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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Thank you all for your comments on Mr. Gibbs. I am starting a new topic(hope I am doing this correct) to try to make our decision easier.
Mr Gibbs is a joy in our life. He genually misses us when we are gone and is so excited about all aspects of his life. He loves to play ball, swim and go for walks with his brother. I am so afraid that with only three legs he will no have the life he is used to. But being selfish I do not want to see him go. He is like a child to us and always looks to us for approval of everything he does.
So in short we have this weekend to decide what we are going to do. As said before we lost our two Golden's years ago to Cancer within a few days of each other. At least with Mr Gibbs I have a fighting chance. The X-rays of his lungs showed nothing so that is a blessing.
Thanks for your comments.
David Arlaud
Hi David and Mr. Gibbs - Yay that his lungs are clear, and I know all to well what a difficult decision this is. My beautiful 6 year old Bruce underwent amputation 3 days ago (back left leg), he came home the same day as his surgery and while the first night was a little bit hard, the next morning he was out hopping around the yard and managing our front steps. By day two he was running (we are trying to keep him from doing too much of that until he's healed a bit more, but he's hard to slow down). he likes to race vehicle across the front of the yard and whenever he sees the neighbors dog outside he feels the need to run up and down the fence line like a maniac. I would never have expected him to be doing so well so quickly, it is like he was born with three legs.
Best of luck to both you and Mr. Gibbs, I will be watching for updates.
Tracy and Bruce
MR. GIBBS!!! I LOVE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADORABLE PHOTO!!
Clearly you are a very loved pup. It makes me smile reading all about the special ways you live life to the fullest. And ya' know what? If you do need to proceed with amputation to get rid of that bum leg, you will still be able to do all those fun things!!
If your vets think Mr. Gibbs is a good candidate, then he should do just fine. It's great that his xrays are clear!!
I know it's a gut wrenching decision. I cried and agonized for days and days. I even scheduled the surgery for my Happy Hannah and cancelled it before proceeding! Recovery was no picnic at all! I didn't join this community until day six of her recovery. I thought I had made a horrible decision. I was tnrown a lifeline athe d avle to settle down and because of the support and information here. IT WAS A GREAT DECISION!! My Happy Hannah was pain free again!' And as 225 lb Bull Mastiff, she handled three legs effortlessly!!
Your Mr. Gibbs will be able to do eeverything he always does but without pain!! Have you checked out the Tripawd videos? You'll see our dogs swim, fetch, sunbathe, do agility courses, eat pizza.....yeah, the spoiling of a tripawd is so much fun 🙂
STAY CONNECTED! We are here for you! Any decision made out of love is the right decision! I, like you, felt like I had to try and give my Happy Hannah a chance! I felt like she would want that chance. I felt like if I didn't try, the what ifs would haunt me. Even kf things didn't turn out well, at least I tried! Talk with Mr Gibbs. Let him vuide you.
Sounds like Mr Gibbs has two great Goldens as his Guardian Angels
Sending lots of hugs, peace and clarity
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!
Thank you for what you have said. I am afraid it is harder on us humans than for the dog. He is on pain meds right now and is not using his right front leg to walk most of the time. Maybe that is sign from him. This will be a very long weekend as the decision day draws ever closer. I just wonder if putting him through all this is the right thing to do. I am hoping that with help from all the people who have gone through this, that the end decision will be one that will be best for my Mr Gibbs. He looks to us for everything and if I could just talk to him it would be easier.
Thank you and I will keep this update as the time moves quickly along
Thank you both for you words of encouragement and caring. We have set Sunday as the decision day and can hope we make the correct one.
Maybe it would help to write down your specific concerns. You've mentioned "putting him through this". What specifically does that mean to you? You can run them by your vet and by us here. We've all been in your shoes so we understand.
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!
I am so sorry you are faced with this decision, but I am very glad that you have found your way here, as there is so much experience in this community to help you make the best decision for you and Mr Gibbs.
Meg was lucky in that she wasn't facing a cancer diagnosis. The decision to amputate was not straightforward in her case either though, because of serious problems in her opposite leg. I came here to ask for advice just as you are doing.
