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Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.

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Help me please: time estimate for amp care after dog attack?
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Member Since:
4 May 2012
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4 May 2012 - 12:59 am
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Two years ago my beautiful Champion bred Australian Shepherd Kaylee was viciously attacked by two neighborhood dogs. we have an invisible fence for and our two rescue dogs. Minutes from death my husband got her to the vet and a week later her back leg had to be amputated. It was a horrid time and it was 3 months and 4 surgical procedures before she was healed. I hope this isn't offensive to any of you but my problem is this: after two years I finally was able to get one of the dog owners to submit the cost of the amputation to his home owners. I wrote a long explanation of the many hours of care Kaylee required. It seems at first every waking and sleeping minute required care because of the terrible trauma of the mauling. Anyway, today the insurance adjuster said I need to present a list of hours i spent on care and rehabilitation from the mauling. At the time it happened I was also recovering from having my own leg amputated and was exhausted. I am clueless what I can submit for this. I don't want o just toss out a figure but also need my money back as i am on disability. Only one owner will accept responsibility and he other owner moved away so the best I will get is half the cost anyway.

Today Kaylee is doing quite well. She isn't the same personality since the mauling but a wonderful dog. Her weight is a constant worry as it he fear she will injure her other back leg.

Again, I hope this doesn't offend you Pawrents of other tripawds.

knoxville, tn
Member Since:
12 February 2010
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4 May 2012 - 7:36 am
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welcome to the site, future posts won't require moderation.  geesh, you guys have been through the ringer!!  glad to hear kaylee is doing well, hope you too are doing well - we always say 'Be More Dog ', but you've taken that to new heights!!

if i had to quantify recovery (and we faced cancer, not trauma) i'd say the first two weeks are almost solid watch/worry so i'd probably say at least 18 hour/day for those.  after that, i'd try to figure an allotment of time for each rehab/vet visit, say three hours, and then just do a tally, based on the number of visits...  this is just a suggestion, hope you can come up with a quantifiable $$ amount to help offset the cost...of course, the cost to kaylee can't be recovered, but at least you were able to save her life.  we'd love to see a picture of her, and your other pups too!!

 

charon & spirit gayle

Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included).  She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.

Love Never Ends

http://etgayle

San Diego, CA
Member Since:
29 October 2010
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4 May 2012 - 1:50 pm
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Oh my goodness, what a lot you've been through! Hope you are both doing better!

Nonsense though - not offensive at all. If you need to put a dollar value on it, that's what you need to do. As Charon said, I'd go through all your vet visit records and calculate 3 hours/visit - unless you live unusually far from your vet and think it should be more. I think 18hrs/day is definitely reasonable for the first week. For us, it was less the second week, but our dog was quite young and recovered pretty well, so didn't need as much constant attention by week two. Of course, I would imagine you would have had a harder recovery with her, because of the trauma of the event. For us, it was cancer, so she just was limping and we went in and found we had to do the amp - a very different situation.

I hope that helps and I hope you get a decent amount of money back. (Where do you live? I happened to hear just the other day - from a woman who's neighbor was sued over a dog bite - that the max a homeowners' insurance policy will pay for a dog attack is $12K - but I have no idea if that is true or correct or if that's only in CA or what. Just thought I'd toss that tidbit out there in case that is helpful in anyway to know....)

All the best. I know you could never be "compensated" for what's happened to your wonderful pup, but I hope you get a fair settlement!

Jackie, Angel Abby's mom

Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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4 May 2012 - 4:22 pm
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Offensive? Oh my gosh no way, not at all. What a horrible thing to have happen to you. You were being responsible, your neighbors weren't. You need to do what you need to do, we all understand that.

I'm just glad that Kaylee is better. You're smart to keep an eye on her weight. As long as she stays slim, she should be fine. Her size is a big advantage as a Tripawd.

Like many, we found that the first two weeks were the roughest emotionally and time-wise. Try to think back and ask yourself, was she sleeping through the night? Or were you awakened a lot during those two weeks?

Caring for a post-amp dog who's had to deal with other issues from trauma is a lot different. I would guess that with three surgeries you expended 3x as much care and energy to cope. Plus, in dealing with your own amputation, wow, I can't even imagine.

I hope you get a fair settlement too, and that you can put this behind you. Meanwhile if you need anything at all we'll help however we can. 

We'd love to see some photos of Kaylee when you get a chance!

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Las Vegas, Nevada
Member Since:
14 August 2009
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4 May 2012 - 9:40 pm
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Oh gosh! 

I know everyone has healed physically but those emotional scars really last a long time!  I'm just so sorry your baby Kaylee had to go through it. 

I have no suggestions on how to calculate, I just wanted to welcome you two to our group!

I hope you get what you deserve in money! You more than deserve it!

Her Retired AvatarComet - 1999 to 2011

She departed us unexpectedly  January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.

She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.

Leicester, NY
Member Since:
11 February 2011
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5 May 2012 - 4:21 pm
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Do not forgot gas and mileage to and from the vets and to get meds and supplies.

(your vet can probably give you a list of dates you were there, figure the mileage roundtrip to the vets for each day)

Did I forget to say welcome to the group??? My bad- sorry! Welcome Kaylee and Kaylees mom!

Spirit Samson was Spirit Tripawd Daisys four legged "brother" and ruled as the self proclaimed head of the Monkeybutt Federations East Coast Division. Lady Chunky Monkey stayed from Oct 2011 and left for the bridge in Apr 2012. Miss Perdy is left and has some big pawprints to fill.
Do you have what it takes to be a Monkeybutt? Find out more at the Monkeybutt Federation

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