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Need advice- is this normal?

First let me say I’m so thankful that I found this site! My Dog Annie had her leg amputated 9 days ago. She’s definitely not herself her wound is healing beautifully. Had her drain taken out yesterday. But she just wants to sleep. Does not lift her head when I walk into the room.. she used to love to play with the ball but is not interested in it at all right now. She is a Malinois and has such high energy normally and such a strong prey drive this is hard to watch. I realized she had a major surgery but continue to second-guess myself about the quality of her life. I know it is still early but we have chemo scheduled in one week. Wondering if this is normal? She is on tramadol for pain and seems very comfortable. Please let me know if you have any advice or when she may get back to normal. I understand every dog is different but just curious if there is somewhat of a timeline. I promised I would never make her suffer for my own selfishness but want to make sure I give her time before I have to make any decisions. She is only 6 years old and was extremely active hiking and swimming everyday. Any feedback or information is appreciated.

 

8 thoughts on “Need advice- is this normal?”

  1. Welcome and best wishes for Annie! It is still early in her recovery indeed, and every dog is different. She may be in pain if she is overdoing it, or she may be experiencing side effects of pain meds. Of course, these answers would depend upon the amount and type of activity or the meds she is getting and her dosage.

    Please consult your vet with any serious concerns, check out the many pain management posts, and post in the forums for much more feedback from others or call the toll-free Tripawds Helpline anytime! Start here for help finding the many Tripawds resources.

    Your future blog posts will not require moderation.

  2. Okay, deep breaths….b r e a t h e…..
    Recovery doesn’t last furever, right now it just feels like it!
    You’be said all the “right” things…yes, it’s early in recovery; yes, every dog is different; and yes, it’s perfectly “normal” to second guess yourself at this point!

    It took me three weeks before I could finally say I did this FOR my Happy Hannah and not TO her!

    The first thing that comes to mind is he needs better pain management. As you’ve probably seen while lurking arou d rhe xute, most dogs come home with Tramadol, Gabapentin, Rimady and an antibiotic. Tramadol and Gabapentin work very well TOGE. Tramadol without the Gaba isn’t as effective. At least, that’s what many Vets advise now.
    Nit hacing peop,e paun management from the beginning can definitely delay the healing process. And, as you know, Malinois are strong dogs, mentally and physically. This makes them even more stoic than most dogs when it comes to hiding pain.

    Is she eating, drinking, pooping, peeing okay? Even though she’s resting a lot (which is good), how is her mobility when she does get up to go to potty?

    Curiois about the drain being in nine days. Was she having a lot of leaking/draining? No fever or infection going on, right?

    As far as chemo, I waited until after three weeks before my Hapoy Hannah had her first chemo. It just didn’t feel like she had healed enough at week two to start it then. Delay for a week or so is seen here, so no worries there, okay? Of course, I’m not a Vet and not giving Vet advice. Just sharing what I’ve seen here.

    I know you are exhausted and scared. It’s hard to be upbeat right now. Not seeing Annie’s sparkle come back yet (and it will) is stressful. It’s so important that you have energetic pawsitive energy around Annie. Lots and lots of praise for anything and everything. Does she have a person she likes who can come over to see her? Maybe bring her a cheeseburger or some special treat? If she’s usua very protective, have someone come knock on the door and act all excited about it. See if you get a reaction.

    Can’t remember for sure, but I think it was about three weeks before I started getting tail wags when I came hone… then a few days after that Imwould get Woo Wooo…then after that, she would get up to actually greet me at the door! I was soooo happu woth eaxh sparkle victory!! But for several weeks, I didn’t think I would ever see her happy! And she was on pain meds fot avout three weeks. Some dogs get off a bit sooner, some stay on a bit longer.

    So check with your Vet about adjust the pain meds to include Gabapentin, as well as the others I mentioned. Let her continue to rest for now.

    Hang in therr…..and. B R E A T H E…and try and get some rest. You can also,post a thread jn the forums too for more support.

    Sending extra hugs,
    Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!

    1. Thank you so much for the reply! We’re hanging in there today was the first time she actually sagged her tail. Lots of sleeping glad to hear that is normal! She is getting up going to the bathroom and has no problem doing that did not not want to eat her regular dog food. So I boiled chicken and chicken livers and she is eating that. Her sutures look great should be out on Thursday no more drain. She is now wanting to join us in the living room instead of just laying in her crate. starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thank goodness for this site. Chemo is supposed to start on Wednesday but I think I may give it one more week. Thank you so much for the support can’t tell you how much it means to us!!

  3. annie123, hang in there. My Ranger had surgery 9 days ago as well. He is a lab mix and very much a mama’s boy. I’ve not seen him wag his tail since he got home, so I understand why you are questioning your decision. My vet says that is could be the pain medication, so I definitely agree with the reply about discussing this with your vet. I have been told to start weaning him off of the pain meds, and hopefully he will become more alert and willing to move. Good luck to us both….

  4. Hi there,
    9 days out of a major surgery is still very early in the recovery stages! And sometimes the meds need to be tweaked in dosage and timing, this is very common. You may have to increase meds or time them so that they overlap well, please talk to your vet about this. Some of this behavior could be due to break through pain.
    It generally takes 2-3 weeks of bedrest, food, water, quick potty breaks on leash and more rest before you start to see that sparkle come back. A lot start to see much more positive improvement after suture/staple removal.
    Please hang in there!
    Dogs, cats, humans do most of their healing in sleep stages. They really need this for recovery, sleep is so important!
    Please talk to your doc about the timing of meds and possibly tweaking the doses. I know you are not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel yet .. but it is not far away.
    Please post back and let us know how you make out.

    Jackie and Huckleberry

    1. Thank you so much she seems to be doing a bit better. She has her vet appointment on Wednesday. She is eating good and going outside for her bathroom breaks. She heard the jingle have my car keys today and put her head up as though she wanted to go for a car ride so I will take that as a good sign. Thank you for the message about sleeping. I know that is the best thing for her and his a time for her to heal. I love this dog so much and it has been extremely hard to watch her be so quiet and still. Malinois just aren’t like this..but makes sense she is in a stage of healing. Thank you for the message and support ..I will keep you all updated. 💟

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