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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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A couple more questions- separate from initial diagnosis.
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Member Since:
23 November 2016
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26 November 2016 - 11:11 am
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If this doesn't belong here, feel free to move it. Some random questions (our dog faces the surgery Dec 1). There will be many more I'm sure. Still sick about all this.

1) Did you crate your dog after the surgery, and if so for how long during day and how many days after? If not, appreciate confinement and home modification ideas. We've gotten a good start I think but are looking to see what else we can do to make safer for our Nellie

2) After the stitches are out (10-14 days) are couches (hop up and off with supervision) still off limits in general? How long until you can get back to the dog's normal routine? Nellie was an all access dog- would often come home and find here up on the top floor in our guest bedroom.

3) Optimistic and longer term- with a 3 legger how do you trim the nails? Lying down?

4) Worried about an otherwise minor injury to the good paw, like a thorn or bruise or cut. Anyone have any experiences to share on how they recover from normally minor injuries on the forelimb that is remaining?

Virginia







Member Since:
22 February 2013
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26 November 2016 - 11:44 am
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Asany questions anytime!! That's what we're here for!!

Keep in mind that every dog is different and every recovery is different.

Initially, you'll wa t Nellie to rest, rest, rest! She should nust go out for short potty breaks and then back to rest.

Block off any access to stairs. Bet non slip scatter rugs for traction if you have hardwoods or vinyl.

Raise the food bowl and water bowl slightly to he@p reduce strain.

"Confinement" really depends on whether Nellie.needs it or not. If she's not used to a crate, that may flip her out.while my Happy Hannah was very restless a dd whiny and .iserable the first severaw days, she just stayed in her bed a d didn't try to roam the hiuse at all. I have a very small living area so it wouldn't have been an issue anyway.

Definitely no jumping up on couch for first two weeks. You can assist them though. Separating dogs from their couches seems to cause them more stress than the surgery itself!!

Yes, they can return to most of their normal activities usually arpu d tne two week mark. Obviously, your walks need to be slow and easy at first. Distance does not build up strength.

Some dogs handle stairs just fine. Some not as easily. Front leggers find it harder goi g down, and rear legger narder going up. Just monitor Nellie at first. If she masters stairs easily, that's great. If not, you may want to use a baby gate in those stairs whule you are gone.

There are all sorts of booties made for pups you can check I to later if you'll be outdoors in rough terrain. Check out our Gear Blog .

As far as ail clipping, no help tnere! I have to get the Vet to do it, whether three or four legs! If there were ro be a paw injury, you would use a harness to he@p them get around, as well as "rest and rrecuperate"

Try not to think too far ahead for now. Things really will fall into place a d youlle admjst pretty quickly to all the nuances of caring for a tripawd.

Just a couple of tips. Others will chime in with more. Be sure and read the download books on Living Life on Three Legs

You'll do just fine...and so will Nellie!!

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!

On The Road


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26 November 2016 - 4:07 pm
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You ask great questions! I'll share our experience here:

1) Did you crate your dog after the surgery, and if so for how long during day and how many days after? If not, appreciate confinement and home modification ideas.

Jerry wasn't crated but confined to a couple of rooms in the house with baby gates. We also had our stairs blocked off. We didn't have other dogs so it was easy to keep him mellow. He only went on leashed potty walks to the backyard, 2 or 3 times a day until his stitches were out.

2) After the stitches are out (10-14 days) are couches (hop up and off with supervision) still off limits in general? How long until you can get back to the dog's normal routine?

That depends on the dog, and what kind of shape they were in before surgery. Fit and younger dogs have an advantage, but everyone needs to start slow. Leaping off furniture like beds is not a good idea, though I know it's hard to avoid that with many high energy dogs. If you can add steps to the bed, that's wise. As for getting back to the old routine like with walks, it's smart to take things slow. Walk a few minutes at a time (start with 3-5 and build up) and remember, if your pup sits down you've gone too far. Cut back and do shorter walks for a while. The most common thing we see here is people allowing their dogs to do too much too soon, then injuring themselves.

3) Optimistic and longer term- with a 3 legger how do you trim the nails? Lying down?

Definitely lying down.

4) Worried about an otherwise minor injury to the good paw,

That's a challenge. If something happens and you simply need to cover the paw, a bootie like Pawz will help. If it involves rest and staying off the foot, that's where confinement comes in. But try not to think that far ahead. Most times our biggest fears do not come to fruition.

Hope this helps!

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

Member Since:
14 February 2016
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26 November 2016 - 4:23 pm
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My Otis was back on the sofa as soon as the staples came out.  He was a big boy, so it wasn't really jumping, more climbing, but it was his favorite place.  I just couldn't say no anymore.  I couldn't get Otis to use a step up to the bed, so I removed the frame and slept on the box spring and mattress.  That extra 6 inches seemed to make a difference.

Our oncologist had his toenails trimmed when he was there for chemo.  He never liked it, so I was always reliant on vets to do it.

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.

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