Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi,
My eight year old Yorkie-cross, Chicco, had his front right leg (and part of shoulder) removed 9 days ago due to osteosarcoma, sometimes he seems fine and comes out from his bed (under our bed) to say hi when we come home, at other times he just lies there and won't even raise his head when I go in to see if he's OK. Sometimes he eats, sometimes he doesn't. He's been going for walks, we take him and his sister to a clearing in the woods nearby and for months we've been carrying him there and back. Yesterday he walked all the way there and back, and again today, but this evening he wouldn't eat again.
The operation was a great success physically, and he's healed really well. He had his stitches out today and was signed off by the vet. Unfortunately they were both due their rabies and annual vaccinations so he had to have those today too. Poor Chicco. Maybe that's why he didn't want to eat tonight.
But yesterday he was shivering and quite miserable, the day before he was quite jolly and spent more time hanging out with us than he has done for a long time. He also licks the space where his leg was. It's so sad to see. I wonder if he has phantom limb feelings.
I'm going crazy with worry and I know that won't help. I'm wondering if it mightn't have been kinder to have him euthanised. He's always been a bit of a barometer of my emotional state and is a very sensitive dog.Now I'm his barometer! If he's jolly I'm OK, and if he's not, I'm not. But I have a family to look after and the stress of it is starting to tell. I'm on hyper-alert for any signs of the spread of the cancer, so I worry that the trembling and not eating are pain from other tumours.
I would be so grateful for any insight. I'm not looking for reassurance, the prognosis is not good as the tumour was quite large by the time his leg was removed. But if anyone has had similar experience and could shed some light on what might be causing this yoyo behaviour that would be great. Maybe it's completely normal. I would be a yoyo if it were me.
Hello and welcome! Your future posts wont' need approval so post away, we are here to help.
I'm so sorry about Chicco. It's so unusual for dogs his size to develop osteo, but we've seen it unfortunately. Yes, the prognosis isn't good generally speaking but we've had many members here defy the odds for much longer than any could have guessed. Our own Jerry lived with osteo for two extra, quality years, and he didn't have chemo. So please don't focus on those statistics. As we like to say, nine out of ten are wrong anyways! 
Allow me to make a few observations from your post. I know how stressed and worried you are so first, breathe, and know that all of what you feel is very common and lots here can relate. Here are my thoughts:
Sometimes he eats, sometimes he doesn't. He's been going for walks, we take him and his sister to a clearing in the woods nearby and for months we've been carrying him there and back.
Lack of appetite is common. Is he still on pain meds? If so, what kind? Pain meds often mess with appetite. As for the walking, I'm sure he really loves being outdoors and getting fresh air! But do keep in mind that nine days out is not a long time. Humans wouldn't be doing hikes after nine days when they lose a leg, so try to go slower. Chicco sounds like he's tired from too much exercise. That's just a guess though.
Unfortunately they were both due their rabies and annual vaccinations so he had to have those today too. Poor Chicco. Maybe that's why he didn't want to eat tonight.
Take this for what it's worth: I am not a vet. But, I've read a lot about the effects of vaccines on immune-compromised pets and no dog or cat with osteo should have vaccines like this unless there is some huge risk to the dog for contracting these diseases. Vaccines can do a whallop on the immune system and dogs with illnesses have to work twice as hard to bounce back. If possible, it would be worth it to find a vet who better understands the needs of dogs with cancer. Here are some links that explain what I mean.
Vaccinations After a Dog or Cat Cancer Diagnosis
He also licks the space where his leg was. It's so sad to see. I wonder if he has phantom limb feelings.
Phantom pain is usually exhibited with sharp cries and sudden whining, pacing. I'm betting it's the incision that's irritating him. Is it dry? It could be itchy. Try some aloe vera or Vetericyn wound healing spray for some moisture. Massage is a huge help too, gently massaging the area will help him feel better. It works!
He's always been a bit of a barometer of my emotional state and is a very sensitive dog.Now I'm his barometer! If he's jolly I'm OK, and if he's not, I'm not.
