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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we go to the pound almost every weekend. This week there was ziggy. He's 5 months old and was a rescue dog. He lost this front leg due to an infection from getting his foot stuck in a trap. We really want to foster him then hopefully adopt him. We spent an hour with him and that was all it took. But we live on the second floor of an apartment. Although I really want him, I'm worried he will have trouble with the stairs. Should we let someone with a better living situation adopt him or take our chances of having Ziggy get hurt?
Awwww Ziggy is so lucky to find humans like you, I hope you decide to take him in. One flight of stairs shouldn't be a problem as long as you're careful about how you let him in and out. We would guide Jerry up and down our stairs (he had 18 to go inside our out), by gently guiding him with the handle of his Ruffwear Webmaster harness . It's not impossible to have a Tripawd living in a walk-uup.
Tell us more about Ziggy? Breed? Got pics? Here's a post about adding images to the Forums. Let me know if you'd like help.
Thanks so much for joining, we hope you decide to adopt. And if you do, the Tripawds Foundation will even pay for the adoption fee. See:
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Otis, also a front leg amp, could easily do the stairs up to my second floor, without harness or assistance. I did try to limit the number of times he went up and down, but he was also an older dog. One question - are the stairs carpeted or otherwise Tripawd friendly? Is there carpet or a solid floor mat at the bottom with good traction ?
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Honestly, with stairs being no big issue to a second floor for my nearly 12 year old recent amputee with cancer, I can't imagine it will be trouble for most dogs who have had an amp at such a young age with no other health concerns.
Topic with video of Pofi going up stairs.
You clearly feel a connection with Ziggy - and you may need a harness to help him for a while, but I imagine youth and strength will lessen that need in time!
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
Stairs hasn't posed a problem for my Jack. We were living in a 4 story row house for a while last year and our bedroom was on the top floor. Jack had to go up and down at least twice a day and she did great. We carpeted the set of stairs that was wood because she was scared to go down unassisted, but otherwise handled it like a champ.
You are awesome for considering Ziggy and clearly a concerned mom or dad for asking about the stair issue.
How big is Ziggy? How big will he get?
I have a small pug mix named Elly who lost her right rear leg to a car accident. In general rear amps have issues going up things and front amps have issues going down things. I live in a split level house and Elly flies up and down the stairs with no problem. She is smaller than my first Tri-pug Maggie who lost a rear leg to cancer. Mag never really could do the same stairs but she was older at the time of her amp.
I know that as Elly ages (she is only about 1.5 years old now) stairs will become an issue- but that will be more because of her small size.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Shelby was a 25 pound rear amp and she handled the steps to our apt like a champ! She was better going down (I think) than up but she managed. Also, since she was small, I could pick her up but I suspect young pup like Ziggy will probably do great on his own!
Can't wait to hear more about him.
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
We might not get hi now. We would really like him but the ASPCA where we are looking keeps lying to us about him. They don't know why they had to amputate his front right leg. They said he is a hound mix. Then they said he's cleared for adoption and no longer needs foster, we just want to make sure he's healthy. The woman must have mentioned me to be there only when she is there around 5 times. He isn't 5 months any more apparently he is 1 year but she wasn't sure. I took him out of his pen today and he had a really bad cough and kept trying to nip his stiches. I informed them but all she seemed to care about was us adopting him right then and there. I am unsure how to post a picture of him. I'll try and figure it out. Is there anyway we could get the real information on him? We tried to contact the vet onsite but he just told us to trust the woman's instincts.
That is really concerning. Especially if he is an osteo dog whose leg broke and they amputated it without more evaluation (or without being honest with you). Normally, I would say take him to your own vet, but the way they are trying to pressure you into this really bothers me. I suppose they won't let you see his medical file? I am totally in favor of a tripawd finding a new home, but osteosarcoma is horrible, and I would not want to see you have to go through that when you are hoping for a new life together. Sorry to be a downer, but I really don't like the way this is sounding (but I know that some of these agencies are just trying to get animals out the door).
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
So it turns out we can not get him, we think he is a lot sicker than they say he is. But we would like to report that shelter. He has kennel cough and we still aren't allowed to see his original medical file. i was practically in tears yesterday. We are looking to report that shelter though. The way they treat and lie about their animals sickens me. And I am SO WORRIED about Ziggy. 
If it is just kennel cough, there may be a happy ending. Our Otis had kennel cough when he first went into a shelter, and had just been released for adoption the day we found him. Is there anyone at the shelter who is nice, and who would let you know how Ziggy is doing?
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
That's such a bummer that he's sick and that they're being so shady. He looks like such a handsome and sweet boy. Maybe he'll get better and you'll be able to talk to a different person who knows what's going on and for to be honest.
Tina and Smore
(with the spirit of Pebbles watching from the Rainbow Bridge)
Smore is my tripawd kitty who adopted me one summer evening. She had an injury to her front left leg and had to have her leg removed July 17th. She was only 3 or 4 months old at the time. Now she moves faster than some four legged cats!
I spoke with an elder woman who has been honest since the beginning. She is just a volenteer though. They said his original file is gone and the doc wrote up this "healthy" sheet. She also said he's not ready for adoption and is still pretty sick. Then she said it was to early for them to take out the stiches. They are just trying to push him out the door. It even says they foster on their website, so that's why I'm confused. We just want to make sure he's not sicker that they say. And we would also like to know why they amputated his front leg. The woman called yesterday and threatened if we didn't adopt someone else will when they put him up so we better do it, we just wanted a few questions answered on him and they can't seem to do that.
Poor Ziggy! He looks so pitiful!! Going through major surgery, trying to adapt to three legs, being sick and aybe not even getting his pain managed properly...breaking my heart over here!
Generally stitches stay in about two weeks. They need bed rest, pain meds, hydration, just short potty breaks.
He looks younger than one yr to me.
They had the amputation done and cannot tell you WHY??? That's craaaaazy!!
Is it possible YOUR vet coukd call and ask for records...or ask to speak with the Vet who did the surgery? Or, if you have the Vet's name, would your vet call him on your behalf?
Where do you live?
Maybe we could list him under our Tripawds for adoption.
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
That's ridiculous. I get how a dog can come in and have a sketchy history because it's a stray; however, if they performed the surgery they should know what's going on. They don't sound like a shelter I'd want to do business with. Someone needs to investigate that because it sounds as if they're falsifying documentation if the original is lost and someone made up this "healthy" report. Is the doctor the lady you have been speaking with? I really hope all of this is just a terrible case of miscommunication among workers and not as terrible as it sounds.
Tina and Smore
(with the spirit of Pebbles watching from the Rainbow Bridge)
Smore is my tripawd kitty who adopted me one summer evening. She had an injury to her front left leg and had to have her leg removed July 17th. She was only 3 or 4 months old at the time. Now she moves faster than some four legged cats!
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