That Didn’t Last Long
Well, everyone here has pretty much told us that we should expect a lot of ups and downs during the first few weeks..
Nikki had been doing very well, even after we had to take her to the ER last week for the seroma, but I had noticed on Monday morning that she was “wobbly” (It just looked to me like she didn’t have the balance that she had). We saw Dr. Pyne on Monday who drained the seroma again and put a pressure bandage on. (You can read about that in my last post)
Well, after Nikki had the bandage on for awhile she pretty much decided that she wasn’t going to try and walk at all. She did NOT like that bandage one bit! We saw Dr. Pyne today (We will be seeing her on a daily basis for the next few days) and she took the bandage off. She let us know that the seroma hadn’t really drained any over night, and we might be doing better there than expected. She then put another bandage on Nikki and sent us home. This bandage wasn’t quite as restrictive as the other, so Nikki seemed happier. Honestly though, she still doesn’t seem “right” in terms of the way she’s moving around..
After dropping Nikki and Mary back home, I headed into the office for the afternoon and left them to their own devices. Apparently while I was gone, the bandage just didn’t hold at all, and by the time I got home Mary had called Dr. Pyne, who basically told her to remove the bandage and we’d check how the seroma was doing in our visit tomorrow.
Nikki seems a lot happier without the bandage, but she’s still not quite right when she’s up and moving.. As I watched her this evening, I came up with the theory that her remaining hind leg is just sore, because the more she moved around the better she got. (I can relate to that, I broke my ankle in 3 places a few years back, and have had 3 surgeries on it, and I still can’t walk right for the first few minutes after I get up)
So, we will watch and see how things progress, but for now we’re going to try and let Nikki just relax a bit and not try and push things.
When I’m home and working, she loves to lay behind my chair in the office, and tonight is no exception:
February 2nd, 2010 at 20:20
You are right about that – lots of ups and downs but more ups than downs knowing that finally our babies are no longer in pain. Nikki seems to be adjusting really well despite this seroma and bandage. It’s great to watch her video – she just moves along so smoothly. What a beautiful girl you have there!
February 2nd, 2010 at 22:28
Hang in there Nikki! Yes my remaining legs were sore too for awhile, but now my mom says I look like a body builder and the muscles on my hips are now rock hard…I’m a stud.
February 2nd, 2010 at 22:50
It will take a while for Nikki to rebuild the strength she needs to compensate in the rear end. Be sure to take it easy with her.
February 2nd, 2010 at 23:47
Definitely keep an eye on her but yes, lots of us get sore from getting used to our new bodies. Keep us posted and give her a big hug from us.
February 3rd, 2010 at 05:55
Yup….she’ll get sore/tired if she is up too much and moving around too much. Take it from my dog, Maggie…it’s been tough getting her stamina/strength back and it being winter makes it even tougher.
Take it slow and little bits and pieces of exercise seems to be the better option for our Tripawds.
Tracy, Maggie’s Mom
February 3rd, 2010 at 06:36
What a trooper you are, Nikki! Caira Sue had suggested a heating pad to Holly when we were at this stage. I never did find ours but Holly really likes taking car rides so I would turn the heated seats on and she would relax. I wonder if heat of some sort could help Nikki’s hind leg? Those muscles are working overtime at this stage! There’s info on heat and cold packs here somewhere – if I can find the link I will post it…
Keep up the good work!
Holly and Holly’s mom
February 3rd, 2010 at 06:42
OK… here’s the info on heat/cold packs…
Jerry’s product review and demo video for Bella’s Hot Cold Pain Relief Pack –
http://tripawds.com/2008/04/24/bellas-pain-relief-pack-relieves-my-pain/
I’m not sure how to make that a link… still need to figure a lot of this stuff out!
February 3rd, 2010 at 08:45
Another coincidence, I noticed Kanga’s remaining back leg looks almost bowed the last couple of days and I’m terrified that the malnormity that manifested itself in the amputated leg is growing in this leg. Our appointment Saturday can’t get here fast enough. I got an earful from the breeder of the Kangals and he cannot believe I spent so much money and that I should have put Kanga down, all about nature’s course for excellence and he thinks vets are are all out for compassionate pet owners like us. I think I mentioned before that he was planning to put a bullet into Kanga and call it a day and that was only because she was the runt and partially blind in one eye. He even got me so upset that I started to doubt what I’ve done, especially when I see her “good leg” having trouble. I’ll pray that both Nikki and Kanga have healthy (just tired) legs and that they will build every day. Kanga and Nikki are so big, I have to tell you, I’m worried. Yes, he really got to me. He even offered me a new purebred Kangal to take Kanga’s place. Their legs have to be tired, their everything has to be tired, I think this has been tough on them all over and they’re just plain sore. I’m going to try a heating pad too and I do give her back and hip rubs. Hang in there Nikki, one day at a time!
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:49
The truth lies somewhere in the middle, as always, and I have to agree with SOME of the things Kanga’s breeder said. ALTHOUGH THAT BREEDER REALLY LACKS COMPASSION AND BEDSIDE MANNER! 🙁 Try and remember the saying “Just because we CAN doesn’t mean we SHOULD.” There are endless options for people and animals with most any health condition. Make sure you take things into account like conformation, the animals weight and previous health issues before any big decision is made like amputation. It’s not just “can I afford this?” in my opinion. It’s hard but try to make decisons from the head, not the heart and don’t turn a blind eye to their suffering. We all love them so much, if we make the wrong decisions, we have such regrets…… Remember the veterinarians are only offering a service you are requesting. Take the time to get it as right as possible…..
Hoping the best for all of you…..
Hugs,
Gina
February 3rd, 2010 at 17:53
Hang in there Nikki! Remember not to push too hard. It is easy when you feel good to keep going, but you regret it later. Our vet reminded us not to be weekend warriors. Basically don’t overdue one day because you will pay the price the next. We always noticed that Peyton had a bad day following a day of a lot of walking or ball playing. It is hard to limit the activity especially when you feel so good and move so good! Take it easy and enjoy the attention!
March 3rd, 2010 at 15:16
Interesting. Thank you for that, however my thanks don’t end there. I am afflicted with color blindness (protanopia to be precise). I mainly use Konqueror browser (no idea if that matters), and a good many sites are difficult to understand thanks to an unfortunate choice of colors used. On your site, as the selection of colors is fine, the website is amazingly tidy and pleasant to understand. I have no idea whether this was a deliberate and kind undertaking, or simply a lucky break, but nevertheless, I thank you.