9/6 Jupiter - ? about pain med after surgery

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jamie & Jupiter

Jamie & Jupiter

Member Since 2013
Link to yesterdays condo: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=103783

I called the vets office yesterday and the surgery is schedule for Thursday August 12th. Instead of Jupiters vet doing the surgery he recommended that the owner of the practice do the surgery. Jupe’s vet only has 3 years of experience and the owner of the practice has 25+ years experience. Jupe’s vet said he is confident in himself to do the surgery if we prefer that he does it, but he said if we want the more experienced vet who can do the best possible job, then he recommends the owner of the Vet hospital. So we are going with his recommendation and having the more experienced vet do the surgery.

I really am trying to see this in a more positive way. I know whatever happens with Jupiter, that he will be okay, because I am going to be here to help him and to make sure hes happy. I know even if he has a hard time jumping to get to the perch in front of the window, I will make steps to it if I have to. I will be here to baby him as always and he will get even more extra special treatment (if thats even possible :-D ) I know it will probably take some time for him to adjust and adapt, but I know eventually he will be able to get around the house ok.

On the other hand I am still doubting my decision. In a way, I think it is the best decision I can make for him - since the wound is not healing, and because if there are remaining cancer cells (which oncologist and vet are pretty convinced that there are) amputation does seem like the best option and would prevent cancer from spreading.

I keep asking myself... what if he gets this leg amputated and when they send it for biopsy.... there are no remaining cancer cells? I will feel horrible and think I made a bad decision.



Also I think that one of the hardest parts of this whole process is going to be the vet stay. He has to be dropped off at 8am and will have to stay overnight. With how bad his anxiety is, just thinking about how scared he will be there, makes me cry. They said no food after 6pm... which I know is going to be VERY difficult for Jupiter since he usually eats the majority of his food at night. I know while at the vet he is going to be scared and hungry and wonder where I am.

When he had his colon surgery a while back he had to stay at the vet. He stayed there for 5 days and didnt eat a thing. Nothing at all. He was so scared he was literally starving himself. I would go visit him and stay for a few hours but he still wound not eat. I could just see the fear in his eyes and I never wanted to leave him. (I cried everytime I left, and I didnt sleep at all during the 5 days he was there) They wanted him to have a bowel movement before sending him home but he wasnt going to if he wasnt eating and was too scared. I beg and demanded they let me take him home and finally they did, and as soon as he got home he acted starved and ate so much and a while later had a bowel movement. Now, I know that they are only going to keep him there until the next morning and then he will be able to go home... They just want to monitor him for a while... but.... the reason I bring up this story is because he is so terrified of anywhere but home... that he will literally starve himself for 5 days straight. They said they have never seen any cat with such bad anxiety that it will starve themself for that long. I cant even imagine how scared he must feel.

I know I need to try to be positive, but I am the kind of person that just needs to say how I feel and express my concerns in order to feel better about it. I need to face the way I feel about it, so I can be ready for when it all happens. The question I underlined above.... I feel like for myself, thats going to be the hardest thing to deal with. Just wondering or not if I am making the right decision. Just wondering how I am going to feel or how I should feel if the biopsy comes back with no signs of cancer. In a way, I will be so relieved that there are no signs of cancer but at the same time, I am going to feel horrible thinking I made the wrong decision.





Hope Marje's furbabies and Kat's Gobbles are feeling better! Vines to any kitties in need :-D
Comforting vines and prayers for Barb




Hope you all have a great day. Thank you LLEF for doing the fundraiser for Jupiter. Thank you LL family, for being here to support Jupiter and I through these rough past few weeks. I cant ever say thank you enough for everything you all have done for us. :YMHUG:
 
Re: 9/6 Jupiter

It's good to get this all out, so you don't have to keep it going round and round in your mind.

the question you keep asking is valid, but then why isn't his leg healing? He hasn't messed with it and still it's not healing. I can't imagine a vet that would suggest amputation unless they really believed it was absolutely necessary.

