Life as a Tri-pawd

You didn't want to try holding off on the tram this morning (as it mentioned in the link)? Do you think she still needs it for pain? She is what, a week out now? Was she not panting before she got the Tram, but only started after she got it? She is still on the NSAID too, right? I'd think that soon, that alone should be enough to manage her pain. If she's panting again today, I'd probably see how she does off the Tram - it might not agree with her.
I didn't give it to her last night, but she was slow to get up this am, so I thought she might need it. The NSAID is only given 1x day with her supper. I'm trying to wean her off the Tram but she hadn't had it in over 12 hours. I will try not giving it to her again today unless she starts showing bad signs of pain. It's just so odd because she's been on Tram even before the surgery.

She'll get the gabapentin in a little bit, then I'll see how it goes without the Tram. Makes me nervous though, I don't know how much pain she's in or not because the pain and med side effects look the same!
 
I didn't give it to her last night, but she was slow to get up this am, so I thought she might need it. The NSAID is only given 1x day with her supper. I'm trying to wean her off the Tram but she hadn't had it in over 12 hours. I will try not giving it to her again today unless she starts showing bad signs of pain. It's just so odd because she's been on Tram even before the surgery.

She'll get the gabapentin in a little bit, then I'll see how it goes without the Tram. Makes me nervous though, I don't know how much pain she's in or not because the pain and med side effects look the same!
Exactly! That's why you have to do a little detective work!

I'd think at 9 days out, though, she'd be ok to see how she does on a trial without it.
 
Exactly! That's why you have to do a little detective work!

I'd think at 9 days out, though, she'd be ok to see how she does on a trial without it.
Yeah I mean if technically her sutures can come out tomorrow, I can see that she certainly shouldn't need as much pain meds. I've read that some folks have to keep their dogs on certain pain meds (normal/low dose) after the sutures come out too. Hopefully the panting will subside.
 
Yeah I mean if technically her sutures can come out tomorrow, I can see that she certainly shouldn't need as much pain meds. I've read that some folks have to keep their dogs on certain pain meds (normal/low dose) after the sutures come out too. Hopefully the panting will subside.
Pain from sutures coming out is generally fleeting and superficial, as opposed to the deep visceral pain that comes from a surgery like amputation. These days, especially, with the opioid crisis, people don't stay on strong medications very long after many surgeries, either - maybe for a day or two, then they're encouraged to take tylenol or ibuprofen if they need it. Supposedly dogs actually do better with surgeries than humans, too, though each is unique.

Good luck with your trial today, I think you're doing the right thing, and I'm pretty confident she'll be ok, especially given that she's still got her NSAID on board. You'll have to decide what to do about the gabapentin, too. You might put a call in and ask the vet to give you a call when he or she can, just to have a conversation about it. (Which I do a lot when needed; that's what we're paying them for!) Write down your questions ahead of time. I'd ask whether the dog should be ok now off tram and how to wean the gaba. Be prepared to tell them what time the last meds were given so they can help formulate a plan. It might be good to do this today so you can discuss how she did tomorrow during the suture removal appt.
 


That's a good point. We're scheduled for Monday to do the suture and chemo, but that will be at 14 days. They close early on Fridays so we couldn't get it done tomorrow. I'll call the vet today and ask them how to wean her off gabapentin in addition to the tram. *fingers crossed*
 
Pupdate: 1. The biopsy results have come back as a malignant cartilage tumor, which means her prognosis is better! Will get the details on Monday. Not sure if that means the chemo option changes but it sounded positive.

2. The surgical nurse said to stop the Tram, so I think it's working its way out of her system. She still pants on and off....mostly it stops when she goes to sleep. I'll take her down to Gabapentin at night only. I pray she starts acting normal after 24 hours off the Tram.
 
Those are good ideas! And right now Ciara is doing more of the hop but kind of looks like she's turning in the remaining back leg. Just trying to prevent any tweaking...

Ugh, having a rough night here. Ciara is acting very agitated and I think it's the Tram - have had her on the max dose 3x a day plus Gabapentin (nerve blocker) 2x day. She got the last Tram at 3:30pm and for the last hour has panted and licking her paws and bed like crazy. Not sure why that would happen at hour 6 of the dose? She got her Rovera a little late tonight at 8:15, could it be that?

I can't get her to stop until she gets bored of it and lies down. It's kind of freaking me out. I want to give her the Gabapentin tonight since it's supposed to be a sedative. This has been happening since Sunday, but tonight feels particularly bad. The vet just says to take it down a notch, but what do I do if she's in pain without the full dose? I don't feel like I have any way of gauging how much pain she's in so I feel like I can't help her. :-(

First, I’m so glad the biopsy came back with a better prognosis!!!