Oh my gosh you've just found the answer within you! YES! You are correct. What you feel, he does, what you believe, he does. The more positive and encouraging you are, the more he will be. Babyiing him does not help, feeling sorry just makes it worse. Ask yoursellf how you would want others to treat you if you lost a limb; I'm gonna bet that you'd want them to cheer you on right? So why not cheer on Chicco? Ban every kind of negative word, every "aww poor baby" from your daily life and I promise you will see improvement. Really! We call it "Be More Dog ." Click on the link for a talk we gave about it, and here's another one:
Canine Rehabilitation: Amputation Recovery Advice with CARE
Please don't worry too much. If his loss of appetite gets worse, if he stops drinking water and eliminating, call your vet. Otherwise, try stimulating his appetite with some tasty foods like stinky meats and no-salt beef broth, that kind of thing. It helps.
It sounds like he is otherwise healthy and ready to live life large. He sounds like a spunky little pup! We'd love to see some photos, here are instructions for adding images . Let us know if you need help OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you so much for your very helpful reply. I will try to post some photos. I failed to add a profile photo yesterday, but I'll have another go.
I'm not sure how to quote (it would be useful!), but point by point:
He's not on pain meds any more, but he could be tired. He had been walking on three legs for a while before the op, but he was being carried to the woods. It was his idea to walk, he just took off! But maybe we shouldn't let him do that yet.
Very sadly we did have to give him the vaccinations. We have to leave for Italy (from England) in 3-4 weeks. It's not a holiday or anything else that we can avoid (long story to do with the earthquake in April 2009 and myself and my husband both having to be there for legal reasons) and we can't leave him behind. We'll be gone for at least three months and it could well be his last three months. The law used to be that we only had to have the vaccinations to get back into the UK, but apparently now we need to have the rabies jab three weeks before we can leave. We tried really hard to think of an alternative. He would hate flying, he's a bit neurotic despite being quite a tough little street mongrel, and we have already delayed our departure by about six weeks. On a positive note, he will be happy to be in Italy. We found Chicco and his sister, Milly, as stray puppies living under a wheelie bin in a village near ours. It's home to them and they love it. In our vets defence he has been wonderful. He has been so kind and caring throughout the diagnosis, op and after care. He is a genuinely lovely man.
I'm so relieved that you think it's not phantom limb. The itchy wound sounds likely. I will get some aloe as soon as I can (I have a fractured ankle and can't drive or walk far!), and I might try coconut oil which I have already. I've been too scared to massage him there, but I will now. I did wonder if the hair growing back was itchy too. He can just about reach the bottom of his wound but he also licks the bald area. It is growing now so hopefully that will stop itching soon, and the aloe or coconut oil will help there too.
I have tried to be upbeat with him. Not sure he's always fooled though. He's a very sensitive little chap. He has a curly pom-pom for a tail and we can tell when he's depressed because his tail goes down, and this might sound silly but he also gets depressed hair. A bit like a bad hair day, but a sad hair day. We are a half-Italian household and lets just say that emotions are usually expressed regardless of whether they are positive or negative. 
I did find your reply very encouraging, especially about the phantom limb pain. My problem is that I can't bear to see him suffer. He was my first baby, before I had children. He followed me everywhere if I wasn't carrying him in my arms or bag. He sat on my lap for hours while I worked or at my feet. He used to steal my shoes and take them to bed. He never chewed them or even left a mark, he just took them. He must have suffered when my daughter was born, but he adored her from the first day and then followed her instead of me, guarding her moses basket or lying by her cot. It's her bed he sleeps under now. He adores my mother too and she is good medicine when she comes round. He ALWAYS comes out to see her. I hope I can post photos, you can see how sweet he is from his face, we think.
Right, that's enough. Sorry for the long posts! It's so good to 'talk' to someone about the op and about him. My little boy. 
Hi Chicco's Mom,
Your little chap is only 9 days out from amputation---even if he's a little guy, he'll need time to heal. Just how much time seems to be wildly variable. Some just perk right back up, some take longer. When it's your dog that isn't perking right back up, it is easy to question everything and worry that things will never get better.
Is Chicco showing signs that he's nauseated? For Ellie, it was drooling. If you offered her food, she'd start drooling, turn her face away and get this look like "take it away!!!". And if she ate something once, the next time we offered it the smell just seemed to turn her stomach. We were so miserable those first weeks after the amputation. We knew she wasn't in pain but she we knew she felt rotten and we just couldn't make it better. So I can relate to how awful it makes you feel when they aren't "bouncing back".
