Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

Debbie,

Thank you for joining us here and sharing Koda's story. We are so sorry that he is in pain, and hope that he feels better soon. What a tough situation to be in, and you are a good pawrent for weighing all your options. I have to admit, I just about choked on my breakfast when I read what your coworker/friends are suggesting. Yikes! I feel really sorry for them, since they seem to have no real idea of the kind of lessons that ALL dogs can teach us about resiliency and determination. Well, their loss. Here are some things to consider:

Koda is a puppy, and will grow into a relatively small size, which lends itself to adapting on three legs quite well. As you've seen here, bigger dogs can do fine as tripawds, but smaller dogs tend to have an easier time. Plus, you won't be dealing with cancer so how fortunate is that? He'll hardly know life any other way if you do the amputation now.

Once you amputate, that could be it in the way of dealing with this injury. I'm no vet, that's what I'm guessing. The initial cost would be high: typically between $1k to $1500k, but after surgery and recovery, you're most likely done with this phase of his life. Like Jake's Mom suggested, perhaps you could get the humane society and/or the vet to help out by reducing the cost, since he is so new to your family? Just a thought.

We don't want to tell you what to do, but just want to share our exprience. The Tripawd lifestyle ain't no big thing for dogs, especially when they're also not dealing with cancer. It's the silly, uneducated humans that make a big deal out of it. But just take a look at how well dogs can live on three legs, you'll be amazed, and learn so much from them!

One thing to consider is the activity level of a tripawd can sometimes be reduced a little bit. Their muscles are working harder than four-leggers when they run and walk, so if you're into long distance hiking and running, Koda could have a hard time with that. But then again, maybe not, due to his size and the fact that he's growing into Tripawd living. It's when adult dogs suddenly become tripawds that they tend to have a significant reduction in endurance levels.

Good luck. Please keep us posted on what you decide to do OK? We'll support your decision no matter what, because everyone is different and has different circumstances, we understand completely.

P.S. Hope it's OK but I moved your post to the "Beyond Cancer" forum topic, for dogs that are facing amputation for reasons other than cancer.

Wow, that IS really ironic!

We have some financial resources listed here that might be able to point you in the right direction. Good luck, let us know how it goes OK?

Oh gosh, many hugs. My pawrents understand completely, they had about 30 seconds to decide if they wanted to proceed with my amputation when I was under anesthesia for an MRI. It's hard to make that call, but in the end, getting rid of the pain is the best thing.

We hope everything goes well, please let us know when you hear something. You are both in our thoughts.

Oh yeayyy!

Yeah, as hard as it is not to rush over there, you're making a good call. It's probably best to let him recuperate at the vets for a night.

Remember, when you do go pick him up, be strong. It's a shock to see the scar and bandage, but you want to let him know that you are there for him no matter what, and you believe he WILL be a happy healthy tripawd! Remember to ask your vet about what to expect, when you should call if you need to, and what signs to look out for if you suspect something's wrong.

It'll be nice to have someone watching out for him, sounds like a good plan. We always suggest keeping a new tripawd in a small confined area, like a bedroom, with non-slip floors, and easy access to water.

We would love to see a pic with the t-shirt when he's feeling stronger. Thanks so much for ordering from the Tripawds storefront.

You two will be just fine, we know it. Hang in there, and let us know if you need anything.