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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Blitz is an 8 1/2 year old Doberman dx with Osteosarcoma. He is the love of our lives. After much discussion and anguish we made the choice to amputate his left front leg sparing him the pain of bone cancer for the life that remains. He just came out of surgery and maybe home tomorrow. The situation is heart breaking but hoping for better days for my pet. At least the agonizing bone cancer pain will be gone. I ask for your prayers and advice as Blitz and my family wonder through this new endeaver in our lives.
Hi and welcome Carol and Blitz! I am sorry that circumstances brought you here but I am very glad that you found us.
If your hospital provides staffed overnight care then it might be a good idea to let him stay a day or two as the anesthesia can really make them loopy.
tripawds-required-reading-list there are some really good informative articles to read about.
Stay tuned! Let us know how you and Blitz are progressing, would love to know more about him ❤️
Jackie and Huckleberry ❤️
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
Carol, Blitz and family, welcome. I'm so glad you shared your story here, because for every story shared there is another family somewhere else, now or in the future, who will find comfort knowing they are not alone.
I'm glad to hear he made it through surgery and hope he can come home tomorrow. Please let us know if you have any questions at all about recovery OK? And between now and his homecoming, you may want to check out Nitro's blog. He's an angel now, but he lived a fabulous, rich and beautiful life on three legs for far longer than anyone expected. We hope his story helps you feel better about things!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Looking forward to hearing more about your precious Blitz.
We certainly understand how devastating it is to hear the diagnosis, amd then to amputate . We know you've shed a lot of tears.
We also know that you will be so glad you have given Blitz a chance at a pain free life once recovery is complete! You WILL realize you did this FOR Blitz and not TO Blitz!!! It may take several weeks though, as recovery is ruff for a week or two. Sometimes with larger dogs recovery and mobility can take a bit longer.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! We're by your side the whole way! We look forward to celebrating all the upcoming victories and milestones that await Blitz!😊
NITRO is a fellow Dobie who lived life large for years as a tripawd and recently transitioned because of aging. Strong doggy!
Check out the e-books here a d read Living Life on Three Legs for some good tips. If you have hardwood floors, you'll need nom slip scatter rugs for traction .
Rest, rest, rest and short leashed potty breaks! Drinking and peeing are important . Pooping may take several days. Eating may be off for a few days too.
Most dogs come home woth Rimadyl , Tramadol, Gabapentin and an antiniotic. Managing pain is important . It is MAJOR SURGERY and it hurts!
STAY CONNECTED and let us know how we can best suppprt you. Get some rest while Blitz is at the Vet. And eat ,ots of chocolate ! It helps!😁
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!
Thanks so much for all the support. Blitz did very well through the night, he is awake from the anesthesia, although they are keeping him sedated to keep him calm but they believe he will be discharged today. I am very lucky. The vet Sandy was a one on one with him all night and laid with him in the cage, scratching his head and comforting him. I am looking forward to getting him home. I wonder how many of you opted to do the chemo after the amputation and did it make a difference in quality of life for your dogs.
I will keep you all posted
Great to hear that Blitz went well, yay! And one on one with his vet ?! Phenomenal 
You will get feedback I am sure, but many do and many don't opt for chemo. Huckleberry's amp was caused by a traumatic injury so I cannot provide any assistance other than to share that from what I have learned from others is that it is a very individual decision and it may or may not lengthen their lives. Some do a lot with dietary changes and holistic medicines that have worked very well.
You have plenty of time to ponder it. Read stories, get opinions, Blitz is going to be on strict R&R while he heals. Eating, drinking, potty breaks, sleep, repeat. (Oh, insert lots of cuddling anywhere in my run on sentence!)
Yes, jerry, the first thing when I saw that breathtaking picture of Blitz was think of Nitro!
If you have not started reading Nitro's story, you should give it a looksie. Amazing family!!
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Such a handsome boy!
When you pick him up, don't even bother to look at the incision. He just needs to see your smiling face and hearing you say what a good boy he is!😁
As Jackie said, you jave plenty of time to make a decision about chemo. It is a very personal decision. There are NO real guarantees one way or another. Clyde just celebrated his TWO YEAR AMPUVERSARY with NO chemo. Nitro (Dobie we've all referenced) did chemo and loved life to the fullest for two years! Somit really is a crap shoot!
I did do four rounds of Carboplatin with my Hapoy Hannah. Some Oncos go with four, some with five, and some with six. I knew ai coild stop at any time should she have issues. She did not mind going to the Vet. She liked carrides. It wasn't a case where I had ro drop her off and leave her there all day. The entire appointment, signing in, out, etc was all done in less than an hour.
Focus on recovery for now. We're right here by your side ro help you should you have any questions or concerns. It's no picnic at first, but it gets sooooo much better!!
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!
Glad to hear he made it through surgery. You are both well on your way to a healthy, hoppy life!
