Whitey's Amputation Is Friday

[MP_the4pack]

...and right on time!

 

 

I was worried about Dima pooping too, and she did it on Tuesday.........during one of our breaks during the long drive home.

 

 

 

And.......it keeps getting better!

 

[queenwinniesmom]

Wow, he looks great! And it is so encouraging to see the progress he is making. I don't think any of us mind hearing about poop---this was a VIP. Very Important Poop!

Gentle hugs to your sweet boy.

[mom2four]

Jen, those pics of Whitey are great, they're so encouraging. As others have said, 'hang in there it gets better!' I love it when you say that you can see that Whitey 'is in there somewhere', that's exactly how I felt with Jamey. Go Whitey!

[Guest MorganKonaAlex]

He looks great. It looks like he has some swelling in his remaining front leg. Demon had that also. The swelling really seemed to hamper his mobility. The Vet had me doing massage on the leg to push the fluid back up the leg. I could tell his leg was noticibly less swollen afterwards and it seemed to provide quite a bit of relief for Demon.

[kikibean]

He looks great!

 

RE: the swelling in his leg -

I'd email or call Leann. She's a massage therapist for pets as well as T-touch, etc. She

can probably give you some ideas on how to best massage it to get rid of the fluid.

 

[queenwinniesmom]

They told me I could use some warm compresses on the swollen leg. It seemed to help, and Winnie liked it.

[MP_the4pack]

Boy he looks good. And that sling is a good one.

 

Can I make a notation?

 

Diamond decided she couldn't go down stairs with just one leg after we got home (so about 5 days post op) she decided to jump down 6 steps. Scare the bejesus out of me and her. I had visions of her breaking one of her remaining good legs.

She now uses her ramp but I dont allow her to go down stairs (we don't have a ramp into the garage, but she's in there only when I'm taking them somewhere).

 

So, maybe you want to be vigilent when he starts to feel better and start to do things on his own. That's when they forget they only have 3 legs.

 

 

[Guest eaglflyt]

What a wonderful report! I'm thrilled for both of you! And yes, we can all appreciate the excitement of a good hound poop!

[Guest bigorangedog]

He seems very tired today. I think he has sore muscles from all that relearning to walk. Also, going to the vet yesterday was probably pretty exhausting for him. He wanted to be carried outside this morning for potty, and has mostly been asleep since.

 

[racindog]

YEAH! on the poop. That picture just melts my heart. Go Whitey!

Edited November 18, 2009 by racindog

[Bevd]

We just had our best walk yet! He was *motivated* -- he had not pooped since Saturday and it was time. Never been so excited to see poop in my life. (Sorry for the TMI, but if anyone will appreciate this it is GT!) He went all the way out to the corner of the yard, faster than he has moved so far, and mostly under his own power (with me holding the harness for balance). I needed to prop him up while he did his business, but overall extremely successful. I am so proud of him! What a little trooper. We have a very long way to go, but we had really good progress today.

Yayyyyyyyyy for poop and being motivated

 

 

 

I think that good days followed by down days are pretty normal. As you said, it's exhausting learning to walk in a new and strange way.

[brandimom]

Wonderful news about the poop and yes we all are happy to hear there was a poop!!!!!!!!!!! He is definitely a fighter! Way to go Whitey!

[Guest vahoundlover]

for poop

 

I would think it would be normal to have up and down days at this point. Hoping as each day passes the up days are more frequent!

[Houndtime]

My husband always says, "It's all about the poop!"

Glad Whitey is coming along so well.

[Guest bigorangedog]

We have definitely had an "off" day today. He has not wanted to walk very much at all, and has seemed generally unhappy. Panting, occasionally even shaking a little bit. (He's not cold - it's actually kind of hot in my house - and his temp is normal.) Turned down half his breakfast and half his dinner (for the first time since coming home). Just seems disgruntled.

 

Hoping that this will pass tomorrow. DH is going back to work tomorrow, and I can't lift Whitey by myself. Don't know if his muscles are just sore and tired from yesterday or what.

[Guest dfriedri]

I'm sorry to hear that you had a rough day also. The whole process is definitely a rollar coaster ride!

I love the pic of Whitey today. He is so sweet.

Prayers for better days ahead!

[MP_the4pack]

hang in there!

