Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Thank you everyone for your suggestions! I'm happy to report that he has done both of his businesses. He even finished his entire breakfast today for the first time!
Bringing another dog over to pee was such a pro tip. Thanks for the suggestion! He went to the bathroom immediately after the other dog left.
He has been super picky about what he's willing to eat this last week. He lost interest in the things he used to love like broth, chicken, turkey, pumpkin..you name it. I have been very careful with the syringe, but that's a great point with the choking. He'll usually let water run out of his mouth if he's not into it anyway.
It seems like we're making improvements on his pain and anxiety management regimen. He's less restless, less vocal, and seems like he's in better spirits. He still lets out an occasional yelp here and there, but he isn't always running away now.
YAY for peeing after the other dog peed!! Works everytime!! HUGE VICTORY!!!
And YAY for eatng his breakfast and YAY for
!!! These "little" improvements are HUGE improvements!!! He IS making progress!
Oddly enough, try some cheese pizza. Nutrition can come later.
Thanks for updating. Recovery doesn't last furever! He's already getting a bit of sparkle back and it's still very early.
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!
SUPER COOL! You have no idea how much we hoped for this kind of good news. I am thrilled things are going the right direction.
Love the "pro tip" comment about bringing the other dog over. Sally, as usual, is the wise one around here who always seems to think of things like this just when a member needs it most.
And now you are a pro too. Everything you are describing sounds like a dog who is simply in recovery mode and not 100% himself. Little by little though he is getting there.
Our paws are crossed for more and more progress tomorrow. Keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hello, sorry if this should be on another thread, but our Kite has exactly the same behavior as you mentioned - suddenly yelp and tries to go elsewhere. That happened a couple of days post op, we increased his Gabapentin to 900mg 3x a day and Trazadone 150mg 3x a day (Kite weighs ~ 103lbs). That seemed to take care of the sudden pain. We slowly took the meds down to 600mg 3x a day and Trazadone 50mg 3x a day. We have had no such episodes for about two weeks until last night and today, he has been having those yelps again. This is almost a month after surgery. Does anybody has any tips on helping with what looks to be like nerve pain please? We will probably increase his Gabapentin again to alleviate these pain. It is rather distressing to him.
if you have any other ideas to help our Kite, we would appreciate it greatly. Thank you!
Does anybody has any tips on helping with what looks to be like nerve pain please? We will probably increase his Gabapentin again to alleviate these pain. It is rather distressing to him.
I'm so sorry to hear about Kite's ongoing pain issues. Yes I would bump the pain meds back up as long as you talk to your vet first OK? Also consider getting him evaluated by a rehab therapist. Once the pain is under control with the right dosage he needs, the therapist can better help pinpoint and relieve whatever is causing his painful episodes. Be sure to start a new topic so we can follow along with this situation OK? Keep us posted.
Just wanted to provide an update on Max since we have been MIA for a while.
Max is doing GREAT. He just had his 2nd round of chemo (carboplatin) and we just came back from a trip up to the snow to reward him for being such a trooper through all this. He looked so much happier and could move around so much easier this time vs. 5 months ago before he had his surgery. I'll attach a quick video below so you can see his progress.
Thanks to everyone for the kind words and those who reminded us that the hard/stressful part of recovery doesn't last forever. Seeing him happy again made those first 2 weeks worth it.
Now that we've started on the chemotherapy journey, I was wondering if anyone had tips on how to deal with the side effects. It seems like this 2nd round is affecting him more than the 1st round. See below of the timeline.
- Monday: got sedated and treated; couldn't hold back his pee a few times
- Tuesday: didn't eat anything; drank some water; gave Cerenia (80mg); is going to the bathroom normally
- Wednesday: didn't eat breakfast; gave Cerenia; noticed crumbly poops; talked to the vet; gave Ondansetron (8mg) ate some dinner; pee dribbles are back??
Also, very sorry about Kite. It is super stressful to have to watch them go through pain/discomfort. Once Max had the right drug cocktail, he never had an episode again. He's about 1.5 months post-op and every now and then, he'll yelp or cry but it seems like he does it when he's surprised or scared. Definitely second Jerry and would call your vet to see if they have any ideas.
YAY MAX! Oh wow watching him run through the snow just made my day. That boy is really, really hoppy! 
Thanks for sharing. I'm so glad you posted a pupdate, it really shows how far you've both come, and that there IS a way through recovery!
Now that we've started on the chemotherapy journey, I was wondering if anyone had tips on how to deal with the side effects. It seems like this 2nd round is affecting him more than the 1st round. See below of the timeline.
Hmmm, I was just going to recommend Odansetron, glad your vet already prescribed it. Has it made a difference since last night? The pee dribbles could be related to mobility issues not necessarily the chemo treatments. I'm not a vet though, so it's something to discuss with yours, or a vet rehab therapist who can help pinpoint the issues.
That video of Max soooo happy romping through the snow is stunning! Absolutely beautiful.... true poetry in motion!!!.
Yeah, keep your Onco in the loop on loss of appetite and the dribbles. Often they make chemo dose adjustments as needed.
Thanks again for that spectacular video of how dogs really can thrive on three doing what they love! Such an inspiration for anyone starting this journey.
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS....guess it's a silly question, but the sedation is because he's too anxious and wired to take the chemo otherwise?
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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