Have her vets suggested physical therapy? I know it’s another expense but it might help her find her new gait and strengthen her other leg muscles without stressing her joints.

Pain meds are such tricky business. We didn’t go through anything nearly as traumatic but my doggo tore her ccl and 8 weeks post op as she got cleared for activity snap, crackle, popped the other. Between waiting for surgeries she was out for almost 7 months and on and off pain meds for a lot of that time. She struggled with pain meds not having the sedating effect they were meant to and it made her agitated, not aggressive, but an able to relax and obsessively licking and biting the carpet (she does this anyway-always has hit not to the same extent). We ended up swapping tram for bupenorphrine because it could be used more safely with trazadone for sedation. She was much better after that adjustment. I was worried about all the pain meds but our vet told me that dogs don’t really have the same dependency issues that humans do. If she’s struggling, don’t be afraid to call and ask for other pain management options. They may switch it all up but it’s not one size fits all.

Good luck! I know how rough our little “adventure” has been, I can’t imagine what you’re going through emotionally and physically. I felt like I had a full time night job as a dog watcher.
 


First, I’m so glad the biopsy came back with a better prognosis!!!

Have her vets suggested physical therapy? I know it’s another expense but it might help her find her new gait and strengthen her other leg muscles without stressing her joints.

They made it sound like "wait and see how she does." I did ask because I was concerned but if it seems like she needs help, I wouldn't be against doing it at all.

Pain meds are such tricky business. We didn’t go through anything nearly as traumatic but my doggo tore her ccl and 8 weeks post op as she got cleared for activity snap, crackle, popped the other. Between waiting for surgeries she was out for almost 7 months and on and off pain meds for a lot of that time. She struggled with pain meds not having the sedating effect they were meant to and it made her agitated, not aggressive, but an able to relax and obsessively licking and biting the carpet (she does this anyway-always has hit not to the same extent). We ended up swapping tram for bupenorphrine because it could be used more safely with trazadone for sedation. She was much better after that adjustment. I was worried about all the pain meds but our vet told me that dogs don’t really have the same dependency issues that humans do. If she’s struggling, don’t be afraid to call and ask for other pain management options. They may switch it all up but it’s not one size fits all.

I could HUG you right now! This is what we've been dealing with and we're so confused. She's definitely agitated and uncomfortable. Panting on and off. Licking the bed and blanket. She is also a bad paw licker in general but I'm convinced she's out of her mind from the Tram! I will keep the bupenorphrine in mind just in case we need to switch. Hopefully now that she's 9 days post-op, she doesn't need the pain meds anymore, or at least on an as needed basis only. That may be an alternative to try.

Good luck! I know how rough our little “adventure” has been, I can’t imagine what you’re going through emotionally and physically. I felt like I had a full time night job as a dog watcher.

Thank you :) So sorry to hear about your pup, how awful. Hope she's doing better now. It really isn't easy watching your fur babies go through this.
 
Pupdate: 1. The biopsy results have come back as a malignant cartilage tumor, which means her prognosis is better! Will get the details on Monday. Not sure if that means the chemo option changes but it sounded positive.

2. The surgical nurse said to stop the Tram, so I think it's working its way out of her system. She still pants on and off....mostly it stops when she goes to sleep. I'll take her down to Gabapentin at night only. I pray she starts acting normal after 24 hours off the Tram.
Yay for good news!

Let us know how she did overnight!
 
Yay for good news!

Let us know how she did overnight!
Overnight she tends to do well - we don't hear a peep out of her. This morning though, she won't eat her food - even with chicken stock on it. I'll try making her scrambled eggs and see if she scarfs them. She's been on the Science Diet for over a year now so we can keep her weight in check. Not sure if she's sick of the food or what. I was going to go buy some blue buffalo wet food topper to put over it. The Science Diet is a great source of fiber so we don't want to take it away completely.

She's still panting quite a bit. Not sure what to make of it. I'll call the vet again before they close today just to see what they think. We're definitely in a rough patch, and I feel really bad for her.

ETA: She SCARFED the eggs. So she's obviously hungry, just not for the expensive food we buy her. :rolleyes:
 
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Hi all. :wave: Update here!

We had a rough weekend. Couldn't get the meds figured out, and eventually put her back on the Tram and Gaba together. We had our follow up appointment at 11:30. The oncologist said her dog also could not handle Tram, and it's not uncommon for them to get funny while on it. She and the surgeon did a thorough physical exam, had her walk around, and both said she looks like she's doing very well. So they think it's time to come off the drugs completely and let her detox. She asked me to give it a couple days and they will check in with me Wednesday. I agreed that was fair. She said whining, restlessness, panting, etc. may occur but that it's also caused by detoxing/withdrawal. So she asked me to hang tight. They believe she looks great and the physical exam did not show anything to be concerned about.

