TRIPAWDS: Home to 22969 Members and 2152 Blogs.
HOME » NEWS » BLOGS » FORUMS » CHAT » YOUR PRIVACY » RANDOM BLOG

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.

JUMP TO FORUMS

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!

Please consider registering
Guest
Search
Forum Scope


Match



Forum Options



Minimum search word length is 3 characters - maximum search word length is 84 characters
Register Lost password?
sp_Feed sp_PrintTopic sp_TopicIcon-c
Surgery coming up - starting to freak out
sp_NewTopic Add Topic
Member Since:
2 August 2018
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
1
17 August 2018 - 8:50 am
sp_Permalink sp_Print sp_QuotePost

Surgery is scheduled for Monday to amputate Horace's left rear leg - I'm starting to question if this is truly the right decision for him and can't honestly imagine going through with it.  Did you all go through this? I just need reassurance that this is the right thing to do. He still doesn't seem to be in any pain or bothered by the small lump on his ankle.

I mentioned in another post that we were moving house - we are moved in and Horace seems to lose his footing frequently on the hardwood - on 4 legs! I'm stocked up on mats, rugs, yoga mat and runners etc. for post surgery - but will he ever be able to get traction again on 3 legs? Also, the master bedroom is upstairs (unlike our old house) and he has had to sleep in our room every night so far (he is such a baby)-he doesn't like coming back down the wood stairs though and so I can't imagine him managing it on 3 legs. (I plan to stay on the couch for a few nights post surgery to be close to him but won't be able to stay there forever). How do Tripawds manage on stairs in general - do they get used to them or is it a no-no forever?

I also haven't told my 4year old yet (we did watch Miracle Dogs last night though as a build-up to the news). It's her first day of school the same day - what a morning that will be!

Latham, NY
Member Since:
1 October 2017
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
2
17 August 2018 - 10:20 am
sp_Permalink sp_Print sp_QuotePost

I think a lot of us here have been exactly where you are now, questioning the decision, wondering how we'd manage after.  I know we were here.  Amputation was exactly the right thing for us.

My biggest consideration was Fallon's pain.  She had a noticeable limp, and it went away with meds, but other than that, pain wasn't evident.  I know now it was there, and must have been horrible.  Dogs are really good at hiding pain.    

Floors without a carpet are a challenge for Fallon--if she notices it.  She is terrified of our kitchen floor now, so we carry her over it.  There's no real reason for her to go on it except our deck is outside it.  We've had to modify some things.  

Fallon can do stairs great, but we try to discourage her to save on wear and tear.  We try to walk with her, using a harness, if we can catch her quickly enough.  But she is perfectly able to bound up and down them on her own.  They are carpeted, though.

I remember surgery day really well.  It was horrible.  I knew I wouldn't get a call on Fallon until the afternoon, as she was the last surgery of the day, so it was a pretty unproductive day.  But once we got by that, things were better. It was day by day on when she would leave, she wasn't eating, had pain, leaky incision--but it all worked out.  

Amputation was the hardest decision I've ever had to make.  After that, things fell into place as far as treatment planning, etc...part of my strategy was to find a oncologist I had ultimate trust in to drive treatment.  That took a ton of anxiety away.

You and Horace will be in our thoughts Monday...hang in there heart

Fallon  8/28/06--9/6/18.  My Heart.

Fallon's left front leg was amputated due to osteosarcoma on 10/11/17.

Nothing But Love in Her Heart - dawn3g.tripawds.com

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
3
17 August 2018 - 10:48 am
sp_Permalink sp_Print sp_QuotePost

Of course you have doubts, everyone does and that's totally normal. The thing is, you are doing him such a favor by dealing with this situation now, before the pain is so bad that he shows it. When a dog or cat shows pain, it's horrible. Also, if a tumor-related crisis were to happen, like the tumor exploded, or his leg shattered, whatever, it would be much, much worse. Right now you have time on your side to prepare for the big day, that is such a blessing!

