Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Ugh, i just wrote a whole message and then was told I got the math wrong, LOL! so here I go again.
Tshuvah is 5 days post-amp of her left foreleg due to osteosarcoma. the amp was Thursday afternoon and I brought her home Sunday afternoon. since then, after the initial excitement of being home, she's barely moved. She prefers sitting in my closet or another dark quiet corner somewhere in the house. She doesn't seem to want to eat or drink. I'm giving her her meds with a pill-gun and a big medication syringe full of ricotta cheese. Water she takes from a spoon (we live in the desert and can't risk dehydration).
I think she might be nauseated, maybe from the Previcox? She's burping a little and licking her lips a lot. Is there something like Pepcid I can give her? What do you recommend, and what dose for a 40# dog?
she's on 1/2 previcox tablet daily and 150 mg tramadol twice daily, which is a lot for her size. But how do I know if she has adequate pain relief, or if we might need to change or add something? She's moving around well when she does move. She's stumbled a few times and yelped when she did. Otherwise, she's absolutely silent, which is freaky for her because, although she's not a barker, she's a very big talker. She has a lot to say and lots of funny ways to say it, so her silence is weird.
Lastly, she is wearing a double gauze dressing covered with vet wrap that the techs put on her Sunday just before I picked her up. They said to leave it on for 2-3 days, so I dont know if there's anything strange going on at the incision site because I haven't seen it. She has some fluid (seroma ? Is that the word) collecting in her abdomen just beneath the wrap. I think there's too much compression in the wrap for the fluid to stay under it. I wonder if I should take the dressing off, examine the incision, and cover her with a t-shirt. she might even be more comfortable without the big dressing on, I dont' know.
I appreciate any encouragement, support, thoughts, suggestions, ideas. this is so hard, as y'all know all too well.
Beth
Beth with my beloved Tshuvah, 10 year old "TaosDog". Provisional diagnosis osteosarcoma on 6/10/10, amputation of left foreleg same day, firm diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma 6/24/10. Set free on 9/9/10. Treasured forever.
http://labrador.....ipawds.com
I'm in a hurry but I had I wanted to write and ask you about that tramadol mgs. Are you sure tht is correct? Comet is 38-39#s and when she was in severe pain from a neck infection - I was only able to give her at the most 50mgs 2x a day.
Check to see if the gums are sticky (run your finger over them) and also check to see if they are pink. If they are an ashen greyish color then it's cause for concern.
Not to alarm you at all - but always feel free to call the vet's office. I know we don't like to, but as most have learned - it is what you have paid for.
Keep us updated okay?
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Sorry Tshuvah is having a bit of a tough time. I'd absolutely phone your vet for advice/reassurance about the meds, behaviour, compression bandage, etc. That's what they're there for and definitely what you've paid for. I can't recall right now the dosage of tramadol that Catie was on, but 150 mg twice a day seems like a lot (and she's significantly larger than Tshuvah - about 75 lbs). I'm sure the dosage wasn't that high. The tramadol did make Catie - for want of a better word - loopy; stunned, bizzare really. I did not like giving it to her at all.
Give your vet a call.
Keep us updated for sure!
Catie -
Birthday – November 4 2003
Amputation – January 13 2010
Crossed the Bridge – June 2 2011
carmenmcconnell said:
I can't recall right now the dosage of tramadol that Catie was on, but 150 mg twice a day seems like a lot (and she's significantly larger than Tshuvah – about 75 lbs). I'm sure the dosage wasn't that high. The tramadol did make Catie – for want of a better word – loopy; stunned, bizzare really. I did not like giving it to her at all.
I also can't recall the exact dosage Harley was on (once again, I wish I would have kept that journal Bob talks about!), but I agree, 150mg twice a day seems high. Harley is 85lbs, and I'm sure his dosage wasn't that high, either.