What finally turned the corner for us was giving Ellie sub-cutaneous fluids and Cerenia (anti-nausea or motion sickness drug). The vet said that fluids are really just supportive therapy and that even if they seem to be drinking OK, extra fluids will often perk them up. It worked like a charm! She started eating and gaining strength and she never looked back. All the worries that were floating around in our head (she's depressed, she'll never get better, we made the wrong decision...) just melted away as soon as she started eating again.
Denise, Bill and Ellie.
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
Hi Ellie's family,
That's interesting. Did the vet have to administer the fluids? He's so terrified of going to the vet, understandably. And it's quite a long way in the car. He cries all the way. I will ask the vet though and see what he thinks.
Right now he's sitting under a little table near me. At least he's not hiding under the bed. But his stomach is making the most amazing gurgling noises. It could just be hunger as he didn't eat his breakfast and won't eat now either. Or maybe it's the vaccinations. Oh dear.
One good thing about today is that I'm home with my fractured ankle recovering from really overdoing it yesterday, and my husband and daughter are out. The dogs are both with me in the sitting room, the sun is shining, the breeze is making gentle noises in the trees outside and it's so nice that they are here not under the bed. I guess that it's safe to come out when the quietest member of the family is home alone. 
The gurgling has stopped suddenly. What next?!
x
Online
CHICOOOOOOO!! Your avatar picture is adorable!!!! Cant wait to see more!
And I love reading about yoh and all your delightful little personality "quirks"! What a great little lad you are!!
Okay mom, take some deep breaths! B R E A T H E.....B R E A T H E .....B R E A T H E.......
You've gotten great advice from Jerry and Denise! I especially like asking the vet avout fluids snd Cerenia. There ks also another med that helps line the tummy when it's upset and I think stimulate s the apletite too. I think it starts with an "m"...big help, right??
NINE DAYS IS VERY, VERY EARLY IN RECOVERY! Chico still needs rest and quiet. Although my Happy Hannah never missed a meal, it was almost three weeks before I finally felt like I did this FOR her and not TO her!! A well known dog here, little Stubborn Pug Maggie just didn't seem like herdeq for six weeks! She just didn't like change!
I understand why you had to do the vaccinations so just let that go, okay? In a perfect world we should ha e choices based on our dog's indivw needs..not laws based on generalization.
What kinds of special foods have you tried? Really good yummy stinky stuff like liverwurst works well! It does sound like he has a tummy ylset that's keeping him from eating though, rather than just being picky.
I jave given sub cutaneous fluids (under the skin) at home. I whole heartedly agree with Denise that they could do the trick. The vet can give Chico a juml start by doing a fast drip in the office and then you could follow up at home if necessary.
One other suggestion...lain meds! If I read this right, he is not in ANY kind of pain med? No Tramadol, no Rimadyl (anti inflammatory)? Check with your vet, ut I would DEFINITELY try him on some pain meds for a few days and see if that helps! Most dogs...not all...are on pain meds for two weeks. And most dogs, not all, get their stitches out at two weeks and that's when they taper off the pain meds.
So...if you can try some pain meds...maybe something to coat his tymmy..and maybe even fluids..more rest and quiet...you should see some improvement and see his sparkle come back..slowly. ut surely!!!
Sending lots and lots of hugs and love!! We are with you in this journey! YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
chicco said
Hi Ellie's family,That's interesting. Did the vet have to administer the fluids? He's so terrified of going to the vet, understandably. And it's quite a long way in the car. He cries all the way. I will ask the vet though and see what he thinks.
Right now he's sitting under a little table near me. At least he's not hiding under the bed. But his stomach is making the most amazing gurgling noises. It could just be hunger as he didn't eat his breakfast and won't eat now either. Or maybe it's the vaccinations. Oh dear.
