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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Hey! My name is Cassandra!
Me and my boyfriend are from and live in Sweden and we have two beautiful cats named Leiah and Tauriel. Both are rescue cats. I got Leiah 6 years ago and 1 year ago we got Tauriel.
Tauriels story on how she became a tripaw cat seems to be a little bit different as she doesn't have cancer or was in an accident. She just had her amputation 2 days ago and came home today.
A couple of months ago we noticed that Tauriel had a slight limp on her left hind leg, we took her to a vet that could not find the reason for her limp. We got metacam to give her for 2 weeks. After half a week of metacam she began to limp again. So we got a referral to a clinic 1 and a half hour away.
They concluded that she had a patella subluxation, her kneecap wasn't in the right position. We booked a time for operation, a fairly simple procedure.
We got home and it seemed like she was in some pain, she wouldn't move that much and hardly ate. After a week she began to walk again but she wasn't putting any weight on the leg.
After 3 weeks we went to a clinic closer to home for rehab. The physiotherapist who looked her over said that something wasn't right, a vet came and looked and said that Tauriel should be almost back to normal now but she wasn't, not even close.
He took her in for a x-ray and this is what he found (sorry if it's very large):[Image Can Not Be Found]
The priece of bone that was moved to fix her kneecap was broken (red), meaning that her kneecap (blue) and in extension her muscle wasn't attached to anything. Making it impossible for her to put any weight on it.
After a week (!) of waiting the clinic who performed the operation called back and gave us the options.
1. Do another surgery, hoping it will work (but it probably wouldn't as the piece of bone was dying)
2. Don't do anything at all (which was not an option as we could see she was on pain sometime)
3. Amputation. Here he said "I don't like to do that"
So I said we are going to amputate but not at your clinic (had heard some where bad things about that clinic after Tauriels operation)
So the amputation took place in the clinic that found that something was wrong this friday. Everything went great, we got her home today. Except that she has these panic attacks sometimes when she tries to get up put can't. She starts to walk backwards and falls and jumps. Sometimes she screams. I try to be calm, and not move, just talking in a calm voice.
I have read that some of you have experienced this and I was wondering how long did it take before this stopped for your cats?
Hi Cassandra! Welcome to you and the kitties, we're so glad you joined (of course sorry you had to, this is the club nobody wants to join 😉
So here's a post that may interest you:
One Hop Forward, Two Hops Back: The Backwards Walk
We've seen this before, it's not all that uncommon. Little Man was the first one who introduced us to it. I know we actually have some video here but I can't find it right now. Meanwhile, you have the right approach when this happens: Be calm and confident, and know that it's a temporary thing. Is she on any pain medication right now? If so, which ones?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you 🙂
Yes she has this fentanyl patch and she is still on metacam.
So sorry you've had to go through such a rough time to finally get to a place where Tauriel will finally be pain free once recovery takes place.
I knkw this initial recovery part is hard, but it doesn't last forever!
The patch can make furbavies quite whacky. Most of what you're seeing is most likely because of the hospital meds still in ner, as well as the patch. Of course, pain could certainly be a factor. Other cat owners will chime in, but many come home with a pain med that starts with a "B"...I know, that's not much of a clue!
How long is the patch on? Did the Vet give you follow up meds after the patch comes off?
You're doing a great job! Recovery is no picnic! Soon this will be all behind you...PROMISE!
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!
M
benny55 said
So sorry you've had to go through such a rough time to finally get to a place where Tauriel will finally be pain free once recovery takes place.I knkw this initial recovery part is hard, but it doesn't last forever!
The patch can make furbavies quite whacky. Most of what you're seeing is most likely because of the hospital meds still in ner, as well as the patch. Of course, pain could certainly be a factor. Other cat owners will chime in, but many come home with a pain med that starts with a "B"...I know, that's not much of a clue!
How long is the patch on? Did the Vet give you follow up meds after the patch comes off?
You're doing a great job! Recovery is no picnic! Soon this will be all behind you...PROMISE!
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Thank you.
I think here in Sweden fentanyl patch is a standard because she got it after her first surgery as well.
We are removing the patch tomorrow (tomorrow is tuesday in sweden) and after that she will just have metacam once a day.
Welcome to the family. I hope you will post some lovely photos of Tauriel soon. And of course her lovely fursister too. 🙂
My notes from Smore though say that metacam is just an antinflammatory. Does that mean Tauriel won't have pain meds? She didn't use a fentanyl patch though so I'm not sure if it somehow gives them all the pain meds at once?
I'm glad surgery went well. She'll bounce back and be up to mischief before you know it! Sally's right though: those meds make things a little foggy. The backward walk is definitely something our rear leg amputees struggle with.
I'm not really sure why that vet didn't want to do an amputation though. They really do live to lead very normal lives. Just know Tauriel might have some trouble jumping up high now without the boost of that missing limb.
You may also eventually want to consider a joint supplement for her. A couple other cat guardians recommended I ask about it, and my vet brought it up as well. We use Cosequin brand but there are others. I can't remember the names anymore though.
Sally - Smore was on burprenorphine for pain. Could that be what you're thinking of? Maybe not though because she never actually had a fentanyl patch.
-Tina and Smore
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 don't have much more to add to the discussion. My cat Mona received the same pain killer and anti-inflammatory as Smore - buprenorphine and Metacam.
I think your cat may still have pain if screaming out. You might want to discuss this with the vet for an additional pain killer. Amputation is major surgery and I think most pets have at least 5 days of pain medications. Sometimes an ice pack wrapped in a towel feels good on the surgical site.
I agree with Tina (scratches for Sweet Smore) and Sally's input. Although recovery isn't always easy, cats do adapt well to 3 legs.
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
Thank you all for your kind words an reassuring comments. They mean alot.
It is now 5 days after surgery and things are getting better. Her attacks are getting shorter (just like 2-3 sec) and they are a lot fewer attacks a day.
We are removing har patch later today and hopefully she will become a little bit clearer in the head.
We did have a bit of a scar yesterday when we noticed that she was bleeding from somewhere on her stomach and had a lot of bruising. We couldn't find a wound so we took her to the vet just to make sure. They shaved her a little bit more and then you could see a tiny sore. Probably she got it from one of her earliest attacks as we hadn't gotten all things set up in her room.
But it was no big deal. 🙂
I am trying to upload a pic of her and hopefully it will work.
Taureil is beautiful...even in a, cone!
Glad things are settling down a bit. I'm sure seeing the tummy "wound" was scary! You're doing a great job of watching over her.
Tha ks for shari g tbe pictures! She is such a pretty girl!!
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS..Thanks Tina for figuring out the drug that started with a "b"! 
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!
1 Guest(s)
