Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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You'd kind of think that if a dog needed a stretcher to move from the vet's office to the car, or from home to a truck, that the vet JUST MIGHT consider keeping the dog a bit longer. At least I would wonder that but who am I to say . .
Has the vet tried to move her "every few hours"? At best, I could get Tazzie up once per day at that stage, and usually only by threatening to run him over
Dare I ask where Boinks was when they applied the gentle pressure to her bladder???
Tazzie 2
She was somewhere in a back room at the vet clinic and she peed all over their floor, so yay!
She also just peed all over our floor, so yay! I guess. Hoh boy. Saints can pee a lot.
I was annoyed the first and probably even the second day home, thinking she should have stayed longer, but in retrospect she seems very happy at home and I'm thinking now it was for the best. She gets lots of loving and massages and gets to sleep with me, which makes her grunt in happy little bursts.
I finally got the video figured out, so here's a link to some video from yesterday late afternoon. (Don't be too harsh on us, we're still learning!)
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We were using two jersey sheets cut into slings and two heavy lifters. You can see she's doing ok, tail wagging and all! It's just that it requires quite a bit of doing to get her off the floor to begin with and we have as much to learn as she does. She just tried to get up a bit ago and so we went to help her with the harness, and she planted herself firmly to the floor again and wouldn't budge, so we let her be. A few minutes later, she wet her blankets.
Also, here's how she mostly gets around. She'll go a few inches to a foot and then rest a bit.
She looks like she's doing great for a 'big' girl. I'm thinking getting off the pain meds will see an improvement. She just isn't sure of herself yet.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
Boinks is just too precious - I just want to hug her. Definitely some work getting her down those stairs - looks like you're building some muscles of your own moving her around. Have you thought about building a ramp? Something stable that will hold her weight without wobbling.
I think that now she knows she will feel better after a good pee you won't have problems there - and like most dogs - she honestly probably doesn't like peeing in her bed. As the meds get out of her system and she starts feeling stronger and more confident - she will want to get back to her old routine.
for now let her wiggle worm away - at the very least she is strengthening that front leg. if after a bit longer she is still doing the "wait on me I'm a diva" routine - get her very favorite treat and sit down across the room from her and just put the treat down next to you (make sure she knows it is there) and watch tv or read a book or something. My kids would wormcrawl through a mine field for cheese or pizza crust. and just wait - if she wants it she will find a way to get it. When she does make a big huge whoop di doo deal about and give her lots of loving - even if she crawled on her belly the whole way. If she's not eating her regular treats - get some stinky canned cat food, give her a whif, and and then put it in a dish and set it down on the floor next to you - I'm pretty sure Boinks will find a way to get to it.
Hang in there - and give the big girl a hug for us.
Connie & Radar
Hi there!
She really is a beauty! I love them short coated (my first Saint was long coated and I usually got mistaken for a rug when I went to work.... I was hairy all over, but he also was so cute).
Your videos are so much better than mine! (I haven't gotten around it yet and still have to leart to upload them in u tube).
Horacia still feels safer if I'm holding her collar or touching her, when I let go she tends to stand still or not to go very far (OK, farthest we have gone are aprox. 75 meters from home)... but as soon as she feels me holding her collar she takes off. Today I had to jog to keep up. Have to say it was pawsome!
Cecilia & Horacia
Spirit Horacia, Castaño, Olympia + human family Cecilia, Georg and Julia - - - Hori first diagnosed 8/6/09, ampu 8/12/09, run over the bridge 9/10/09 – We miss you every day dear girl!
Boinks, it's great to know that you had a good day today! Keep it up, we love seing your videos. Tell your Mom she is awesome for not complaining about all that pee. We know how relieved you must feel to finally go wee!
By the way, the Lift N Aid appears to be good in a pinch, but for a longer term, more durable solution, you might want to try the AST Support Harness, it's really helpful for big dogs.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I think we need more videos of dogs early on - it is helpful (make that WOULD have been helpful) to other newbies. I mean, where were all these dogs having similar mobility issues when we started? Usually people wait to take videos until AFTER their dog is catching frisbees or doing the high-5. (Yes, I am to blame - only snapshots of the "stuck in cement" stage.)
