Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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WOW!!! WAY TO ROCK RECOVERY ED!!!! So glad to hear he is showing he is ready to get in with being Ed again!!
Can't wait for pictures of his cute self. Adding images.
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!
4 days post op and Ed is continuing to do well. Eating, drinking, peeing, pooping. Not much whimpering. Doing my best to stay positive but I had a down day yesterday. Beginning to wonder how much time he will have to live once healed even though that’s impossible to know. This has been triggered by Neighbors asking what happened to him and giving condolences. I want to spend all of my time with Ed and be present but I have to chase around my children and meet their needs. Felt a lot of sadness and guilt but always staying positive when I’m with him.
First, it's terrific that he is having a good -- no, great! -- recovery! Everything you're describing sounds spot-on for a complete recuperation. YAY! 
Your feelings are totally normal. Anyone who's been through this can relate, I know I sure can. I think the key is that as long as you acknowledge those feelings, accept that you are doing your best with all your kids, and then get on with your day by following Ed's lead, you'll craft a new normal that you can feel good about. It will happen in time, you need to heal just like he does but you're getting there!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Ed continues to pee, poop, eat and drink but I noticed yesterday that his back left leg was sort of limping. I’ve been making sure he’s confined except potty breaks. Today he was limping again and even yelped once while working his way back inside from going potty. This is making me pretty worried. My gut says he tweaked it but I’m not sure. Any one else have this experience?
Bery very easy to tweak one of the remaining legs. It doesn't take much at all for a muscle to be sore, even if it does not appear to be "overused".
The other thing that happens sometimes and shows up as a limp, is a sore back. muscle
Massage up and down Ed's spine, his neck, his shoulders. Any sign of tenseness?
Continue to do lots of massage before he goes out and when he comes in. You can also put a warm towel out of the dryer over him as you give him massages.
Is he on Rimadyl or any other anti-inflammatory? Obviously if it continues you can have a Vet check him out.
Keep us posted
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!
Thanks for responding. I just gave him a massage down his neck and spine and although I didn’t notice tenseness he seemed to love it. Stopped panting. I’ve been scared to touch him other than head pets and kisses out of fear that I’ll hurt him. I’ll keep up with this. He’s on previcox, simplecef, Gabapentin and tramadol.
How's Ed doing today? Is the massage and rest helping? How is his response when you palpate and massage?
Many dogs will have some kind of minor muscle strain those first few weeks, even up to a month later. They're using their bodies in all new ways and it takes time to adjust. Slowly they get there though, and as long as you remain vigilant he should start feeling better soon.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Ed did pretty good today. Still a little limp happening but not as severe. I’m keeping his potty breaks extremely brief and then right back in confinement he goes. Good poop, pees and water drinking but less interested in food. I had to add some scrambled eggs to his food this morning.
Not as severe? We'll take it! You're doing everything right to help him start feeling better. His other signs all sound good. Food can be tricky during this time so as long as the scrambled eggs worked he's probably back on the healing path. Let us know how it goes!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Yes, any improvement is a HUGE improvement!!! Keep doing what you're doing. The massages really help loosen those misclesAnd if adding yummy food he likes to get him to eat, that's okay!
Hugs and keep is updat3d
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!
When do most dogs stop taking anti-inflammatory meds? I was given enough to get through 1 week. I’ve reached out to the vet but haven’t heard back yet. I also have no idea when to start pulling back on tramadol or if I should just stay the course for two week post op.
You can probably guess what we'll say.....every dog is different, when it comes tompain meds. 😉 And, of course, keep your Vet in the loop exactly as you are doing.
Now, that said, and it really does vary, but "generally " dogs are given around ten days to two weeks of anti-inflammatory.. And yes, some are off it sooner. For me, I would rather have a little extra of everything that not enough. And yes, some are just given one week's worth and may, or may not, need more.
But, especially with Ed having that limp I would ask the Vet for a second week's supply.
And again, generally dogs are on their other pain meds for avout two weeks. And some do taper off a little before, and some don't. A lot of dogs stay on pain meds going on I to the third week. And yes, some even stay on a low dose even beyond three, four and five weeks. It really does just depend on the individual dog.
I know, a lot of generalizations when it comes to pain meds, but at least this will give you a little bit what we see here most often.
How is his limp today? It may take a bit longer to get him using it "normally" again.
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!
Yeah I'd have to agree 100% with Sally; every dog is different but with Ed's pain signals I would ask for an additional week of medications. For now, stick with the schedule your veterinarian has provided until you hear back.
Is he still being picky about food or back on his regular meals?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
This is all very helpful thank you! The limp is still there and he’s still moving slower than he did day two and three post op. He had no issues eating his breakfast this morning and I didn’t have to add anything to it!
Aww you are so welcome. I'm sorry the limp is still happening but at least he is eating, that's SUPER COOL!
Let us know what the vet says and be sure to mention his mobility issues.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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