First full day at home. It started out by finding that Tundra had managed to end up on his left side during the night. He can get up on his own, with some difficulty, if he is on his right side where he still has a leg. If he is on his left side we need to help him up. On his left he’s just stuck. I don’t know if he’ll eventually learn to get up no matter which side he is on, or learn not to lie down on that side, but time will tell.
We discovered he has what looks like a raw sore on his right elbow – I guess it makes sense if that is the only leg he has to lie on and push himself up with. He is also doing a lot of ‘air-licking’. I wonder if he has phantom pain or something. He doesn’t seem too motivated yet, but we are trying to make sure he gets his meds and water.
He keeps licking at the incision site, even with a shirt on we are trying to keep him from licking the area. Anyone have any ideas/experience?
WOO HOO! As I am writing this, he had to go out. He came back in, ended up on his left side and then got up on his own!
Well, that’s it for now.
WOO HOO indeed! Keep celebrating each of those milestones!
Catie didn’t bother too much with the incision site. She’s an animated licker but didn’t lick her wound at all. She also had a tape covering the incision though. That may have had something to do with it. Tundra might need a nasty cone if he keeps it up?
The pain meds, particularly Tramadol, made Catie do weird things. She seemed to do some air licking; I just attributed it to the drug drying out her mouth and being loopy.
You guys are doing great.
Im glad that he showed you he could get up from his left side. Cooper had his left front removed and he had issues at first with getting up when he got on the left side. They seem to figure out what they need to make it work. Coop also wore a raw hole in his elbow. Neosporin helps that alot, I tried wrapping it on Coops elbow but it was difficult keep from wrapping too tight and then his leg would swell, I got to where I was putting neosporin on it at night while he laid on his left side and it healed quickly. ETGayle also has a download for directions for a homeade elbow pad you can look at – if you search for her or ask on the forum someone can steer you there. I am not too good at navigating here yet or would send you a link to her downloadable directions. As Tundra gets up and around more and more the elbow will heal and callous. Good luck and keep up the great work!
Good goin’ Tundra! Keep it up.
PS. Where are you located? I live in Fairbanks.
Keep up the excitment with those small accomplishments, it really encourages them. My boy, Lyndon, had his rear leg amputated but I had the same problem with the constant desire to lick the incision. The cone was the only way I could stop him. It was really hard to make him wear it, but he got used to it and it made sure he didn’t get any nasty infections. The few times I tried leaving him without the cone of shame I came back and found him litterally trying to tear the stitches out, so don’t underestimate it.
Lyndon also had trouble getting up, but that gets better with time, especially once those pesky stitches are out. Don’t worry, he will learn and adapt really well.
hi tundra – yes, gayle got an awful raw left elbow from getting up and down. it got infected and ugh…it was scary. our vet did water therapy (hosing it out every day with a kitchen sprayer), then packed the elbow with granulated sugar mixed with antibiotic. i was freaked out with the sugar, but it was amazing how it caused the skin to start healing, and the gap closed up well enough for a few stitches. now it’s calloused, and she’s very adept at getting up and down without just pivoting on the elbow. the directions for making the protective pad are in the tripawds download blog. if you scrowl through that you should be able to find it. hope you guys can get this under control before it gets really sore or infected…paws crossed !!
charon & gayle