One good thing about today is that I'm home with my fractured ankle recovering from really overdoing it yesterday, and my husband and daughter are out. The dogs are both with me in the sitting room, the sun is shining, the breeze is making gentle noises in the trees outside and it's so nice that they are here not under the bed. I guess that it's safe to come out when the quietest member of the family is home alone.
x
Ellie is a big girl (90 lbs post-amp) so she needs to go to the vet to have fluids since it takes a lot of fluid to rehydrate her. But for small dogs, I think doing it at home is a possibility, depending on whether you feel comfortable doing it. I think it requires just pinching the skin on their back and injecting a big syringe full of saline. It makes a "camel's hump" until it absorbs.
Like Sally, I also wondered about the pain meds for your little guy. Only 9 days out does seem like he might still be needing something for the acute pain of the amputation. Tramadol seems to be common, but some dogs tolerate it, some don't. Ellie did not. It made her extremely anxious and generally bonkers. But she did have a Fentanyl patch (opiate) for ~4 days and she was on Gabapentin for nerve pain.
Denise, Bill and Ellie.
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
Hi everyone,
Thank you so much for your posts. It makes such a difference to be able to discuss all this. I have good news though. Chicco seems almost to be his old self! He pops in and out of his bed all day to see what's going on (not much as I'm on crutches with a fractured ankle) and yesterday when we had friends round he came and sat next to me on the sofa for ages having snuggles. Quite like old times.
benny55 said
. it was almost three weeks before I finally felt like I did this FOR her and not TO her!! A well known dog here, little Stubborn Pug Maggie just didn't seem like herdeq for six weeks! She just didn't like change!
This really rang true. I really feel as though I did this to him and not for him. Though that wasn't the idea at all! And he has never liked change. He's just like Maggie then. Stubborn too!
I'm a bit worried that all your dogs seem to have been on painkillers for a lot longer. He was on Metacam (not sure if you have that but I think it's morphine based). I'm hoping that his new mood is a good sign that he's not in pain. He didn't really enjoy his walk this morning apparently. I can't walk them, so my mother took them out. She knows them well and said that he seemed tired. He did wolf down his breakfast when he got back though, so that's a really good sign. He has always been quite ambivalent about breakfast.
I asked What next? and now I have a 'next'. What does bruising mean 12 days after the operation? He has it on the lower chest area around the bottom of his wound, which I might have expected much earlier, but weirdly there's bruising on his remaining front leg where they shaved him presumably for the anaesthetic. I'm worried that this is something to do with the cancer. I think my husband's parents' dog had this before she died of cancer. Oh dear. I can't see if he's got it anywhere else as he's so amazingly hairy.
Sorry. I seem to lurch from one worry to the next...
HA! We gwt the "worrying"! Welcome to the "Worry Wart Club for Tripawe ts"!
Trying to paraphrase Lort (Ty's mom and gang), but this journey makes us lose our innocence when it comes ro any little knick or hiccup, lump or bump. Whar we used to thinkmof as noting to worry about, ow we're on the phone a hundred times a day with the vet getti g reassurance that a "hiccup is just a hiccup"!
My Happy Hannah did have very colorful bruising show up further into recovery. I don t remember the time frame, I just remember itwasnt there initially. I guess it's like bruising for humans...it gets more "colorful" further j nto the healing process. I'm not a vet, so certainly give hima call if you have any concerns!
And YAAAAAAAAAY FOR EARING BREAKFAST!!! Great sign!!
A d yes, his walks should still be basically potty trips fro another couple of days. Walking on three legs takes a lot of exertion! If he's sitting down, I
he's tired and maybe did a bit too much.
Most...but certainly not all dogs here, were on Tramadol and/or Gabapentin for about two weeks. Some tapered off a bit sooner, some, like my belpved Happy Hannah, stayed on them going into three weeks. Metacam is more of an anti-inflammatory dogs are generally given that or Rimadyl for about two weeks also), but is not enough to manage the pain of major surgery. Yeah, ni e days seems to have been a bit early to take him off pain meds! You may aske the vet avout putting him on a lpw dose for another few days to see if it helps him feel better if you think he is hurting. Is he restless., whimpering at all, ears pinned back, tenseness in his body?
It sounds like he's feeling pretty good over-all...and it's STILL early in recovery! It keeps getting better and better! You'll see him do normal things more and more! His sparkle will come back brighter than before!
THE most important thing is to not let ANYTHING rob you of staying in the NOW with Chico! Do NOT give that stupid piece of crap disease ANY power over you! Chico sure isn't! He's just getting on with life
Se ding lots a d lots of higs!!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too
PS...You take care of you 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!
