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
So today its the 14 days post op, was suppose to remove staples, but theres an area that wont close, I staple it 2 times and then put some suture, it was fine and then last night there a hole cause seroma is coming out. It still look ok, but man, why that part wont close???
Other thing, I feed Novak can food after the surgery and he was fine and then I switch back to his dry food and since then, so about 1 week when he eat, he's making "like" vomiting effort, like something is bothering him in his throat, then he stop eating, it pass and he eats again. But today, he vomited white foam with a bid of blood(red) and some of the meds and kibbles. He's not vomiting per say, he just like choke and spit, I dont know how to explain it. He ate everything back. I think he got irritated with the intubation tube, so thats not fun.
And the thing that is worry me the most, he started limping from left front paw(rear left ampute) yep, me that thought I woudlnt know if he were to limp someday, but its evident and that leg as more muscle mass, I did massage him, put some ice etc... but is it just because he started to hop on 3 and his muscles are not use to it, will it be a long term issue? I made some call to physiotherapist to see how it works and how much it cost to go, waiting from some call back. Im just so worried that he will injured himself on 3 and then, what can I do about that? I mean, poor dog... He wants to run so bad, he's a high drive dog... Anyway, thats where I am at now...
So sorry to hear Novak is struggling. Milo is a front leg amputee which has such a dramatically different wound than rear leg. I have nothing for you there. Nor any advice or experience on the pseudo-vomiting thing.
On the limp, we just went through a similar. I think. As you know, Milo and Novak are 2 of the 3 Tripawd Triplets from July 28. Milo was doing great on Day 7, 8, and the morning of 9. Then he hit a wall. He didn't want to move. It seemed like his back legs were shaky and weak, or his back was bothering him near his hips. It was like he was trying to limp on both of his back legs at once, or was he just tripping over his own back feet -- and given he was already down a front leg, it wasn't a pretty scene.
Fast forward to Day 14. Milo is doing great (side issue of a mystery fever and the bad luck of a super rare, super aggressive form of OSA.) With hindsight, we think what happened is that the Fentanyl patch came off late on Day 7. We added low level Tramadol. The dregs of the Fentanyl in his system carried him through a great Day 8, but sometime on Day 9 the pain was kicking up. No whines, just he didn't want to move. He also didn't want to eat dinner -- probably because standing to eat was too much pain and effort. By Day 10 we had kicked up the Tramadol level, but not much change in Milo. Day 11 we tried the max allowed Tramadol for his size in the evening, and he slept like a baby, but still not interested in moving much. Day 12 we backed down to 100mg 2x a day (he's 73 pounds post amputation), and we headed to the vet to get sutures out, to review the pain issue & meds, and to have an orthopedic check out his 3 remaining limbs. At the vet he had to walk more than he probably had in the previous 11 days combined because the vet hospital is being renovated so check in is one trailer, far from the parking lot, scales another, exam room in another building, and to go from exam room to ortho he had to go the long way around. A lot of walking! And at one point, we got him to move along at high speed to watch his gait. And the whole time, he was interested in all the other dogs and people! It was like a whole new dog, our old Milo was back, and he's been great ever since. They think that he quit moving because of the pain when we changed meds, all the new muscle usage from his new 3-legged hop tightened up, so he didn't want to move when he stood up, so the muscles would get tighter. It was a bad spiral. His weird limp went away partway through the vet visit, whether due to stretching while walking or the ortho touching him. BTW, the ortho did say Milo's back right leg was tight, but it had full range of motion -- hence the odd gait/limp probably.
Anyway, if like Milo, it could just be tight muscles that became sore, so Novak doesn't want to use them, so they get tighter, so he limps and favors it more, which just keeps it tight. Massage and stretching may help. Once Milo broke that circle, he's been great.
Peace,
-Jenifer
It's still early in recovery, and so far Novak has done incredibly well. Sometimes incisions will open like that. The fluid will drain out - as long as it looks like serosanguinous fluid (reddish/clear, but not puss-like), then it's ok. Just keep it clean. It eventually will stop draining, then form a scab and heal.
The vomiting could just be irritation from the tube - especially if he's ok with the moist food. Or he just likes it better 
Tripawds learn quickly how to get what they want lol.
The limp could just be from having to walk differently. He's using his muscles in a different way. Murphy loves when we massage his back, hips & legs.
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
Im back and I got Novak check out. We did remove ALL staples and sutures YAY!!!! Everything is perfect, everything is close, no leaking since yesterday. There a bit of opening, but it just the outside, so the vet recommanded to do hydrotherapy on the incision 2-3 times a day and it should be ok. It look pretty goo today!
For the white bloody foam, the vet doesn't think its the tube, but more of gastric acidity or irritation so we added famotidine(anti acid) and a stomach coating(sucralate) and we are cutting back on the deramaxx...she doesn't want me to stop, but she recommanded to use one day on 2, so I will be skipping the dose tonight.
For the leg, everything is normal, maybe a bit stiff, but all is good, so she think its the new gait that cause that and the fact that for almost 4 weeks now, he didnt walk a lot, just some potty break and back inside. So we will start to walk a bit more, massage and see the physiotherapist to have the exercices to do at home. I think I will buy some equipment so I have it a home and can do it at my own pace and schedule and lower cost, physio is expensive!!!!
So, in all that panic, I think everything is looking good now! And thank god I work there! Im getting so much meds, food, etc... that I can't imagine having to pay regular fees, Im so grateful for that and for the payment arrangement that I can do with them instead of paying one shot.
Glad to hear Novak has improved and Milo is doing fabulous. I was going to suggest that you boil some chicken for Novak and mix it w the dry until he was better. Ruby the 3rd triplet is not doing so great and I will update in another post. Suffice it to say we now have two post dates as she had to go in for 2nd surgery on her incision. So I'm putting photos up on her blog but will link from the forum post.
Oh one more thing regarding physical therapy Rubys therapist said she will give us detailed home program as part of our initial eval. We were more interested in the things we can't do like acupuncture and eventually hydrotherapy--underwater treadmill. Massage has been helping her muscles stay loose and she's had no problems since some initial soreness and tightness in her hips. M
take care
Lisa and Ruby
Sooo glad you had Novak checked out and everything is okay!! This is exactly why we call the recovery a rollercoaster ride. Ruby seems to be on the same ride!
Lots of hugs! You're doing a great job!
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!
1 Guest(s)
