Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

So happy to read Ada is doing well.....yes, the first week or so can be trying for some pups, but overall, it sounds very good, and she seems to be getting back to herself. Pain meds and getting them regulated can be tricky for some of our pups and kitties, but once they are past the 2 week mark, they are usually completely back to normal.

Continue to keep us posted on your sweet girl and you will definitely see her improving every single day.
Bonnie, Angel Polly, and new crew

I'm so glad she's doing better! Really, it is so difficult to read what's going on with them during the rollercoaster. However, I think she's in very, very good hands!

Deb, I don't have any real advice but wanted to reply in solidarity ... my Ollie had his amputation (also an OSA diagnosis) May 12, so we're two days ahead of you and Ada in the recovery process. As everyone says, all dogs are different -- but for us, days six through 12 were the hardest. Ollie slept almost nonstop when he wasn't eating or on a potty break, and he also turned away from treats he used to devour. His eyes lacked their sparkle and he just had no energy.

However, yesterday (day 13) he seemed to turn a corner, suddenly having brighter eyes and being more awake. He jumped up on the couch for the first time and also went up a few stairs by himself (we aren't encouraging this yet; it happened so fast we weren't ready for it). We took him to a quiet local park to lie in the grass for a while, and it was the first real excitement we'd seen from him.

This morning, he seemed just as lively as yesterday, and he suddenly had a lot of pep in his step when we took him out to pee. It's been encouraging. His sutures come out tomorrow and our vet says the week after that is when most people report the greatest progress.

Just wanted to share this to give you more hope that Ada's ups and downs are normal and that you can likely count on more "ups" in the very near future. Good luck and keep us posted!

I am super new to this forum, just signed up less than ten minutes ago. I am fascinated with your guys' experiences in this thread as today my dog got the amputation diagnosis. The tumor is gross and the placement is bad so no matter what it is, we're amputating. The biopsy will be done once the leg is removed and to be completely honest, I am not worried so much at all about how she will get around without the leg, as it has been several months since she has used it properly (long arduous story meant for another time.) I would really like to keep up with your experiences since you're going through this at a time so similar to mine. We are not entirely sure that it's OS but my ortho vet sounds very convinced that that's more than likely the case, so I am really looking to find some supportive people who can help me and who I can also be there for during a time as confusing and uncomfortable as this one. I really hope Ada does great coming out of her resting stage! I will definitely be keeping a very close eye on your story 🙂 Good thoughts coming from Detroit, Michigan!