Officially, Ciara was diagnosed with Chondrosarcoma - which is rare and affects the cartilage before it gets to the bone. A lot of dogs get this in their ribs and it is curative when removed from there. With the leg, while we "got the tumor," chemotherapy is still offered to prevent the metastasis as long as possible. So the good news? Her prognosis is BETTER! We didn't do the chemo today because the oncologist wants to be sure Ciara is back to 100% and I am more comfortable. Also, we're not "running against the clock" so to speak, so we set a Chemo date for January 2. The drug she will be getting is called doxorubicin. Has anyone had experience with this?

For now, Ciara is snoring on her bed and thank goodness no cone tonight. Trying to stay positive and glad they thought she looked great. We will be at the 2-week mark tomorrow. :)
 
Hi all. :wave: Update here!

We had a rough weekend. Couldn't get the meds figured out, and eventually put her back on the Tram and Gaba together. We had our follow up appointment at 11:30. The oncologist said her dog also could not handle Tram, and it's not uncommon for them to get funny while on it. She and the surgeon did a thorough physical exam, had her walk around, and both said she looks like she's doing very well. So they think it's time to come off the drugs completely and let her detox. She asked me to give it a couple days and they will check in with me Wednesday. I agreed that was fair. She said whining, restlessness, panting, etc. may occur but that it's also caused by detoxing/withdrawal. So she asked me to hang tight. They believe she looks great and the physical exam did not show anything to be concerned about.

Officially, Ciara was diagnosed with Chondrosarcoma - which is rare and affects the cartilage before it gets to the bone. A lot of dogs get this in their ribs and it is curative when removed from there. With the leg, while we "got the tumor," chemotherapy is still offered to prevent the metastasis as long as possible. So the good news? Her prognosis is BETTER! We didn't do the chemo today because the oncologist wants to be sure Ciara is back to 100% and I am more comfortable. Also, we're not "running against the clock" so to speak, so we set a Chemo date for January 2. The drug she will be getting is called doxorubicin. Has anyone had experience with this?

For now, Ciara is snoring on her bed and thank goodness no cone tonight. Trying to stay positive and glad they thought she looked great. We will be at the 2-week mark tomorrow. :)
That is a nice update! Hopefully things will begin looking up now!
 
Sorry to hear the weekend was rough. Here's hoping getting off the meds will bring her back to more of her normal self.

Sounds like the vet visit was really positive. We had Carboplatin for the chemo so I don't have experience with the one you're doing. Sounds like a good plan to hold off on the first treatment until she's feeling more normal. We were 3 weeks out for our first treatment.
 
I'm sorry, forgot to say, I have had doxorubicin (adriamycin).
You had it yourself? We were going to do the carboplatin until we got the biopsy back and it changed.

Reading into this particular kind of cancer, apparently there is not enough data to show that chemo effectively treats it or not. The oncologist said she would do it if it were her dog because it’s that or do nothing, though of course there is no right or wrong answer.

My concern with the doxorubicin is that it can be hard on their hearts. Of course they’ll do the appropriate testing but I’m admittedly a little more apprehensive between the drug effects and the lack of evidence of it working.
 
You had it yourself? We were going to do the carboplatin until we got the biopsy back and it changed.

Reading into this particular kind of cancer, apparently there is not enough data to show that chemo effectively treats it or not. The oncologist said she would do it if it were her dog because it’s that or do nothing, though of course there is no right or wrong answer.

My concern with the doxorubicin is that it can be hard on their hearts. Of course they’ll do the appropriate testing but I’m admittedly a little more apprehensive between the drug effects and the lack of evidence of it working.
Sent you a PM.
 
How are things going now that Ciara's been off the meds for a few days? Hopefully well!

Yesterday marked the 6 month anniversary of Katy's amp surgery. We need to go in for blood work and lung scans in January and I am starting to get more anxious.
 
Hey Shel! She has been getting progressively better. Once we got her off the pain meds, she stopped acting like a nut. She was a little foggy at first, but more alert yesterday and today. More tail wagging and sparkle in her eyes, which is what I was waiting for. She still loves going for walks and pulls me actually! And of course, she loves to eat. Today she was waiting for her treats with her two kitty sisters, which she hasn't done since she came home.

I hope she will continue to get better so we can do the chemo treatment on Jan 2. I'm sure that will bring a whole set of questions for me, but until then, trying to enjoy our Christmas.

6 months - wow!! I will keep you in my thoughts and send good vibes to you guys. Please keep us updated!!
 

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