Tramadol can make your dog act like a completely different dog. AND it is hard to tell if your dog is in pain or is getting too much Tramadol … can have the same symptoms. I had many, many tears until I figured out Harley was not in pain, but didn't do well on Tramadol and reduced his dosage to basically nothing.
I would ask about the Pepcid. Harley takes Pepcid (as several dogs here do, as well), so I know you CAN give it to a dog, but I would ask your Vet about it first.
labradorim said:
Ugh, i just wrote a whole message and then was told I got the math wrong, LOL! so here I go again.
Oh, don't get me started on this …
LOL
labradorim said:
Lastly, she is wearing a double gauze dressing covered with vet wrap that the techs put on her Sunday just before I picked her up. They said to leave it on for 2-3 days, so I dont know if there's anything strange going on at the incision site because I haven't seen it. She has some fluid (seroma ? Is that the word) collecting in her abdomen just beneath the wrap. I think there's too much compression in the wrap for the fluid to stay under it. I wonder if I should take the dressing off, examine the incision, and cover her with a t-shirt. she might even be more comfortable without the big dressing on, I dont' know.
Harley's wrap started to slide down after a couple days, so I took it off (the surgeon told me this may happen and that I could take it off if it did). We were lucky, we had no drainage or seromas to deal with. I know many on here have done the tshirt route and it seemed to work well for them, we didn't recover Harley's once I took the bandage off (but again, his didn't leak at all). You can also smell the area, if it smells funky, then you'll want to get it looked at.
We'll keep our paws crossed for Tshuvah!
Amputation on 11/10/09, due to Histiocytic Sarcoma in left elbow. Angel Harley earned his wings on 06/24/10.
I'm so sorry to hear that Tshuvah is having a rough time. Holly is 30 pounds, and she was on 50 mg of Tramadol twice a day. Well.. it's hard to tell actually - the bottle says Tramadol 50 mg - give 1/2 tablet every 8-12 hours. The vet always cuts the pills for me, so I'm not sure if the half tablet was 50 mg or 25 mg. I'm sorry I'm not more help! Holly was also on Deramaxx 25 mg once a day. But she had an upset stomach and we're guessing it was from the Deramaxx. We fed her brown rice and ground meat (we cooked the meat) - she also did not have much appetite after her surgery. I found that it was better to offer her small portions every couple of hours instead of her regular 2 meals a day. You might also want to try making ice cubes with some of her favorite food in them - we use canned salmon. Holly likes to lick and bite at those even when she doesn't otherwise want to eat. (warning, though - best to have her lay on an old towel to soak up the excess drips). I froze them in small baggies, which worked well. An ice cube tray would also work - I couldn't find a spare, though.
Oh, and Holly (30 pounds) gets 1 pepcid ac twice a day when she's nauseous. We give it about 30 minutes before meals. She also gets metoclopramide (10mg - 3/4 tablet - sorry same trouble here) 30 minutes before meals for about 10 days after chemo to help keep the nausea at bay.
I agree with Comet and Carmen - it's times like these that a call to your vet can help the most. He or she can hopefully prescribe something for the nausea or at least give the correct dosage of pepcid. And will hopefully put your mind at ease. And you can ask about removing the dressing and taking a look.
I'm sending lots of pawsitive thoughts across the miles to you. And we're keeping all fingers and paws crossed for Tshuvah that she will be feeling better soon. These first 2 weeks can be the worst.
Hugs,
Holly, Zuzu and Susan
Holly joined the world of tripawds on 12/29/2009. She has a big little sister, Zuzu, who idolizes Holly and tries to make all of her toys into tripawds in Holly's honor. And she's enjoying life one hop at a time!
http://anyemery.....ipawds.com
Sounds like Tshuva may may be having an adverse recation to the previcox. Have you shecked her stools for blood? Many NSAID can wreck havoc on dog's gastrointestinal systems. Ask your vet if you can try Metacam or a different drug.