To answer your question about traction : honestly, few dogs with three legs are ever able to cope with slippery floors as good as a four-legged dog. When they do, they are younger and crazier for sure. But even older four-leggers have problems with slippery floors, so even if he didn't have to lose a leg, you would likely still be going through this issue with him as a senior dog. 

See this recent discussion about stairs for my feedback on that:

http://tripawds.....-stairs-1/

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



Member Since:
21 May 2016
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
4
17 August 2018 - 2:39 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print sp_QuotePost

Hey Jo 🌸

I was gutted with my decision as well but when I got the surgeon and the oncologist explaining how things would evolve without surgery, the decision presented itself clearly in my mind. 

It was the right decision and I never looked back.

Eurydice hid her pain incredibly well, like our pups do.

They don’t want to worry us, bless their sweet little souls💕

Slippery floors are very tricky, I think you have to accept your house “design” is going to change, Horace will need traction in place.

As for stairs, virtually everybody here can do it, as it happens my Eurydice never did but that was because she was too big so she could not negotiate normal size steps.

You can do this and so can Horace, and remember we are all here to help you in your journey.

Hugs and cuddles 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹

Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-) 

Virginia







Member Since:
22 February 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
5
17 August 2018 - 10:45 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print sp_QuotePost

Just caught up on all your previous posts.  And btw, Horace is a very handsome and incredibly cute you!!

As you can see, you are not alone! And you've  gotten some great input.

Judt want to add that I was soooo scared  about the whole amputation  thing, I even cancelled  Happy Hannah's  surgery!  This was before I found this great community.   I did reschedule  about a week later.  In our case, recovery was hard those first seceral weeks,  So stay connected and we 'll help you navigate  through  everything,  okay?

Breathe......breathe......and eat lots of chocolate !!

Hugd

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!

Member Since:
1 October 2017
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
6
18 August 2018 - 10:01 am
sp_Permalink sp_Print sp_QuotePost

Hi there,

None of our stories are exactly the same, yet we are all here for similar reasons. I cannot imagine, even as a former vet tech, that you, me, or anybody else here was not horrified at some point during this journey. Huckleberry is a cat, oh.. was a totally feral cat that set up camp in our yard. And I totally adored him but I knew after the time he had spent in our yard that we would never domesticate him, right!?  When he disappeared and came back a month later dragging a leg I was horrified. When we finally got him trapped and the doctor said amputation or euthanasia. I wanted to die right there. All the knowledge and logic that I had for all of the years that I worked with animals went right out the window. Ask anybody here, lol. I was a mess. I could not kill a cat that was only around 2, especially knowing he was otherwise totally normal. We managed a way to get it done, and with the help and support of so many in here Huck is thriving as an indoor kitty. My husband and I had to go through great measures to segregate him and recover him in our spare room and slowly work on socialization and introductions to our other 2 cats and our big dog. 

I do not regret one moment of it. It was scary, stressful, he was re-hospitalized because he could not wear an e-collar and took some staples out. I had to hand feed him, figure out how to medicate him without losing fingers, lol.. but now he is healthy, loving, sweet, and pretty happy. 

You have an amazing support group here. I can comfortably say that there is not much you will go through that at least one of us didn't have to deal with. Please breathe, get your house in order the way you want it for recovery, make sure you have plenty of food, treats, pill pockets, and whatever else you need to get you through recovery. 

We got rug treads for our stairs and we used rug glue tape strips to set them. They work really well for cats and for Mitchell, who is old and arthritic weighing about 75 pounds. I would definitely try something like that or a one piece runner installed. Stairs can be really tough, especially in the beginning when they are learning their new balance. You have some time for that though, unless you need them for him to go outside. If that is the case, he will definitely need your support and not even attempt stairs unassisted. 

Good luck in your journey, sending pawsitive thoughts and comfort your way heart

Jackie and Huckleberry heartheart

Hugs,

Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry

Huckleberry's Blog



Member Since:
21 May 2016
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
7
19 August 2018 - 3:06 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print sp_EditHistory sp_QuotePost

Darling Jo and Horace 🌸🐾

Just wanted to send all pawsitive energy to Horace for tomorrow’s surgery.

