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Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

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Shaking/shivering on area around incision?
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Washington, DC
Member Since:
14 November 2011
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26 November 2011 - 8:54 pm
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Cholla is doing well a little over a week after her amputation.  She does seem a little depressed but I think that is because of her restrictions,  she is happiest during our brief walks to the end of the block but I am trying to follow the doctor's orders.  She also did our steep rowhouse stairs today with no problem.  Her incision seems to be healing well and the swelling has gone way down.

My one concern is the twitching that often happens around the incision site.  We have noticed it since the first night and thought she may be cold but even when we cover her with a blanket it happens.  Standing or sitting it can happen.  It may be part of the normal healing process of the muscles but I wanted to hear from others.  Could this be phantom pain ?  She doesn't seem to mind if I touch/or massage her when it happens but it doesn't stop.  She doesn't vocalize, which when something bothers her she will usually yelp or pull away.  I just don't want her to be suffering is it is bothering her.  When I mentioned it to the Vet's office they said it was pretty normal but it seems to happen often and worries me a bit.

Would like to hear other's experience with this.  

 

Thanks,

San Diego, CA
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29 October 2010
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26 November 2011 - 9:12 pm
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Yeah, we had that too with Abby. It would twitch, like she thought the leg was still there and her brain sent the message to move the leg, but there was nothing there. It didn't seem to bother her at all. (There were 2 times where she did have either phantom pain , or just plain ol' pain post-surgery, and her crying was awful when it happened... but the twitching just seemed like no big deal to her really.)

Also, Abby was very depressed during the first 10 to 12 days or so. She was only happy when people would come to visit. So, try not to worry too much about that either, it is quite normal. Abby would want to go outside and just be by herself. She would "hide" behind our big potted plant and no amount of begging or coaxing (even with cheese) would get her to come back inside.

Hang in there! Please give her an extra kiss from Abby,
Jackie, Abby's mom

Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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26 November 2011 - 9:16 pm
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cholla said:

Could this be phantom pain ?

Quite possibly. Phantom Pain is common and you'll find plenty of posts about it by searching these forums and the blogs...

Downloads Blog : Managing Phantom Limb Pain in Dogs

News Blog (Video): Phantom Pain and Other Common Complications

Hope this helps!

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

On The Road


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24 September 2009
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27 November 2011 - 5:11 pm
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It can take a while for the brain to realize that the leg isn't there anymore.  For some dogs it can be a painful process but as long as she isn't yelping our crying out and is letting you touch the area, she's probably not in any pain. Most dogs will vocalize when phantom pain gets to be too severe.

Glad that she's doing well otherwise! We're hoppy to have you here, just let us know how we can help OK?

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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