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
Sketch had been doing so well...incision area looked totally healed at 6 weeks post rear leg amp surgery. Late evening on the day before yesterday I noticed what looked like a couple of tiny round bug bites near one end of his incision. Over night Sketch's entire incision area became swollen and covered with ugly red puss topped spots. Emergency appointment at the vet's and he was dx'd with a staph infection and skin scrapings were taken to id what strain. Our vet said they are seeing more and more staph infections and often these infections are no longer responding to the traditional antibiotics that had a good track record in the past of knocking them out.
Until lab results are back and an antibitoic can be chosen for the particular strain of staph that Sketch has, he has been put on Smz-Tmp (antibiotic) and preds. I am stunned at how fast he went from beautiful clear skin that didn't even show where his amp incision had been to a total infected mess.
He is back in the dreaded E-collar so he can't lick the area and make it worse...poor Sketch acted like he was being punished when he saw me getting the old E-collar out and ready to put on him. 
Trini and my Sketchie Boy
Staph often comes from our skin, so make sure that you're washing your hands with soap really well before and after taking care of his incision.
Kisses to Sketch!
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
OH dang I'm sorry! Geez that's hard to believe but I know these things can happen so fast. Just be really, really grateful for your awesome vet who caught it quickly and knew exactly what to do.
In the meantime you may want to consider adding some probiotics to Sketch's meals, just to keep his gut bacteria happy while he's on those strong antibiotics.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Oh no Trini! Poor Sketch! Sounds like you caught this quickly and your vet is on top of it. Hopefully they get it typed quickly and get him the right medication asap. This whole journey is one step forward two steps back. Hope Sketch only takes forward steps from here. Sending healing thoughts to Sketch and hugs to both of you!
Linda and Max
jerry said
OH dang I'm sorry! Geez that's hard to believe but I know these things can happen so fast. Just be really, really grateful for your awesome vet who caught it quickly and knew exactly what to do.In the meantime you may want to consider adding some probiotics to Sketch's meals, just to keep his gut bacteria happy while he's on those strong antibiotics.
Jerry,
We are very lucky in that we do have an awesome vet...been taking our dogs to this vet hospital for over 40 years and he joined the staff there 20+ years ago...he is like a member of the family by now. And, yes, we do have Sketch on Culturelle which is the probiotic our vet likes best. Always have a big supply of Culturelle in the house because our little rescue Yorkie has Inflammatory Bowel Disease and has been on it daily for the past 5 years...along with Atopica.
So far the Smz-Tmp is not stopping new puss topped areas from erupting so hopefully we will get the scraping/strain results back soon and can id an antibiotic that will fight this particular strain.
Discouraging set back when Sketchie had been doing so incredibly well...but we will get past this and, except for being back in the hated E-collar, Sketch continues to be a happy, upbeat guy.
Thanks...Trini and Sketch
Thanks, Donna and Linda (and Max too of course!) 
. Hopefully soon Sketch will be back on track with nice clear infection-free skin.
Trini and Sketch
So sorry to hear about this....I work in a hospital lab and know what a b&$ch staph can be. Hoping its not MRSA , which is becoming very common in humans. Glad you have an awesome vet, that is so important for Sketchies health and your peace of mind. Sending positive vibes your way!
paula and nitro
Nitro 11 1/2 yr old Doberman; right front amp June 2014. Had 6 doses carboplatin, followed by metronomic therapy. Rocked it on 3 legs for over 3 years! My Warrior beat cancer, but couldn't beat old age. He crossed the Bridge peacefully on July 25, 2017, with dignity and on his terms. Follow his blog entitled "Doberman's journey"
"Be good, mama loves you".....run free my beautiful Warrior
dobemom said
So sorry to hear about this....I work in a hospital lab and know what a b&$ch staph can be. Hoping its not MRSA , which is becoming very common in humans. Glad you have an awesome vet, that is so important for Sketchies health and your peace of mind. Sending positive vibes your way!paula and nitro
Paula, the test results came back late yesterday and it is MRSA ...so we have a tough fight on our hands. 🙁 Since MRSA is not responsive to Smz-Tmp, Sketch has been taken off that antibiotic (which was not showing any improvement anyway) and put on Cehpalexin 500mg 2xdaily and topicals. Our vet is hopeful he will respond well...but I know how resistant MRSA can be to treatment. The one plus is that it was only 5 days from seeing the first red puss topped sore until test results returned with the solid dx, so having caught it very early may make for a better prognosis.
Three weeks post amp surgery for Sketch we had a relative come through for a short visit who had just been hospitalized for 5 months due to Gillian Barre Syndrome...I can only assume she may have been a carrier and this is how it was introduced into our environment. None of our other dogs have contracted the infection, but also none had just been through a traumatic surgery that taxed their immune system or had any area where the skin had been breached. I will be watching them closely since I know this can spread to them and to us too.
Trini and my Sketchie Boy
You caught this very early on so that has to be a positive. Your vet seems to have a good handle on this so that's also a positive. Healing thoughts and prayers to Sketch and your whole pack! Sketch you just rest and take it easy and let that medicine do its work! Hugs to all of you
Linda & Max
Thanks so much for the supportive words, Linda. This has hit me like a ton of bricks...Sketch has been doing SO well that I just hadn't prepared myself emotionally for something like this. But Sketch is young (6) and had been a very strong, healthy dog, so hopefully all that will be in his favor for fighting off this infection. Except for the visible skin infection he is acting 100% normal, no fever, eating like a horse and even starting to play the games he used to love to play...so I will hang onto those as good signs.
Trini and my Sketchie
Here is some information that might be of some help:
There are some links in the blog post that takes you to some more info on Bud's journey and a link to the Bella Moss Foundation. You might also try PMing Bud's mom, she posts as anjl.
Hopefully catching it early will help Sketch beat this thing in a hurry!
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Geez Trini....I just saw this!
And the fact that this was caught early is, indeed, HUGE!!!! I'm so glad your vet was so quick to get to the underlying cause! Many, many times a dog is prescribed one antibiotic after another before anyone ever thinks of checking for MRSA .
TY and BUD will definitely inspire you, as will the devotion of their Moms! And in Ty's case, he beat it "relatively" quickly!
Now let's take that ton of bricks that hit you and blow them to smithereens! We're gonna replace them with a healing group hug from the Tripawd Universe! ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((TRIPAWD UNIVERSE HUG)))))))))))))))))))))))))))) 🙂 🙂
Take your lead from adorable Sketch...he's feeling great!!!
Hygs and love to you and Sketch!!!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
Thought I'd throw in a picture of Ty's banner since it showed up when I opened up your thread. Good sign...very good sign!!!!
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!
Prayers for a speedy to Sketchie. recovery and glad you caught this soon. We will all say some prayers and hope that the antibiotics help.
xoxoxo
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."
1 Guest(s)