 

For the first two weeks I kept asking myself if I did the right thing. Diamond panted. She was restless. She didn't move a lot. She wimpered a lot (she's a wimperer anyway)

 

Really, the biggest breakthrough happened about the 2 week mark when she came off all meds except antibiotics. At three weeks we no longer needed the sling.

 

Now there is zero doubt in my mind that I did the right thing. She was running around last night chasing her stuffies. She's happy.

 

 

 

 

(reminder....get off butt and upload pix of Dima for GT)

[Guest bigorangedog]

Anyone know how long it take Gabapentin to kick in? I've heard that it needs to build up for a few days....true? Hoping we will get some relief from it soon. He seems more painful yesterday and today.

[MP_the4pack]

Anyone know how long it take Gabapentin to kick in? I've heard that it needs to build up for a few days....true? Hoping we will get some relief from it soon. He seems more painful yesterday and today.

 

 

I didn't use Gabapentin.

 

sorry I can't help with this.

 

 

 

[Guest MorganKonaAlex]

Anyone know how long it take Gabapentin to kick in? I've heard that it needs to build up for a few days....true? Hoping we will get some relief from it soon. He seems more painful yesterday and today.

I've used Gabapentin a lot but I don't know the answer to your question. You can combine Gabapentin with other pain killers like Tramadol though.

[Guest Sancho_OBM]

Anyone know how long it take Gabapentin to kick in? I've heard that it needs to build up for a few days....true? Hoping we will get some relief from it soon. He seems more painful yesterday and today.

 

 

Given that gabapentin is widely used to relieve pain, especially neuropathic pain, I doubt that it needs to build up for a few days before it becomes beneficial. Cessation of its use should not be abrupt. Perhaps what you've heard regards that aspect of the medication.

 

Gabapentin Pharmacokinetic data

• Bioavailability: Rapid, in part by saturable carrier-mediated L-amino acid transport system. Food increases absorption by 14%.
• Protein binding: Less than 3%
• Metabolism: Not appreciably metabolized
• Half life: 5 to 7 hours
• Excretion: Renal

Note:

• Gabapentin should be used carefully in patients with renal impairment due to possible accumulation and toxicity.
• Gabapentin should not be discontinued abruptly after long term use. Abrupt or over rapid withdrawal may provoke a withdrawal syndrome similar to alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal. Gradual reduction over a period of weeks or months helps minimize or prevents the withdrawal syndrome.

[Guest bigorangedog]

Thought I should give a Whitey update... I'm super sleepy, so I'm going to cut and paste what I have on my blog, if you don't mind. Here goes:

 

Good day today. He is still very tired, will still pant a little and occasionally whine. But definitely better. The edema is pretty much gone. And he is moving a little more freely. He still lies on his bed 99.9% of the time, but when he wants to get up, it is not so much of an ordeal.

 

We have been watching him like a hawk, and basically one of us was within sight of him all the time since surgery. Today, I went to take a shower, and Lloyd and Sunny were lying on the floor of the living room watching “Up.” When I left, Whitey was sound asleep on a bed on the other side of the room (behind Lloyd and Sunny). I was drying off, when I heard a little yip — the yip that Whitey makes sometimes when he gets up to his feet (like a little “ouch!”). So I called out to Lloyd, “What’s happening?” Lloyd had apparently dozed off, and failed to notice that Whitey not only got to his feet, but hopped across the room and GOT HIMSELF ONTO THE COUCH. The yip was because he had flopped down onto the couch on his bad side. We have no idea how he did it, but wow. Pics below.

 

So after that, we started letting him move about without one of us having a hand on him or his harness. We stay within 6 feet or so, but I think he feels a little better not having one of us hover. He’s a little more confident (although still pretty shaky). We hold onto him when he goes up or down the ramp to the kennel, or when other dogs could potentially bump him. But when he’s walking in the open, he can balance on his own pretty well. I do think it helped him feel more “normal" to remove the bandage. Still takes a lot out of him to do a turnout, and he stops and rests a few times along the way, but definitely making progress. I’m so proud of my little guy.

 

 

[Batmom]

Aw, up on the couch with his people! I'm glad he's doing better.

[Bevd]

Starting to get back to normal

[Guest longdoglady]

Whitey it is so good to see you snuggled on the sofa with your family.