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.
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So happy to hear the surgery went well! I may be biased, but Dobes are the best! You will get so much love from him. Keep us updated, please
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
Zeus fell today and is now bleeding from his drain. He has an appointment tomorrow morning at 8.I'm not sure if I should wait or take him now.
I thought I had registered but it's still telling me my posts need moderation?
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I've never dealt with a drain, if your concerned I would at least call the vet and for peace of mind maybe take him in. You don't want any setbacks.
Oh, and your very first post as a member does have to be approved. From now on as long as you log in your posts will show up.
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Sorry to hear about the fall, do you have a harness for him? It could help stabilze him till he gets the hang of it. We recommend the Ruff Wear Harness by Webmaster, you can find it in the gear section of this website. It doesnt hurt to call the vet tonite, that's what they're there for. Sending prayers your way for him to get back on his feet - he's lucky to have you! Keep us posted!
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
I called the vet and they said unless I go in they can't really help. The bleeding did slow down and then it started again. He's sleeping now but first thing in the morning we're going in. It's such a shame this happened, he was doing so well. The one day I forget to put his booties back on after his nap.
Don't beat yourself up about it. We had to go back in to have drains sewn in because Max managed to open his incision. Sometimes this stuff happens. Keep an eye on how much blood he's actually losing though and even if it's all blood or mixed with fluid. I definitely agree with Paula on the harness. We found using one really was invaluable. Good luck and keep us posted.
Linda & Max
The vet removed the drain and said it looks ok but I don't think he got to see how actively it is bleeding. I put a bandage on him at noon and had to change it at 8pm. I'll see how he is in the morning then perhaps take him back! I'm just so upset about it. I've spent close to $4,000 on him now and only owned him a week. I'm running out of money to keep taking him to the vet.
Is it actual blood coming out or is it pinkish fluid? If it is blood then I would think something is not right.
I'm sorry you are having such a hard time.
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Blood can look like a lot when it's against a white bandage. A little can really spread out and look like a lot. It may be mixed with clear fluid which will make it look like more. I would keep a close eye on it but if you changed it after 8 hours that doesn't seem just too excessive. If you think it's bleeding too excessively don't hesitate to call your vet though. Try to keep Zeus quiet and if it seems like it leaks more after getting up for a potty break that is more normal. Our Maxs incision leaked quite a bit after activity but it slowed down when he was resting. His was not just blood his was more watery so blood mixed with serous fluid is what he had though so if you think it's just blood I would check with the vet again tomorrow if it hasn't slowed down. Hopefully Donna may see this she's a nurse and would know way more than me. Hang in there it will get better. You are such a wonderful person for opening your heart to Zeus. You're doing a wonderful job with him give yourself a huge pat on the back. Stay connected to us we'll get you to happy place with your boy. Hugs!
Linda & Max
I didn't see the second page of comments, I replied after reading "surgery went well" OK so, after speaking with the vet do they think you need to bring him in or did they advise icing or something else? Iris wouldn't let me ice her so I had to buy two ace bandages to wrap a little icepack around her. If the discharge is fairly clear that's just the body doing its healing process but if it becomes yellowish or any other color of nasty, than you need to take him in. The wound site shouldn't be a lot different in temperature to the rest of the body, a few degrees is ok but we shouldn't notice it by touch. If it is hot, that is indicative of infection.
I took him to the emergency vet and they threw in a couple of sutures where he had ripped a couple which is what I thought he'd probably done. So now that's sorted I need to find a really good pair of grip booties that he can wear for long periods of time to stop him from slipping again and causing more damage. I've been using paws, they're kind of like balloons and they work great but make his feet sweaty and smelly. He needs something that breathes but has all the grip.
Glad you took him in and got that all sorted out. Do you have non slip rugs for a walkway on non carpeted areas? Those are immensely helpful for our tripawds. Here's to an uneventful further recovery Zeus! Key word being uneventful. Hopefully it'll be clear sailing now for you! Keep us posted on his progress. Hugs!
Linda & Max
Ohh sorry about the fall, just catching up.
Yes, we love Pawz Booties but for some dogs they do run the risk of causing yeast growth between the paws. Are your floors covered in rubber-backed throw rugs? Or yoga mats? Covering slippery surfaces is the #1 thing you can do for him, and it's much easier than putting booties on every day. Just place them along the dog's favorite walking paths through the house and they'll figure out where it's safe to walk and where it isn't. It also builds confidence. We love booties in some but not all situations. They provide great traction (see that link for tips), but aren't always practical.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Iris wouldn't wear the booties, I was fortunate enough to have a ton of carpet samples with rubber backings. If push comes to shove, hit a carpet dealer and I'm sure you could cover a few hundred sq ft pretty cheaply. Is he isolated to a confined area? Until that wound heals he should be rather confined and the only activity should be potty and eating.
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