Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello fellow furbaby parents.
Our diabetic dog Joey who is an 11 year old male husky/yellow lab mix unfortunately got a severe bacterial infection in his hind leg which resulted in the leg being amputated yesterday by Tufts Vet Hospital in North Grafton, Mass. Making the decision to have his leg amputated was a difficult one but it was the only way to save him. We have yet to see Joey since his amputation but plan on seeing him today around 5:00. My husband and I have both been very emotional through this whole process because Joey is our little man and its hard seeing him go through this. After the call from the doctor about the amputation we were concerned about Joey's quality of life after the amputation. Joey has arthritis in his back and hind legs. When we came across tripawds.com and read all your lovely stories it really gave us some hope that Joey will be able to adjust to his new lifestyle as a tripawd. We are posting today because we are trying to get an idea of what to expect when we see Joey for the first time without his leg. I myself, start crying immediately when I just think about it. We want to be strong for Joey and not bring our anxiety and worrying energy when we go to see Joey because we don't want to make him anxious or uncomfortable. We do know that our energy can affect Joey negatively. So any thoughts, comments, suggestions, stories...or anything at all would be greatly appreciated!! Joey is not out of the woods yet. There is a chance that the bacteria infection could do more damage to his skin/tissue which could effect his chance of survival. We want to make sure we are doing everything possible to make is odds of survival are greater than not and keep his spirits up so he and his body can fight this battle.
cyeapu said
My husband and I have both been very emotional through this whole process...
You're not alone, everypawdy here gets that! Our best advice is to Be More Dog . And that is not just some silly saying.
While you wait for comments from others, use the Advanced Search above to refine your forum search results with specific phrases, and you're sure to find lots of helpful feedback. You can also search all blogs here . Or, consider downloading the Tripawds e-books for fast answers to common concerns and feel free to call the toll-free Tripawds Helpline anytime!
Start here if you ever need help navigating the MANY resources here. And best wishes for Joey, please keep us posted. Your future forum posts will not require moderation.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hello and welcome.
It is quite jarring to see our new Tripawds for the first time- you are wise to prepare yourselves! There is usually a large area of the body where the fur is shaved and I would guess with a rear amp that the incision will not be covered. Joey may still be groggy and heavily medicated so he may not be himself. You are right on track when you say your energy will affect Joey so try and get all your crying out of the way before you see him.
The best thing to do when you first see him is to look into his eyes knowing that he is still your little man! Remind yourself that you did not do this to him, but for him. You got rid of the nasty leg but all that makes Joey, Joey is still there.
You can also look at some pictures in our Gallery so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the surgery and treatment pics to see what incisions look like.
I hope the vets can keep the infection under control!
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
Just catching up and checking in on how precious Joey is doing.
STAY CONNECTED!! We are all here for you and with you.
(((((((((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!
A big THANK YOU of your support, advice, and kind words. Joey is doing better then the vet expected...so thats good. We went to see him for a second time last night and he tried to get up to greet us, which is encouraging. He has started eating which is also awesome. The surgeon who amputated his leg will be looking at the amputation site today to make the determination whether she can close the area or keep the vac therapy device on it to get more of the infection out. Joey is being so brave and strong...he is a fighter. We have started calling him Warrior Joe. I am going to do some research today on Tripawds to see how dogs figure out how to stand up and if there is anything we can do to help/encourage him.
Hey there, I'm so glad to hear Joey's doing better. He's in remarkable hands at Tufts, you can't ask for better care and I have every reason to believe Sgt. Warrior Joe will bounce back.
You'll be surprised on how he learns to stand up. That Husky in him will give him the oomph he needs to figure it out, just wait. Even at 11, he's still got the sparkle and energy of a Husky in his soul and he will figure it out. We've had many Husky members older than him who did great!
What you can to do help him is to make sure your home is Tripawd-proofed. How are your floors? Cover up slippery surfaces with carpet runners, yoga mats, anything to add traction . Raise his food bowls and make sure you block off any stair cases for now. And again, be strong and Be More Dog . Remember that you set the tone for his recovery, so the stronger and more optimistic you are, the more he will reflect that right back at ya.
Keep us posted OK? We are thinking of you.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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