I know if I were in your shoes, I'd be freaking out too and I don't know if I would be as calm as you appear to be.

Maybe if a couple days before surgery you stop feeding him at night, or taper the amount of food down, to prepare him. Hopefully, he won't be scared this time and will eat.

It makes me want to cry too and I've never met Jupiter.
 
Re: 9/6 Jupiter

I can so relate to your worrying about how Jupiter will respond.
I feel lucky that I have a vet who understands how anxious I get and my cat gets and allows me to stay up until the very moment they are ready to start the surgery. And then they
even take me to the back when I pick her up so that I can get her out of the kennel/cage. She won't let any of them touch her. And they prefer to keep her as calm as possible.

Since you haven't had the owner vet before, you could try talking to him about Jupiter's severe anxiety and lack of eating before the surgery.
At least, this time it is only 1 day ( and not 5).
I don't know why they chose 6pm as a cut off time for food.... I doubt they will do the surgery at 6 am. Most of them aren't even at the office that early. It seems there should be a little more leeway than that. Twelve hours abstaining should be adequate.
I would ask him about that too.
 
Re: 9/6 Jupiter

Jamie,
Yes, get all the self-doubt off your chest and out of your mind by vocalizing it here!

Also I think that one of the hardest parts of this whole process is going to be the vet stay. He has to be dropped off at 8am and will have to stay overnight. With how bad his anxiety is, just thinking about how scared he will be there, makes me cry. They said no food after 6pm... which I know is going to be VERY difficult for Jupiter since he usually eats the majority of his food at night. I know while at the vet he is going to be scared and hungry and wonder where I am.
Click to expand...

If he is only there for one overnight, I don't think it will be that bad. After an amputation, my guess is that he's going to be on some serious pain meds right after the surgery, and not only will that curb his appetite, but he's most likely going to sleep for most of the time he is there. I think Hilary's suggestion of trying to wean him off the nighttime snacks a couple days beforehand is a good idea.
 
Re: 9/6 Jupiter

I agree with Carl that he will most likely be sedated for pain and wouldn't want food that first day either. They might even keep an iv on him.
 
Re: 9/6 Jupiter

I keep asking myself... what if he gets this leg amputated and when they send it for biopsy.... there are no remaining cancer cells? I will feel horrible and think I made a bad decision.
Click to expand...


I think you're looking into this question too deeply. If there aren't any cancer cells, the wound still wasn't healing..and from what the vets have said, didn't look like it was going to no matter if it's cancer that's preventing the healing, or any number of other things...his licking/chewing, he's just a very very slow healer (but he made such great progress at first, so I doubt this)...there really does have to be a reason the progress stopped and then went backwards...there's just no way to know for 100% why it stopped healing at this point.

If you had tried to do the other surgery (to just remove the dying tissue again), that whole process would have had to start over again...with the possible problems that came with it...and both vets don't think it'd be successful. Jupiter wasn't happy with all the "attention" he got trying to heal the wound. He would possibly have to keep going in for debridement with the stress that comes with that. He was in pain. He hated the bandaging. He hated the e-collar. I think that whether there are or aren't any cancer cells, the fact that he won't have to put up with another month, 3 months (or even longer) of that he'd be a much happier cat.

I think this is more a "quality of life" issue. IF it's cancer that's stopped the healing, he's going to have a much better chance at a long happy life without the leg. If it ends up not having any cancer cells remaining, he wouldn't have had to put up with an unknown amount of time trying to get that wound to fully heal...either way, I think his quality of life will be better by moving forward with the amputation.
 
Re: 9/6 Jupiter

Jamie --

When you bring Jupiter in for his surgery, bring a very smelly t-shirt that you've been wearing. He'll have something that smells of you and he'll know that he's not been deserted. Smell is very important to a cat so it will be something from "home."
 