I wonder how many of you opted to do the chemo after the amputation and did it make a difference in quality of life for your dogs.
This is an older discussion about that subject but if you hop on over to this discussion you'll find some interesting feedback on that question.
http://tripawds.....motherapy/
and this one too:
The Chemotherapy Decision: Joys and Regrets
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Blitz Day one at home
Not a pleasant experience. The vet seemed to think the dog should be up and moving around but he was sooooo zonked from the anethesia and Phentanyl we could not budge him. Once home with Phentanyl patch in place he slept off the anesthesia, did a lot of crying so we thought he might want to get up. We would try to help him gently to roll to sitting but he woudl screech out. Oh my god must be in pain. Maybe the vet is wrong and we should let him get up on his own when he is ready. We are devastated. Help!!!
Oh goodness, take a breath, please. Anesthesia is a funny thing. It can magnify everything about a being, and you have a strong willed one, no doubt. Some express a lot more intensely in recovering from the drugs and most of the time it's just that. We just had a kitty that kept his human up for a whole night howling. I can not guarantee anything, I am not a doctor, but I would safely lean towards emotional but probably not feeling a thing other than confusion. I'm sorry, those recoveries just stink.
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Seems like everything is magnified for him right now. With that said I would dim lights, make sure he is in a secure place that he cannot hurt himself or his incision. Offer small treats, play calming music if you can. Keep him warm (anesthesia drops body temperature) and grab a blanket and a pillow. At some point he may want to move and when he does be there to help. It might be too get up on all 3, it might just be to readjust how he's laying.
Most importantly... This will pass!!! Anesthesia stays in their system for several days. On top of that they have probably given him long acting pain killers and an injection of antibiotic that should last 3 to 4 days.
You will see a change in him soon, just be patient. If you can help him up to potty please try to and don't be afraid to move him. If you can grab a long towel or sheet and balance his tummy while getting him up you should be able to get him out for potty. Just remember, he's fasted so he might not have to go right away.
Hang in there please, this will all pass.
Hugs,
Jackie and Huckleberry ❤️
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Hi, I wouldn’t be too concerned of Blitz not walking yet. My dog would try to sit up but as for walking on his own, no way. Keep in mind he is an older dog but still the only time I’d help him move was to go to the bathroom. He just wanted to lay and rest. Every dog is different and move at their own pace. I think Blitz just needs time to recover.
It is interesting though how different vets have different “time limits” on when a dog should be moving. My dog Chance would see a different surgeon on some days because his surgeon had the day off. And I remember when I went in my dog, who hates walking at the vet, wouldn’t move for them. I then got asked how he’s walking at home, how much, etc. He came to the conclusion that Chance needed to be moving now! I was so confused and scared because I thought there was something wrong with Chance. So I tried to get him moving more but he still didn’t want to move as much. When I saw his regular surgeon and explained that Chance only wanted to go to the bathroom and that was it he was completely fine with it. He said he only wanted Chance to go to the bathroom and back to rest. No walks of any kind. So that’s what we did. And he did eventually start doing little hops on his own. Mainly after his fentynal patch came off. Those were confusing times.
My bud may have started off as a slow slug but he caught up and is now hopping around fast. Maybe Blitz is a little slug too
if that’s the case give Blitz some time I’m sure he’ll come around!
When Maggie lost her rear leg to mast cell cancer our surgeon said only short, leashed potty breaks for the first two weeks post surgery.
Fentanyl really does a number on some dogs, it makes them really wonky so Blitz may not want to get up and may be crying because of the patch. He also just had major surgery- it takes some dogs a couple days to get up on their own.
What other pain meds is he on?
Is he resting in a place where he has good traction ? It's very important for him to be able to get up on his own. Keep your vet informed on what you are seeing- it's common around here to need some tweaking in the pain meds.
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
Good morning,
Hopefully you have made it through the evening ok and with the exception of his stress, was uneventful. When do they have you giving his meds and what did they send you home with?
Has he attempted to get up yet? If he is still really beside himself I agree with Karen that you probably should contact your vet and let them know what is happening. They may add meds or give a different dose to try and help him out. It is really hard post op to know what is really going on in the beginning because of how differently they can all behave with those kinds of meds on board. I really hope he has calmed down some.
I hope you were both able to get some rest.
Hugs,
Jackie and Huck
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Checking in on you and Blitz.
As you can see from all the great feedback, getting up and moving around as quickky as your Vet suggested is NOT necessarily what we see here this soon after surgery!!
He's fot the patch in and getting the hospital strong ,eds out of his system. All that can make the dogs quite whacky and woozy! Not wanting to get up at this point is not surprising at all!
As Chance's Mom said, rest is very important right now. The "second Vet" was apot on avput NOT moving around at this point and not worrying mich mobility at this point.
Hamg in there.....stay connected...and update when you can.
Extra 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!
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