question right now.
As far as sleep, my Happy Hannah whined a d cried and was restless for the first three days almost non stop. It was just myself and I was exhausted beyond word. After the third night, I think she and I both slept for three hours.
It DOES get better!!! I do hope there is a vet so ewhere on duty who can help adjust the meds...up...down...or another kind...whatever works!!
Stay connected and please update us when you can!
We're all with you hokding you tight!
Hugs and love!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
Sally (and Hannah and Myrtle),
Thank you for the advice! We're going to figure this out, it's just going to be hell until we're done. I keep on regretting my decision, though. I ask myself: is this really better than the little bit of pain he was in before? Is this worth it for him and I? I get that this could save his life, but he's my baby boy, you know? I don't want to see him in pain, especially pain that I caused, in my own way. Everyone tells you how easy the recovery is going to be and we're sitting here like the new parents of a colicky two-day-old human! Argh!
Thank you so so much! I'll update when I can!
-Veronica
Oh...jiqst saw your new lost.
Just want to address our Helpline as far as advice about the teeny baby sedative. We won't be able to address that as we are not vets. We would advise you to do exactly what you just did...and that's call an ER. Giving any kind of meds to a cat is a whole 'nother ballgame. It sounds like your vet tech friend has been a big help.
I think your sleeping arrangements will help tonight too. I KNOW this is a crazy time! Every dog and cat reacts different ly to surgery and to meds. But recovery is so ething they all share...just at their own pace and in their own way.
Grab lots of CHOCOLATE tonight a d TRY and get some rest when Murphy zonks out!
You are not alone!!
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
PS..The Helpline is made up of volunteers. We are scheduled on certain times for certain days. Usually, any calls that come in after 11:00 aren't picked up until the next morning. For now, we're your "helpline"right here on this forum, okay?
Hang in there!
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!
TYPOGODDESS!!! Love that!!! I certainly am an AWFUL typist, as everyone here will attest!!! But a TYPOGODDESS....it is a true honor to meet you!!!!! I bow down in awe and admiration!!
I did want to add that, one of our "frustrations" here is the "expectation" that...in tne case of dogs, recovery if "over" in two weeks...and in the case of cats, avout five days!! Nothing coukd be further from the truth! Yes, itsw true for some! Itsw true that some recoveries are even quicker than that and every uneventful!
Itsq just as true that some recoveries take a lot longer and have lots of ups and downs and challenges!!
In my beloved Happy Hannah's case it was a out three weeks before I stipped saying "What have I done TO my dog, and made the switch to recognizing I had done this FOR my dog! And once her sparkle finally started coming back, it came back bigger and brighter than ever!!!
This is MAJOR surgery! Humans woukd be in the hospital for days and on a morphine drip!!
You will see the sparkle come back once some of the drugs are straightened out and recovery is complete. Hang on!! It gets better!
(((((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))))
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!
Thinking about you this morning, hope you at least got a little bit of rest. Just as Sally said, this is temporary. The first few nights can be pretty rough, but you will both get through it!!
HUGS
Mom to Tripawd Angels Jake (2001-2014) and Rosco (2012-2015) and Tripawd Tanner. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it”
Hi Veronica,
I hope Murphy is resting better this morning. That's great you checked this out with your vet tech friend to give the pain meds more often. I suggest you ask for an additional one that will continue a bit longer than the buprenorphine such as Metacam.
At this website they talk about being "more dog" which is living in the moment. Currently your moment is, quite frankly, hell. I had the same experience with Mona. After her surgery they had her on a monitor and could see her heart rate went up so it meant she was in pain. We can't do that. My vet took her home to his house overnight where his children cuddled with her. He said she was doing fine, used the litter box, didn't need the cone. I picked her up the next morning and within minutes she was racing around the room like crazy cat. It was time for her meds. This behaviour continued for a few days until she escaped from the house and was missing for over 24 hours. After I found her she ate, took the Metacam and slept and then things really improved.
I don't know why Murphy had his leg amputated. I had to amputate Mona's leg to save her life and I'm sure glad I did because I still have my happy, beautiful, creative, resilient kitty who makes me laugh every day.
It sounds like you have great support. You'll get through this and in time will take great delight in Murphy living as a tripawd.
Kerren and Tripawd Mona
kazann said
Hi Veronica,I hope Murphy is resting better this morning. That's great you checked this out with your vet tech friend to give the pain meds more often. I suggest you ask for an additional one that will continue a bit longer than the buprenorphine such as Metacam.
At this website they talk about being "more dog" which is living in the moment. Currently your moment is, quite frankly, hell. I had the same experience with Mona. After her surgery they had her on a monitor and could see her heart rate went up so it meant she was in pain. We can't do that. My vet took her home to his house overnight where his children cuddled with her. He said she was doing fine, used the litter box, didn't need the cone. I picked her up the next morning and within minutes she was racing around the room like crazy cat. It was time for her meds. This behaviour continued for a few days until she escaped from the house and was missing for over 24 hours. After I found her she ate, took the Metacam and slept and then things really improved.
I don't know why Murphy had his leg amputated. I had to amputate Mona's leg to save her life and I'm sure glad I did because I still have my happy, beautiful, creative, resilient kitty who makes me laugh every day.
It sounds like you have great support. You'll get through this and in time will take great delight in Murphy living as a tripawd.
Kerren and Tripawd Mona
Kerren and Mona,
I tried to sleep on the floor next to his cage and ended up just staying awake all night talking to him and stopping him from hurting himself. At 6 in the morning, after about 20 minutes of sleep for the whole night, I woke up my mom and collapsed into my own beautiful, stunning, perfect, fuzzy bed. Woke up an hour ago at 11:30 and now am off to a birthday party for a 5-year-old while Mom watches baby kitty.
He hasn't had the buprenorphine this morning and is doing remarkably well without it. We think it's a combination of the medication, which seems to make him go crazy when he's coming down off of it, and the pain coming back. Its like he starts panicking once it's coming out of his system because the pain comes back and he notices his collar and tries to fight it.
Murphy had his drivers' side rear leg taken off due to cancer. We're hoping it doesn't come back. I don't know what to do if it does. One day at a time, Veronica... One day at a time.
Tonight I need to sleep. Tomorrow I have a busy day walking around, with my normal Monday volunteering and an appointment and a package to be mailed. I can't do that on 4 hours of sleep. Murphy needs someone there though, you know? Mom can't do it so I might have to. I don't know what to do.
Thank you for your concern and support. Don't know what I'd do without this community. I'm going to go insane, it seems.
Hanging in there,
Veronica and Murphy
Sounds like you havd a pretty good grasp on what's going on with Murphy and his behavioral changes. Hopefully, you can get the pain meds balanced. It takes longer for the pain meds to catch up once the pain gets ahead start.
This whole journey getting to this point is so emotionally draining. Then add lack of sleep in top of it and it just wipes you out completely in every level.
Is there a neiw or a friend who can check in on Murphy so you can get your tasks done tomorrow?
As far as the future, no one knows. Just continue to stay in the moment and enjoy every moment with Murphy. It really does get easier to let worries about the future go once you see Murphy adjust to his "new. normal" . Routines will return, Murphy will enjoy all the things he used to. And we can't wait to see pictures of it all!
You're doing really, really well! Hang in there! You are already seeing some progress!
Hugs to all!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
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