Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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My dog, Violet, recently had her right front leg amputated due to osteosarcoma. The surgery was done on Thursday and I brought her home Friday. I started back to work yesterday and had thought I was being smart by confining her in a playpen. My mom got home after work and Violet was out of the playpen. I just noticed a small amount of seepage. The wound doesn't appear infected. She's also been going out for walks to go potty. I'm just wondering if it's normal to see a bit of blood. And should the wound be washed? She doesn't seem in pain, but it's still worrying me.
Violet, you are a true tripawd escape artist!! You behave yourself sweet girl👍
A little seepage is not unusual.....not smelly, not infectious looking goo, stitches still looking good, etc. She probably irritated her incision a little doing her great escape.
Continue to keep her activity level to bare minimal. Are you able to make ,the pen more secure if you have to be gone? Potty breaks and back inside.
Most Bets do not advise cleaning the wound per se. If she has a bit of blood you can gently dab with warm water on a clean cloth around the incision .
If it continues or gets worse you can contact the Vet.
You're doing a good job!!
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!
Hi Meghan and Violet. As Sally mentioned, its definitely OK to just leave the wound and not try to wash it. Healing will happen without intervention unless she gets into something really dirty and gross.
Seepage is normal as long as it's more watery than bloody. This is known as a seroma . It's body fluid working it's way out. Just keep her activity to a minimum to minimize the drainage. It will re-absorb back into the body over time.
If she's able to jump out of the playpen then I would just keep her confined to a room where she can't get too much activity.
Let us know how she's doing when you get a chance!
Hi guys,
She is very much an escape artist. Always has been.
I had her in her kennel today, which she did not like. But I figured it was the safest option as she can open doors. I put a t-shirt on her to cover the incision so she doesn't lick it.
It does look like dried blood. I haven't seen anything that looks watery.
She refuses to let my mom and I carry her down/up stairs. So the only way to get her outside is to let her do it on her own, but guided by me with a sling and her leash. She also won't go to the bathroom in the yard, so I have to walk her down the street a few houses. But other than the potty breaks she relaxes In the house. I do have an appointment scheduled tomorrow with the vet because I'm super paranoid.
She's still in great spirits and today was whining to go out to the backyard because our other dog was out there sunning herself. I made a little bed on the deck for Violet so she could kind of be out there with Cleo. It constantly surprises me how well she's doing.
Thank you so much for the advice!
Violet sounds like a very feisty and determined little pup!!. Open car doors....really??😎
Dogs love having their own special potty spot....even if it's several doors down!
I'm glad she got to lay in the sun with Cleo. The warmth of the sun, tje fresh air, all very healing.
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!
She is a very determined dog, which I'm very thankful for. No, not car doors.. although I'm sure if she put her mind to it she could. She opens the doors in the house. If she's outside, she'll open the door to get in.
I am worried that her bowel movements aren't right. She peed this morning at 8, the next time wasn't until 6 pm. I'm used to her peeing every time we'd go out for a walk. And she definitely pooped more too. Is it normal for them, when being on pain meds to not go to the bathroom as often?
Yes, I think she enjoyed being outside with Cleo. She went out for potty today with Cleo- their first walk together. It was great to see.
She opens the doors in the house. If she's outside, she'll open the door to get in.
Violet, you are such a smart pants gal🤣
Glad she and Cleo got to share a walk together. Getting back to some normal routine feels good.
Yeah, the meds can slow up the poop. Sometimes it takes several days before first poop. Even then it might not be every day for a little bit. Wouldn't worry about her not peeing as many times as usual as long as she's drinking her nor al amount. She'll probably pee more frequently as she gets further into the recovery.
Give Violet an extra treat for us....and Cleo too.
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!
Hey how did the vet visit go?
I can only ditto what @benny55 says. Yep, the GI system gets way thrown off by pain meds and surgery. As long as she is urinating, and pooping at some point, it's all very normal.
She really sounds like a spunky pup!
Hi guys,
Sorry I didn't respond sooner. I've been having a tough time for the last few days. Most likely over worrying myself and stressing too much. But I'm stressed that Violet isn't pooping. And when she does it's super runny.
It's just been the last few days. I switched her back to her regular food after her stitches came out on the 19th. And she's been getting a lot of treats. I spoke with the vet, and he suggested rice and some cooked meat to help with things. She's still eating and drinking fine. She wants to go for walks and doesn't seem to be in pain. But I just worry that there's something is wrong. I don't know what to do and I find myself getting frustrated with her because she won't poop and then I feel like a terrible person. I just want to know she's ok. Is she still working the meds out of her system at this point? It's been a week since she had her last dose of meds. Any advice??