Boinks seems to move okay in the outdoor video - and the tail wagging is a great sign. If worse comes to worse, you are lucky to have those heavy lifters in the house, although they kind of look as though one is pulling her forward and the other backward (turning her into a GIANT wiener dog). Maybe she is confused by people moving in all directions - seriously that was a bit of an issue with Tazzie. I had to make sure people walked in front of him or he would get distracted and stop.
Here's hoping you have copious amounts of yellow rain outside this week!
Susan & Tazzie 2
I think Boinks is doing great! She is sooo cute! I should have taken a video of Oslo at the same stage. He looked a lot like Boinks. Newfie's and Saint-Bernard's behaviors are pretty similar I guess. Her tail wagging is really a good sign.
As for peeing, Oslo stayed 4 days at the clinic and urinated all over the place for the first 3 days, even if he went outside 4-5 times a day. (How good he smelt! hummm! He kept our great vet busy bandaging him again and again) I think his legs were just too weak to allow him to empty his bladder in one shot when he went outside.
Have a nice day! I give a big hug to Boinks . She deserves it!
Tazzie said:
I think we need more videos of dogs early on –
Great idea, Susan!
We've started a new Tripawds YouTube Playlist, starting with Boinks, to show people what life is like right before and after amputation surgery.
You can help other upcoming Tripawd pawrents prepare for surgery, by posting your videos in this Hopping Around thread that we started, Tripawd Movies, Just Before and After Surgery.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
5-day post-op update. Still no sign of Boinks trying to get up on her own much. She's content to wiggle around and be carried in a blanket when necessary. It was a cool day here, so I wrapped her in the moving blanket and slid her out the door and onto the porch where she enjoyed watching the neighborhood goings on.
I later videotaped two attempts at getting her up to go outside, one my husband giving it a go and one me. She clearly was having none of it.
I'll try to embed these in the other thread, too. Thanks again everyone for the support and suggestions. We'll keep going until we get it figured out.
OK, just so you feel better I'll give it a try and film Horacia while getting up on her own. I'll even sort this u-tube thing out.
Next Wednesday will be 3 weeks post amputation and she hops around very well. She just doesn't like the getting up part. I guess it's kind of difficult for giants (especially if they, like Hori, tend to be lazy anyway
)
Her back legs had to get a lot stronger, before she could push all her weight up alone, and crouching to pee was also an experience (often just giving in and sitting right in it!). thankfully this belongs to the past since day 10 or 12 post surgery.
Spirit Horacia, Castaño, Olympia + human family Cecilia, Georg and Julia - - - Hori first diagnosed 8/6/09, ampu 8/12/09, run over the bridge 9/10/09 – We miss you every day dear girl!
Is it bad that I find the videos adorable and funny and they make me love Boinks a little bit?
Boinks is super cute. I hope Boinks-Mum keeps the videos coming when Boinks is hopping around and being her old self again!
Spirit Horacia, Castaño, Olympia + human family Cecilia, Georg and Julia - - - Hori first diagnosed 8/6/09, ampu 8/12/09, run over the bridge 9/10/09 – We miss you every day dear girl!
Yes we better include the days in the title so that people see it is a 6 days post amp and not 1 day. I don't think I video'd Tazzie, but a snapshot of him lying there would be identical to a 3 hr video (except for the part in which I am hopping about saying how he REALLY needs to get up). I couldn't even get his chest clear of the floor to put the sling under him back then - so glad those days are over.
Given Tazzie only got up once each day, it would have been a fluke to be able to catch it on video. It did not happen at the times I tried to get him to move.
I am curious to know what tazziedog will say about these dogs; how did her Giant move in the intial days.
Susan & Tazzie 2
Is that Hori at three weeks? It would be totally demoralizing if it were her at 3 days or something. The Samwise (golden retriever) videos I saw before Tazzie's amp were pretty uplifting going into the amp - but they would be a bit demoralizing if I were to compare Tazzie with Samwise.
Try to put the time on the title to the videos (1 day, 3 days, 3 weeks, etc).
S
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