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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Grrrrr. Just wrote this long post, hit submit and boom, logged out and no post.
Too tired to re-write the entire post again but will try summarize...
Rosie, who had been doing sooo well is now having a setback. At least I think it is. It might just be one of the downs in the ups and downs of this recovery process. She is day 11 post amp and was doing great until about four days ago when she became more listless, lying around, eyes not as sparkly, less interest in eating, less waggy tail. We thought it might have been pain but she is still on Tramadol, Gaba and Piroxicam. Then we thought maybe constipation as she hadn't pooped in two days.
But, then she pooped yesterday (not today) and she is eating better today. On the other hand, she started whining and crying last night and today which she hasn't done at all since our drive home from the hospital. That seems to get better if we go over and pet her or lie with her but man is it so sad to hear. Her incision site still looks great, still on all her meds so I don't know what's going on.
Doesn't seem like phantom pain symptoms. Sometimes she seems perfectly fine, sleeping. Then she starts trembling, won't calm down, crying. It's terrible.
Maybe it's all okay and just part of the process. Just feels like a setback since she had been doing so well. To me anyway I think I would have accepted this better if she was like this the first few days of recovery instead of a week into it. Makes me wonder if something is wrong, if I'm missing something.
Thoughts Tripawds friends?
Thanks all.
Sheila and Rosie
Hmmm I was going to suggest Phantom pain but you said she is on Gaba. How much Tramadol is she on? Does she act like she is in pain?? The first few weeks are ups & downs. Don't get discouraged this could be one of those moments. She might have moved just wrong or something and needs a slight adjustment temp on meds (I am no vet by no means just guessing) If you think it's something serious please talk to your vet. I think she just might have tweaked something myself.
Maybe call your vet and check with them tomorrow. But once again if you think its an emergency seek med attention
hugs
Michelle & Angel Sassy
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."
I'm sorry Rosie's having a rough go of it. We had some issues post-amp when I thought Shelby should be fine / better. We discovered she was suffering some anxiety with her painkillers (she had tramadol and one other drug). But basically we switched her off the tramadol and got her an anti-anxiety med (like a doggy valium) and it seemed to soothe her better.
I know it's really hard NOT to go to Rosie when she wimpers and whines but there is something to be said for a 'tough love' approach. I wanted to lay on the floor with Shelby and it didn't even help. After a couple nights shutting her out of my bedroom and putting on some soothing itunes ... she did get better and her sparkle back.
Rosie is still really early in her recovery. But I am not a vet so perhaps a call to your vet might be a good thing?
I am sure others will chime in as there is a ton of wisdom here....
Hugs and love your way!!!
Alison with Spirit Shelby in her heart (and little jasper too)
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
What is her activity level like, or what was it up to 4 days ago? Could she have been doing too much and strained something? I would check in with the vet just to be safe, but it may just be a dip.
Has she been on tramadol before this? Do the episodes she has correspond in anyway to her med schedule? Just a thought, some pups behave like you describe while on tramadol.
Also- while they are working hard trying to figure out why we get logged out you should copy your post before you hit submit. That way if you get logged out you can just start a new topic and paste.
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
I wonder if it is the Tramadol, since you say she won't calm down. Would you describe it as "anxious"? Tramadol had that effect on Ellie. She just could not settle and had severe anxiety (trembling, panting etc).
Denise
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
We had two dogs who took Tramadol at various times. Murphy didn't exhibit any adverse reactions to it other than being drowsy. Gus, on the other hand, wouldn't settle down when he had to take it. Each dog reacts somewhat differently to different meds. I agree with the others. Your vet will be able to guide you. It's what you are paying them for.
Kathi and the Turbotail April Angel...and the Labradork
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!
Thanks everyone for the thoughts and support. It helps knowing there are others out there who have been down this road.
In answer to some of your questions, my gut is telling me this is more anxiety than physical pain. Some things just don't "fit" with it being pain in my mind but I'm not a vet. She is moving around fine, doesn't have any yelps or anything when I press all over her body and when she is sleeping she seems fine. Sometimes she has this kind of lost look where she will go out to the field and then kind of look at us like, "what did I come out here for?" Poor baby. She was on Tramadol over the summer when she got radiation and she was on it prior to her surgery and doing fine. But, she was on lower doses and maybe it's just cumulative?
In any case, I called the vet this morning and honestly, I love them, she called me back three minutes after she started work. They are so great. She agreed that this didn't sound like pain and that nothing I told her sounded emergent or that Rosie needed to be seen (sort of what I thought too but reassuring to hear it from the vet). She thought it might be the Tramadol too so we are stopping that today. Rosie had one dose this morning and the vet said it might take up to 24 hours to clear so we will see how she is by tomorrow. In the meantime she is still on Piroxicam and Gabapentin and the vet thought that would be sufficient for pain control. She also said that if Rosie still seems anxious after stopping the Tramadol she could give her a mild sedative. We'll see tomorrow.
Certainly hoping it's the Tramadol and we will ALL be feeling better tomorrow =) Stopping the Tramadol should help the intermittent constipation too.
Thanks again friends. Means so much!!
Karen: you are so right about saving my post. My husband said the same thing to me last night after I was complaining about the lost post. Duh. Saving now!
Be well all
Sheila and Rosie
I just have to weigh in again as my girl also had tramadol over the summer when she first broke her leg and after her spleen surgery. But it was once she had her amp, it made her so anxious. We stopped it and were on rhymadel (sp) and that's it for pain stuff. And a slight doggy valium but it made a world of difference so I hope that is the case for Rosie too.
Also pure pumpkin (not the pie stuff) helps constipation! 🙂
Hugs!
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
I have to agree with the others here about the tramaadol. Our Max was whiny and restless the whole time he was on it. Once his stitches were out and the tramadol was stopped we saw a way more normal Max. Hope Rosie gets back to her happy self soon for you!
Linda & Max
My first thought was that it was the Tramadol. Hope that was the solution! I've had several pets on Tramadol over the years, and some do fine on it, while others it really does a number on them. Cooper was only on Tramadol for three weeks post-amputation.
Hope that was the solution, we would love an update on Rosie!
Cooper (11/11/11 - 3/29/24) was a hound-collie mix "mutt" who was badly injured as a puppy and lost his leg at 7 months of age. We adopted him after the operation. He' was wonderful companion and comforting presence in our family for 12 years. He lived a fabulous life on three legs and was an inspiration to all. We will never forget our Coopie-Doopie-Doo.
1 Guest(s)