It seems that he has not been getting enough pain meds from what you all say. I spoke to the vet yesterday about the bruising, but didn't mention the meds. That was silly. I've figured out the bruising though. I heard him during the night, licking and licking and licking. The areas that are bruised are the parts of the shaved areas that he can reach. Could excessive licking cause bruising? I wonder. I might stick his little vest back on that he wore post op. I couldn't get an aloe yesterday so I'll try the coconut oil today, I'm still at the mercy of this annoying fractured ankle. I had to get crutches yesterday as I've really be overdoing it and it swelled up and started hurting again. Such bad timing.
So, I will call the vet again today. I don't think I can do the subcutaneous fluid injections myself. My husband might, but he's working on a shoot at the moment so is gone from 5am to 11pm. He's going to love me for asking him to do that when he gets home exhausted. 🙂
And Ellie's family were right, I feel SO much better since he started eating again. Phew. And right along with that is him behaving more like his old self, pre-tumour. It's so nice to be able to just love him a bit instead of ONLY worry.
Today should be fun. My daughter has a terrible cold so won't be going to kindergarten and I'm trying not to walk too much. We are all sick here but the sun is shining, it's a beautiful day!
We saw a darkening of the skin around Ellie's incision which never went away. The area outlined below started out completely pink but got black after the surgery. It wasn't bruising but the oncologist said she often sees the skin change color like this.
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
ELLIE is aooooo pretty!!
Yeah, the shaved area can be so irritating to the skin, as well as comstantly licking. Sounds like Chicco wants his fur back NOW!
With Chicco eating now and becoming more and more of his old self, I doubt that he needs fluids now, so hubby is safe!
And here you are worrying about Chicco overdoing it, and look at you! You take it easy, okay? Are you taking some pain meds? It sounds like you jave a big owwweee going on over there!
Hugs to all!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
I'm really happy to catch up and see that Chicco is doing so much better! Sorry about your ankle and your daughter's cold though. You all need to take good care of each other. I'll bet Chicco will cheer you up!
Not all dogs take the same meds for the same length of time, just like people. Metacam is a NSAID, not morphine. It's about as strong as ibuprophen for humans and in low doses is very helpful. Some dogs are on it for a long time to ease joint pain. It even has been shown to have anti-tumor properties, so yes, ask your vet about maintaining a longer dose if you think Chicco needs it. Here is a post about how to tell if your dog is in pain.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I haven't posted before but I have been following your thread. Stubborn Tripug Maggie was my girl. She had no medical complications, in fact she was hopping the day of surgery. But she was never good at adapting to changes in her routine, she pretty much spent 6 weeks in her bed and I thought I had made a terrible mistake. But she did come around and hopped happily (and even more stubbornly) through life for almost 4 years.
Not long after Maggie's amputation I had my first shoulder surgery- no lifting for weeks! I made a 'lift' out of a basket with an open end and some webbing straps. I taught Mag to 'load up' so I could lift her up on the furniture or into the car.
I had to do sub-Q fluids with Maggie when she developed kidney failure. I had never stuck a needle in her before, but I learned how to do it because she didn't like the vet, and I didn't want to take her there every other day.
I hope Chicco's recovery smooths out...like 'walking the dog' with a yoyo 
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
Hi everyone,
Thank you for Maggie's story, Karen. I wish I could believe that Chicco has 4 years left! He's OK today. Ish. He still has the bruising and I'm thinking it must be a clotting problem. Licking shouldn't cause bruising and it's not any better. The vet says he's not particularly worried and that I don't need to upset him by taking him in, but that it might be something to do with the cancer. Very depressing. I do remember that this happened to my in-laws' dog when she had cancer. I think that's how they knew she was ill. So I'm super glum again. I can't imagine putting him in the car and subjecting him to the drive to Italy. So upsetting. Yoyo is right.
I did read the page about pain. I don't really think he is. It's so hard to tell because he's been in pain for so long (the vet also removed a twisted tooth that they said must also have been painful for a long time) that his behaviour had changed anyway. We're not sure what 'normal' is any more. He's not panting or shivering.
Sorry, but I'm really upset and don't feel like writing right now.
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