Please remember Horace is not going to be alone, my adored Angel Eurydice will be right by his side making sure all goes well and smoothly🐮💫🌟

I will be checking for your update, sweetie.

Sending you an avalanche of hugs and a tornado of hugs to sweet Horace 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹

Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-) 

Latham, NY
Member Since:
1 October 2017
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
8
19 August 2018 - 7:50 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print sp_QuotePost

Just checking in--sending positive energy also!  We'll be thinking of you guys--check in when you get a chance. heart

Fallon  8/28/06--9/6/18.  My Heart.

Fallon's left front leg was amputated due to osteosarcoma on 10/11/17.

Nothing But Love in Her Heart - dawn3g.tripawds.com

Member Since:
2 August 2018
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
9
20 August 2018 - 7:02 am
sp_Permalink sp_Print sp_QuotePost

Thank you everyone for your support, it really does make a difference! I just dropped Horace off, they said he is scheduled for around 11:30 and that they will call me this afternoon once he wakes up. They are doing x-rays and ultrasounds first to make sure it hasn't already spread and if not they will go ahead with the amputation and then send the lymph nodes off afterwards to see if those are clear - hopefully it's just all contained in the leg and this set's him up for a happy healthy long life.  

I'll let you all know how things go today. Thanks again for all your support, it really means a lot. xx



Member Since:
21 May 2016
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
10
20 August 2018 - 7:46 am
sp_Permalink sp_Print sp_QuotePost

Sweetie 🌸

Your Horace is in good hands, Angel Eurydice is flapping her beautiful silver wings around him and whispering words of Love and Hope in his ears.

Cannot wait for your next update when surgery is over.

Will check again later 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹

Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-) 

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
11
20 August 2018 - 11:02 am
sp_Permalink sp_Print sp_QuotePost

Paws, fingers, toes & tails crossed at Tripawds HQ! Remember to breathe and know that Horace is strong and totally capable of his life on 3 legs. Keep us posted!

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

Member Since:
2 August 2018
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
12
20 August 2018 - 3:01 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print sp_QuotePost

UPDATE!!

Horace came through surgery ok. Everything went as expected. SO relieved!!!  They will call me again in the morning with another update. hopefully he can come home tomorrow. xxx



Member Since:
21 May 2016
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
13
20 August 2018 - 3:09 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print sp_QuotePost

Wooohoooooooooo 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

SO glad to hear Horace is out of surgery and all is well, Angel Eurydice is laughing her happy laugh too! 

Will be checking on your update tomorrow but just wanted to say if they volunteer to keep him for an extra day that is not a bad idea.

Hospital staff are more qualified to dealing with dogs recovering from recent surgery than we are ...

Hugs and cuddles 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹

Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-) 

Schofield, WI
Member Since:
13 August 2015
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
14
20 August 2018 - 3:09 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print sp_QuotePost

I still remember that sense of relief upon getting the "all clear and everything went well"!  Relax and get some well deserved rest tonight.  Tomorrow starts a new chapter for you and pretty boy Horace!  Hang in there we'll be here for support if you need us!  Hugs

Latham, NY
Member Since:
1 October 2017
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
15
20 August 2018 - 3:33 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print sp_QuotePost

Awesome news!!!!heartheartheart

Fallon  8/28/06--9/6/18.  My Heart.

Fallon's left front leg was amputated due to osteosarcoma on 10/11/17.

Nothing But Love in Her Heart - dawn3g.tripawds.com

Forum Timezone: America/Denver
Most Users Ever Online: 946
Currently Online: Cynthia Lindgren
Guest(s) 208
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 1268
Members: 17732
Moderators: 6
Admins: 3
Forum Stats:
Groups: 4
Forums: 24
Topics: 18610
Posts: 256798
Administrators: admin, jerry, Tripawds
Tripawds is brought to you by Tripawds.
HOME » NEWS » BLOGS » FORUMS » CHAT » YOUR PRIVACY » RANDOM BLOG