She is now very nearly six months post amp (of her front right leg), and I guess what I want to emphasise is that, while every dog is different, and every situation is different, I have been truly amazed by how well she has adjusted and by how thoroughly she is still able to enjoy all of the things she loves doing. She is also a ball dog, and loves swimming, and she continues to play with her ball and swim pretty much every day. Her walks are shorter now, but she thoroughly enjoys them – a little too much at times, I confess. She has caught three rabbits since her op, and even gave a hare a jolly good run for his money. Here future is uncertain because of the problems with her opposite leg, but her present is GREAT, and I no matter what happens I will never regret the decision to amputate.
I thought you might enjoy this little film I made to celebrate her two month ampuversary...
All best,
Meg and Clare xx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 23 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
I think what I mean is amputation is a big ordeal and do not want him to suffer more than he already is. I just need to make sure in my own mind that once this is done his quality of life will be good. Maybe I am worried about how I feel watching him limp around on three legs than what is best for him. Hope that makes sense.
That is a great film. Looks like the amp has not hampered her enthusiasm. I guess my biggest worry is him not adapting to it. Or maybe it is my worry of not adapting to it. Thank you.
Many have had to process tbrough the emotions you are dealing with. So normal. And yes, they are "human" emotions and NOT the emotions of dog!
I know it's hard to wrap your head around from the perspective of Mr Gibbs. Truly though, it really is Three Legs and a Spare when it comes to dogs and cats!
The incision site at first will draw attention to the fact he's missing a leg. That and the fact they shave a lot of fur! Once the fur grows back you will forget he's a tripawd! Also try and relate that the "missing spare" means the pain is gone!
You're doing angreat excellent nob of processing your thoughts. This is not easy, not at all. But once yiu make aa decision, whatever that might be, you will feel a sense of relief and you will move forward.
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!
Here's the link to some great videos. Now, some are right after surgery and some are a few weeks out.
Check out the most recent ones of Tankman ad of Novak
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!
The first two weeks of recovery are hard (but, honestly, for us it was not as hard as the recovery period when my other lab had cruciate repair surgery). But very quickly Otis was back to doing his normal doggy stuff. Our walks are pretty short, but everything else is the same. He sleeps on the sofa, chases cats and squirrels, has figured out how to lift his leg to do what needs to be done, plays with his sister Tess, steals food off the counter and goes up and down stairs. Some things might be different on three, but they will still be pretty great!
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.
Thanks otisandtess. I guess I know he will adapt just will be painful watching him do it. Unfortunately I have to travel right after the planned surgery and will feel guilty not being here to participate in his recovery. Thankfully my wife and I have a great friend, Susan that lives with us and she will be able to help out. I wish I could get out of the travel but do not think that is an option.
You know he is in pain now and the bone pain from cancer will only get worse. Most pups get back to themselves in 2 to 3 weeks after surgery, which is really amazing when you think about it. I've gone through two knee surgeries with my quad-pug boy Obie and his recovery was way longer than when my pug Maggie lost a rear leg to mast cell cancer. Mag's pain from the amputation surgery resolved much faster than from the knee surgeries Obie had.
That being said- Maggie hated changes to her routine- she was unhappy for about 6 weeks after her surgery to remove her back leg and I thought I had made a terrible decision. No medical complications- she was off the pain meds at the end of two weeks- she just HATED change! As an example- she was mad for a month when I traded in my truck for a SUV and she couldn't ride in the front seat anymore...she would sit with her back to me and not even look out the windows! So for her it made sense to take so long to adapt to her new normal.
After Mag's surgery her prognosis was downgraded to 'poor' because they found lots of cancerous mast cells in the lymph node removed with the leg (really bad in mast cell cancer), her prognosis was 6 to 9 months. I made the mistake of focusing on that time like it was etched in stone somewhere- that when we hit the 6 month mark she would vanish in a puff of smoke! While I was worrying about the end and missing all the things I thought she couldn't do anymore Maggie was right there in front of me living her spoiled pug life and figuring out how to do all the things she wanted to do. I finally realized that I was the only one missing things, Maggie was getting on with her life and not worried about a thing!
I was so fortunate that Mag beat the mast cell cancer and lived almost 4 years. Not all are so lucky of course, but if I hadn't given her a chance with amputation she definitely wouldn't have had such a long life.
It sounds like Mr. Gibbs still has a zest for life! What you are thinking about doing, the amputation, will take away the excruciating bone pain that cancer brings and you will be giving him a chance at more quality, pain free time with you and your family.
No matter what you decide to do we are here to support you and help you thought this journey.
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
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