Re: 9/6 Jupiter

Jamie, I can't add anything to what's already been said. But I wanted to let you know I'm praying for you, Dane & Jupiter. :YMHUG: :YMHUG:
 
Re: 9/6 Jupiter

Jamie...
You're his mommy and you're going to worry. Jeeze I worried like a lunatic when I had a cyst removed from my Jackson's back.

You're doing great. So much better than I would be doing. He will be so sedated that he won't know what's going on until it's time for you to get him. As for the not eating....well, you know you just have to do that.

It WILL break your heart to see him without a leg but he will adjust. There are many many kitties with three legs that get around just fine and Jupe will learn. He is young. Please try to concentrate on the good that will come from this surgery instead of focusing on what maybe might possibly could happen but probably won't. That's why he's having the surgery to prevent all of the what ifs. What if it works and you have another 7, 8, 9 years with Jupiter? How about that? :-D

Stay strong, Jamie. So many many thoughts and prayers are with Jupiter, you and Dane!

xoxo,
Caryl
 
Re: 9/6 Jupiter

Jamie

You are doing the best you can with the information you have. Your vet and oncologist, who are experts, are saying he probably has cancer . The leg isnt healing You really dont have a choice because you cant leave it. If it is cancer it will spread and you would feel bad for having not removed the leg. Or it will get septic or something because it wont heal. It probably hurts.

When he goes for surgery he will be scared beforehand and probably too doped to care afterward.. but when he comes home he will be so relieved. (make sure you get serious pain meds) The leg wont hurt any more. He will be confused about the leg missing.He will likely struggle and fall over and you will feel bad. But unlike humans it will be more of an inconvenience he needs to adapt to. Unlike humans he wont sit and mope and feel sorry for himself. He will learn to live without it. It might take a while though so for now I would start googling how to help him with this process and when to get involved, and when to let him work on doing it himself. Also methods for coping yourself and any adaptations you might need to make to his LB etc.

You are really making the only decision you can.

Wendy
 
Re: 9/6 Jupiter - pain meds after surgery?

they said they are going to give bupe after surgery... enough for a few days. this is probably the best pain meds for him, right?

or is there any other pain meds i should ask about?


the vet said somehting about tramadol and i told the vet he did really bad on tramadol but did great on bupe and he said he could give bupe again... enough for a few days.


does this seem like the right pain med to be given after this surgery?




i would appreciate any input, thanks!


i already have some bupe here but may still get it because i dont want to run out and jupiter be in any pain
 
Since Jupe has had some problems with other meds in the past, and you know how he reacts to the bupe, I think it'd be best for you to stick with what you know is safe and effective for him
 
The only other option may be a Fentanyl patch. They shave an area and put on a transdermal patch. It releases pain meds continuously for several days so you don't have to worry about administering the meds. The only problem I had was one time it was a real bear to get the patch off. Like bupe, it's a narcotic. If you know that bupe works well for Jupiter, then it would be a good choice.
 
I'd stay with the bupe.. you know how he reacts with it already .. and ask for more than enough.... telling the vet that you don't intend to use it.... but you would like to avoid a trip back and forth to get more pain medication. Traveling is difficult for you and costly.
 
we have a tiny bit left from rg & mali and carla just sent us some too. so i think if the vet gives jupiter the amount he thinks he will need....we should be okay with what we have here. i think what carla sent is a 5ml little bottle. so even at .5u twice a day that is 5 days worth of meds alone. so i think as long as the vet sends him home with some we should be good.

i dont know how they usually prescribe bupe but for some reason jupiter seems to do better with like .3ml but then it doesnt last as long. last time the vet prescribed .5ml twice a day. should i ask about giving like .3ml every 8 hours instead?
 
You know Jupiter better than anyone does Jamie. Tell the vet how he's reacted before and express your concerns. I don't know why it couldn't be given every 8 but let the professional advise you on that once you've had a chance to discuss it with him.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top