Day 5 and another nighttime “adventure”
I can see why so many pawrents who chose the amputation route have doubts during the immediate recovery period. It has helped immensely to read others accounts on the forums and blogs and I now each recovery is unique, but boy is this HARD.
We left day 4 with Fionn basically sleeping all day and acting so sedated. His eyes were dim and there was no life in the boy :(. He did get up to eat and drink, but immediately went back to sleeping. At midnight last night when I went to bed, it had been 24 hours since he had peed or pooped! I was preparing to take him to the vet today if he hadn’t gone by morning. How I was going to get him in my truck was still a question. I couldn’t even get him to stand up in the house let alone walk anywhere!
He was sleeping right outside my room and I got up a few times after hearing him move around. Hoping that he wanted to go out. I had prepared an alternate place for him to go since last night’s foray seemed too far and I didn’t want him to give up and lay down far from the house. My plan was to take him down the ramp right by my front door and then go directly into my side yard through the gate It’s only a few steps from the ramp into the yard and avoids the back stairs. Good plan right? I left all the porch lights on so I could see and all the necessary paraphernalia by the door so I wouldn’t have a repeat of frantic searching for shoes and such.
At 3 am, I heard him get up. He was standing, but looked out of it. I put on a jacket and my shoes, grabbed his leash and sling and managed to turn him around so he was facing the door. He finally decided to walk/hop outside and down the ramp. He wanted to keep going straight, but I forced him to turn into the yard. Where he stood and stood and stood. No interest in peeing or pooping. Just refused altogether. He kept trying to turn around so I finally let him and he hopped much more quickly to one of the front bushes and finally peed! It took a long time and it wasn’t a serious stream, but it WAS pee. Soon as he was done, he, AGAIN, booked it to the grassy area. Now, while the sprinklers were off thankfully, it allowed him to go much farther into the grass. He peed again and just kept going (in the dark and on uneven ground). I knew he wanted to poop in his “poop spot”- they are SO habitual-, but it was farther than he has gone yet. Sure enough, we got there and he pooped, and then he moved on some more and pooped and peed again. By this time, we were at the far end of this grassy space, far from my house and next to another street. And that is where he gave out! Just laid down and wouldn’t get up. Now, this grassy space is located between some other mobile homes and is dark. I didn’t bring a light because the PLAN was to go in the YARD. I’m figuring the old people that live in these homes are going to hear us out there in the dark and call security. I actually hoped someone would, at least they could help me get him back to the house! Of course, I didn’t have my phone either or I would have called them myself. I finally just left him there, walked back to my house and brought my truck to where he was. As I suspected, the truck got him excited and I managed to load him in the backseat without a problem. Getting him out at home was another thing. He refused to get up. I toyed with just leaving him there, but I new I would be up all night worrying. His butt was near the door so I just slid him out butt first. He didn’t like it and actually growled at me for the very first time! I stopped, but he was too far out at that point so I took a chance and managed to get him out without another growl or even a yelp. He got inside and collapsed by the door. I gave him some water and then I collapsed in bed, wide awake needless to say. He came into my room a few hours later and has been there ever since. It is now noon. He hasn’t eaten or had water since. I gave him his meds with pnut butter and pumkpin and 2 slices of bread and some sliced meat so he had something in his stomach. The meds do upset his tummy. He is on Pepcid and Sucralfate because of the regurgitation he had during surgery, but I think food helps the best. I dropped him to only 50mg of tramadol to see if he wakes up more. I am afraid to reduce the gabapentin, maybe because he did so well on it before surgery, but that may be next. Because of the regurgitation, he was taken off all nsaids. We may have to revisit their use again if I can’t get him more awake. He was on a MUCH higher dosage of tramadol and the same dosage of gabapentin before surgery and was not sedated at all. The anesthesia after effects should have worn off by now too.
Mid-afternoon, I had a friend bring over a thermometer. His lethargy bothers me so I was worried about him having a temp. It was 102 so normal. One less thing for me to worry about I guess. He slept through it at least. Getting his temp checked is not one of his favorite things!
Fionn has gotten up a few times since and did eat a good meal and had a long drink. Otherwise, he is still very letharic and uninterested in going outside :(. Around 10 pm I noticed he was panting quite a lot and shaking a bit, so I gave him another tramadol. I think 50mg was too little so we’ll stick with 100mg every 8 hrs for now. I’m heading to bed. I guess middle of the night potty trips has now become our new normal :(. It has been 21 hrs since he last pottied. If this does not improve tomorrow, he’s going to the vet.
Here’s his scar on day 5. Still looking great. No drainage, no heat, bruising about the same and very little seroma.