Dogs in the wild will often separate from the pack and heal in a quiet dark place by themselves. We recommend letting Tshuva heal at her own pace. Confine her for safe recovery if you don't want her wandering off. Reward her good behavior and do your best to act as if life is normal. As Dr. Waldman said in our CARE video interview, "If you want them to be normal, act normal."
You can indeed give Pepcid to dogs. We gave Jerry one tablet at a time, he was approx. 70 lbs. But we are not vets, you may want to ask yours for their professional advice. You might also ask about Carafate for the nausea if necessary.
The t-shirt is a great idea. We believe many vets send dogs home with a bandage more for the people than the dog. Jerry had no bandage. We heard from at least one person who's dog developed issues because the dressing was too tight. But again, we are not vets and can only speak from our own experience.
Ice cubes or beef broth can also help keep Tshuva hydrated – very important.
Remember to be a strong pack leader. Tshuva will follow your lead.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks everyone. OK, I've spoken to the surgeon, who then referred me to our regular vet. I have an appt late this afternoon. I was instructed to remove the dressing and examine the incision, it looks fine to me but the lower part that starts going under the abdomen is certainly warmer than the upper part so I'll ask the vet about that. I had requested the dressing, btw, because my 5 year old daughter was absolutely freaking out at the thought of Tshuvah with three legs and I knew that seeing the fresh incision would not be a good thing for Lila. In fact, the techs decorated the vet wrap with butterflies and hearts and stars to make it cute for my daughter, and it helped a lot. Personally I think Tshuvah is more comfortable without it, it was getting kind of bunchy around her neck.
I fed her half a can of dogfood through the syringe, after which she decided that maybe eating wasn't so bad after all so she ate the rest of the can from a bowl (although still laying in the closet). She refused to drink, though. I do think the previcox, or maybe just the sum total of all the drugs, is making her nauseated. My vet said she'd give Tshuvah an anti-nausea injection this afternoon and a prescription for it, and we'll discuss the drug combo she's on also.
I know, 150 mg/three tablets of tramadol is a whopping dose. My beloved labrador Yesha was on 200 mg/4 tablets after elbow surgery, and he was 110#! We're talking about cutting Tshuvah's tramadol dose in half for the next three days and then weaning her off it altogether, if her pain level seems ok.
I'm so thankful y'all encouraged me to talk to the vet and that I'm taking her in later. Always better safe than sorry, and my gut tells me something just isn't quite right in her recovery today. I'll report back later.
Beth
Beth with my beloved Tshuvah, 10 year old "TaosDog". Provisional diagnosis osteosarcoma on 6/10/10, amputation of left foreleg same day, firm diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma 6/24/10. Set free on 9/9/10. Treasured forever.
http://labrador.....ipawds.com
Excellent, Beth. Good for you for listening to your gut and getting Tshuva checked out.
BTW: We kept Catie in a t-shirt for the post-op healing period; one - to keep the surgery site clean; two - being on the squeamish side, I didn't want to look at the wound (I made my husband do the incision checking for the first few days 
) I did finally take a peek and it wasn't near as bad as I thought it would be. I will say the bruising was kind of disconcerting though.
Good luck at the vet! Will be watching for your update.
Catie -
Birthday – November 4 2003
Amputation – January 13 2010
Crossed the Bridge – June 2 2011
GOOD! Yes, looking forward to hearing what the vets says.
I wouldn't be surprised if tramadol is causing some reactions. Comet can barely walk on 50mgs - she's too dopey. And I will only give a quarter of 50mg tablet if she is awake. I give 25mgs to sleep on sometimes if she is sore.
I've taken one before and honestly - I didn't think it did anything but make you feel a little high. I think that is the idea...you don't care about the pain.
I keep an ear thermometer handy for when I worry something is wrong. It's not the most accurate but it can indicate high temps.