The vet visit went alright and I got the results back from her lymph node biopsy and it was clear. So thankfully it hasn't spread.
The vet visit went alright and I got the results back from her lymph node biopsy and it was clear
Excellent news!! Be sure and celebrate that, okay?
So just to clarify, she has pooped since she's been home but it's runny, or just sometimes runny?
Did she ever have any normal poops since she's been home, or all just running?
Do as the vet said and maybe try some boiled chicken and rice and just basically a bland diet for a day or two. I've forgotten what pain med she'was on or if she's was on antibiotics Etc but they can sometimes mess with the digestive system.
The fact that she is eating and drinking an overall seems to be in good spirits is all good news.
We know haw frustrating and scary the first week or two of recovery can be. It's exhausting physically and mentally just to get through the surgery and it's equally exhausting navigating through recovery. Fisher and get some rest yourself. I always find when I'm stressed eating a bunch of junk food helps tremendously!
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie!
PS.
You might try a teaspoon full or so of natural can pumpkin. Oddly enough it apparently works for a diarrhea as well as constipation. My vet explained that if a dog is having diarrhea the pumpkin absorbs the moisture. If a dog is constipated the pumpkin heads moisture. I think that's what she said anyway, don't quote me. Do your own research on that.
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!
Yes this is an emotional ordeal for us, all of us here who have been through recovery get it. Things really do get better though so stay strong and pawsitive.
Could the runny poop have to do with her treats and atypical food she's been getting? She could also be stressed because you're stressed (dogs mirror our emotions). Your vets advice for a bland diet is good. Might want to add a dollop of pumpkin pulp (not pie mix) to her food. Fiber is so important to keep the GI system running smoothly. The not pooping is not unusual at all. A body goes through a LOT with a surgery like this so what its doing now is trying to find a new equilibrium, a new normal. That can take time and no two recoveries are alike so try not to get too down if hers isn't what you think it should be.
It really does sound like everything else is going pretty well so don't forget to celebrate that! You are doing better than you think too, so give yourself some cred!
I have to remind myself daily how truly amazing she is doing considering everything that has happened.
I overthink things all the time and stress myself out.
She had some normal poops, they were soft, but not diarrhea, for a bit after the surgery. Then when I changed her back to her regular food a few days ago- and the treats she had been eating- she started pooping less (like 18+ hrs in between) and it got runny. She was on Gabapentin and Meloxicam as well as Trazodone every so often.
I've been putting a tablespoon of pure pumpkin as well as a blend of powered sprouts (it's got flax, barley, and lentils) it's good for diarrhea and a bunch of other things. She's been on a diet of white rice and ground lamb for a few days now mixed with the other things and her poop has gotten a bit better. The vet never said, but after the bland diet am I slowly supposed to put her back on her reg (she is on a raw diet) food? Like mix it with the rice?
Thankfully, lately, we are both sleeping through the night and I am no longer sleeping on the floor with her. So I'm thankful for that as well.
Thank you guys for helping to put my mind at ease.
So glad that her poop is looking better! 
How is she doing today?
As for moving her back to her diet, it's my understanding that a slow transition is better than a hard and fast one, so you may want to gently merge the two food types over the course of a week or so. Do check with your vet just to be sure OK?
And meanwhile, YAY for getting more sleep. Moving back to a more normal routine is going to help you both soooo much. You are making progress too!
She's doing pretty good today! Her poops look much better. She's up to having a poop twice a day now!
She's back in the habit of bringing me presents when I come home from work. Yesterday it was a sock she's the talk of the neighborhood now. Everyone has to stop and say hi and ask what happened.
I've been looking into hydrotherapy sessions for her once she's healed. It sounds like it could be pretty beneficial for her joints.
I have a follow up call with the vet in a few days, so I'll clarify what to do with her food.
Yes, my back is certainly thanking me now that I'm not sleeping on the floor anymore.
WOOHOO! Did you ever think you'd be so excited about bouncy ?!
She sounds soo cute. I love that her sparkle is back and she's finding ways to tell you "See mom, I'm fine now!"
Yes, physiotherapy can be really beneficial, and it's really more for us so that we can understand our dog's capabilities and limitations. Let us know if you'd like help finding a therapist.
Onward to better days!
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