Hi Ana

Welcome to our group. I think you will be surprised how much activity your pup is doing after a few weeks go by (what is his name?). Like yours, my dog slept about 23.5 hr per day, only getting up to eat, drink and maybe pee or poo (usually not both) the first two weeks. Other dogs seem active as soon as they get home. You should try to think of things that perk up your own pup. My dog brightened up when he had a change of scenery or people came over.  

By week 2-3. we were back at the park visiting and playing with dogs for short times. From weeks 5-9, it was great to see how much strength he was building (they develop new muscles). He can run nearly as fast as before, chase dogs and swim after sticks, although will tire out more quickly. Of course, we do not do long hikes. But I think he goes about 750 m - 1 km to a swimming hole, and then back again after hanging out for a while (I have not measured the distance).

We try to find a place where he can hang out and do these things, so we don't have to worry about getting him home if something were to happen. But on weekends, we might spend 1&1/2 hr at the park, but sometimes I just sit with him while my friends with other dogs go farther. We won't do this kind of sitting around when the temperature drops to -30 deg. . .

I met a large and active rear leg amputee, a Rhodesian ridgeback cross. The amputation was in February and when I met them in early August, they were doing 'real' 45 min walks, but worked up to that slowly, starting with 10 min walks.

Once he feels up to it (in a week or two or three), you want to get him moving with short walks of 100 m, 200 m, 400 m or whatever distance he is comfortable with. This will probably mean 5-15 minute walks a few times a day. 

Most of our dogs have bone cancer, which is very aggressive. I'm not sure about other people, but I am definitely more anxious to have my dog active and back out doing things he likes to do because of the knowledge that the time is limited. If we could comfortably look forward to a few more or several years of life (rather than a few months up to 2 years, on average), I might be more cautious about building up more slowly. (Hopefully he will surprise me!)

Swimming: do get a life jacket! Otherwise, your dog might start to roll if he fetches a big stick or if there is a current. The life jacket keeps him level, so he can put his strength to moving forward. Plus they have handles which help if the slopes of the bank are steep, which can be a problem.

As for pain drugs, my vet dosed tramadol at 2-3 100 mg per day after surgery (we used 2 x 100). That could also be given as 3 to 4 x 50 mg per day. If your pup seems in pain, you might want to ask if you can give a bit more, e.g, 50 mg 4 times per day. The pain seemed worse around days 3-6 after surgery, when the bruising was most visible. (My dog is the same general weight, 33.5 kg.)

Your dog is beautiful! I love the look of flat-coated retrievers.

Susan and Tazzie 2

From what I have read on this site, weight issues vary a lot by the dog. I have read about some tripawds that gained a lot of weight and had to be put on a diet. But some mostly exercise in their yard, not out at the park. My dog's weight is remaining stable, but we are careful and he gets a fair bit of exercise. He would eat the entire contents of the fridge if I left the door open. That is better than my last dog, who would open the fridge and the oven. If your dog is accustomed to exercising on three legs, activity and weight should not be an issue.

200 m at 3 days. Very good!! Don't worry if he starts cutting back and I probably would not encourage him to press on for a while yet. My dog was superdog for 1 day after he came home and then did NOTHING for the next 12, partly due to bruising pain but could be other factors as well (hips that aren't very good and just mental adjustment to 3 legs, which it sounds as though Docent already has gone through). How old is Docent?

Susan & Tazzie 2

Hello Ana,

My name is Christina and my dog, Solo also had her leg amputated on Friday, October 9, 2009. She is a beautiful 7 year old Golden Retriever who was diagnosed with synovial cell sarcoma on Monday, October 5. She is other wise happy and healthy and is recovering well from surgery. She is very tired too, sleeping long periods. She came home on a Fentanyl patch (which will be removed tomorrow when she sees the vet), Tramadol and Metacam. She is getting 30mg of Tramadol three times a day and her weight is approximately 60 pounds. She is eating full meals, just like before surgery but I have been supplementing them with a bit of pureed pumpkin and a fair amount of water. She is not a big water drinker and I want to make sure she stays well hydrated after surgery. I was worried because she didn't poop for a few days but hooray this morning she did. I think the extra fiber from the pumpkin and water are helping keep things normal.

We didn't sleep very well the first couple of nights either but we discovered that she loves to sleep in the middle of our kingsized bed between us - she is safe, comforted and happy there. We are both quiet, still sleepers so no worries of hurting her. We put her soft collar on at night to ensure she doesn't chew at her sutures but when we are up with her during the day and watching we do not put it on. As far as the incision goes it is already starting to heal. Keep an eye on your dog's incision to make sure there is no redness, swelling or discharge. Keep it clean and dry.

This afternoon we might head out down the block for a bit of a walk - hard to believe but we have already had snow here! We are definitely not ready for winter and I am a bit worried about Solo slipping but we will put her harness on and guide her along as far as she wants. I will be proud if we just make it a few houses down! Moving around a bit is also good for them after surgery. I am pretty sure she will let us know how far she is able to go and what she wants to do.

Like you, I discovered this website when I was in the midst of coping with our devastating news and trying to make a decision about amputation. I felt a tremendous amount of support and encouragement from everyone that is experiencing a similar journey with their beloved dog. It is a fantastic resource with many kind people offering tips and help.

Christina and Solo