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Just back from the vet. She said the incision looks good and there's no fever. She gave Tshuvah an appetite stimulant and said to not give tramadol tonight. Then tomorrow, feed her with the syringe if necessary and give her meds and see how she's doing, but to back off to 50mg/1 tablet tramadol.
Tshuvah was very happy to be driving in the car, and she even barked at another dog, which is what she always does. So that was reassuring.
Beth
Beth with my beloved Tshuvah, 10 year old "TaosDog". Provisional diagnosis osteosarcoma on 6/10/10, amputation of left foreleg same day, firm diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma 6/24/10. Set free on 9/9/10. Treasured forever.
http://labrador.....ipawds.com
Yay Tshuvah!
I'll bet you feel better now too, Beth.
Catie -
Birthday – November 4 2003
Amputation – January 13 2010
Crossed the Bridge – June 2 2011
P.S. I just found Catie's discharge instructions from when she had her amputation in January. Catie was prescribed Tramadol; 100mg twice daily on an as-needed basis for 7 days. She was also given Metacam (once daily) for 14 days to reduce inflammation and pain and an 14-day prescription of some antiobiotic (cephalexin) to decrease the risk of post-op infection.
Catie -
Birthday – November 4 2003
Amputation – January 13 2010
Crossed the Bridge – June 2 2011
Hi Beth,
I'm so glad your pup is doing better.
I can relate. My Kona Kai had her amputation on June 4th, due to osteosarcoma.
She was on 3 tramadols (50mg) every 6-8 hours. (she was 69lb, before surgery).
In a lot of ways, it's probably good that she's found herself a quiet space. Quiet and secure. She needs lots of rest now to recoup.
Kona had some fluid build up too, but thankfully, it re-absorbed.
I understand not wanting to scare your daughter with the incision, but yes, I think the t-shirt (a little loose, not loose enough to trip over) is a good idea. For sure the pressure bandage would be uncomfortable.
It will get better!
Kona turned 9yrs on April 16, 2010.
Kona was diagnosed Memorial Weekend 2010 with osteosarcoma.
Right rear leg amputated on June 4th. First chemo June 18th 2010
Second chemo July 9th, 2010 Third and final (yea !!!) chemo July 30th, 2010
ONE TOUGH GIRL this Australian Cattledog !
***Kona's journey/fight ended late in the evening of December 22, 2010***
We Love you so much Kona….always
Bella 9yrs, albino lab/aussie shep/pit?(abandoned in mts as a puppy) deaf & blind (from birth) in one eye limited vision in other.(laid back, ok lazy 73 lbs)
Cotton, 5yrs, albino hound/terrier of somesort/???(abandoned in mts as a puppy) deaf & blind in one eye(from birth), excellent vision in seeing eye. (ball addict…destroyer of Kong balls…yes,etc), high energy 55lbs knots of muscle)
Kona Kai's pup brother and sister as well as her buddy and playmate cat, Shaymous 12yrs (like Seamus), miss her terribly.
Beth, I'm sorry Tshuvah has been having a tough go of it. So soon after surgery.I bet she is up and going in no time. Fortis was on a Fentanyl Patch, Deramaxx (100mg/day), and Tramadol (150mg/twice daily) post surgery. He was 150lbs. Man was he acting like a nut, strange really. So I immediately cut the Tramadol in half and then had him completely off of it within a week. I have occasionally had to give him a dose (100mg/twice daily) now and then to help with pain but I just don't like his behavior when on it. I try not to give it unless I have no choice.
I pray Tshuvah is feeling better. By the sound of your last post she is.
Fortis'Dad
That's great Beth, what a relief for you and us here too! Sounds like the standard recovery to us; lack of appetite, seroma , strange behavior, But again, better safe than sorry, and we are VERY glad you got to see the vet.
Can't blame you for wanting to hide the incision from your girl, not one bit. Let us know how she copes with things, we're always up for new insight with kids and how they cope with new Tripawds.
Keep up the great work, you're doing just fine! Hugs to Tshuvah.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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