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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Yay sounds like Charlie's making progress! Our big guy Max (110#) German Sheperd was one of those that didn't want us to "help" him once he got his "sea legs". The harness gave us piece of mind to stay close but allowed him to walk himself and we could just grab top handle if we needed to. I learned to be calm around him because he stayed calm if I stayed calm. I learned if I worried about everything I missed his day by day progress. Welcome to the best place on earth for love and support on this journey! As others have said try to keep things as normal as possible. Each day will bring new progress and soon you will have much to celebrate!
Linda $ Max
Day 4 of recovery, Charlie finally went number 1 and number 2 today. she sometimes has little yelps of pain when laying down, i assume could be phantom pains. Our vet recommended not increasing her pain meds. but decreasing the amount of tramadol, because she is reluctant to go outside. Possible to drowsy? But if she seems painful we will obviously increase the meds.
Past couple of days has been lots of sleep and two/three trips outside. she seems to be getting around better outside now that i have given her some space.
Seeing little progress everyday I guess. slowly but surely
Charlies mom and dad
YAAAAAAAAAY FOR POOP!!!
Yes, be sure and celebrate the little progress you see everyday. In the world of recovery, a little progress is a HUGE VICTORY!!
And do keep a watchful eye on any signs of pain. This is major surgery and it hurts! Charlie needs rest and being a bit drowsy is not a bad thing this early if it keeps him out of pain. Yes, if she's yelping she's hurting. Dogs are so stoic and try to hide their pain as best they can. The pha tom pain usually presents as out of the blue yelping and trying to run away from the pain. Gabapentin is the best drug for that. Some vets still aren't as aware about managing pain in dogs.
You are the best advocate Charlie has and you are doing a great job! Keep us posted and give Charlie a big smooch for us!
YAAAAAAAAAY FOR CHARLIE!!!!
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!
It really sounds like things are going great, that's fantastic! As for her yelping, it could be a matter of the incision area getting dry and tight, have you noticed any of that? Gentle, very gentle, massage around (not on) the incision area often helps.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I'm not a vet and not an advocate of additional medication if not necessary but I also believe our pets should not be in unnecessary pain. One thing I realized, after the fact, is that I could have spread out my cat's pain medication. I believe the directions were either twice a day or 3 times a day. I went with twice a day and by the time Mona was due for the next round she was acting crazy. I think the pain was kicking in. After a few days I changed it to 3 times a day and things went much smoother.
I don't know anything about Tramadol dosages and understand what the vet is saying about doziness. Although Mona did not need Gabapentin, from everything I read here, I think (if you believe Charlie is suffering from phantom limb pain it may help her to be on the Gabapentin. There is a forum here called "Ask a Vet" where you can get a vet's opinion.
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
Hi Charlie and dad,
Just another reassurance that things will get better. Like you, I had tons of doubts during the first week or two, but you'll start to get the hang of it and she definitely will too!
Something I found that helped was to Write down every little milestone or positive thing that she does, along with the setbacks. That can help when it feels like there's no improvement from day to day- and we know, these first days drag on!! No victory is too small to count--a tail wag or eating 1 cup of food were big deals for us!
You do have a lot on your plate with a baby at home, too. Come to think of it, the first couple of weeks post-surgery with my Maggie felt a lot like having a newborn again. You worry about every little thing, and feel like they need your constant attention. But the pup's recovery will go by much faster! You asked about going back to work - I went back for 1/2 days after 5 days at home, and all was well. And you've seen that Charlie can hold it, so even if she doesn't get out in her own several times during the day, she'll be ok. Heck, as many folks here will probably tell you, accidents in the house suddenly seem like no big deal anymore. 😉
take it one day or hour at a time and you'll be noticing little improvements before you know it. Hang in there, all of you!!
Cindy and Maggie
so we are now nearing the end of recovery day 6. Charlie is going to the bathroom every morning no problem. She recently decided that she doesn't want to eat. so we are giving her a break from her antibiotics for 24 hours(vet recommended). she is still reluctant to go outside. she seems pretty sore still so we are continuing with the tramadol. When she stands up, she seems pretty unstable. Sometimes she has a little shake when shes making small steps in the house. I am hoping that lonely front leg is not sore or hurt.
We were hoping for some more progress by day 6. Are we being impatient? At what point should we be concerned that she isnt recovering as expected?
She does come outside with me and lays in the grass while I do yard work, but she still seems/looks uncomfortable on three legs. My wife and I are still wondering if Charlie can bounce back from this. I know its only day 6 but everyone told us we would be amazed how pups bounce back. We are still waiting and its gut wrenching.
thanks to everyone for the help
Charlie's dad
Our Ellie was a card-carrying member of the Not Bounce Backers. There are lots of members here!
Ellie worried us so much in those first weeks after her amputation. Her rear leg would just crumple after a few minutes hopping around the yard and she just wouldn't eat (she lost another 10lbs in those weeks). We even delayed chemo for almost 2 weeks because she just wasn't eating and wasn't gaining strength. We certainly wondered if she'd ever get better. It is so heartbreaking when you think they're not only not better, they may be worse than before their amputation! Oh, yes, those fears and thoughts definitely went through our minds.
We also thought that the antibiotics (and the Tramadol, which Ellie did not tolerate well) was the cause of her lack of appetite. But it got really pretty bad w/ her refusing food, even after all the meds (except Gabapentin) were ended. So we gave her Cerenia and fluids and that really made her turn a corner. Part of Ellie's apparent weakness post-amp was that she had hardly eaten because food made her so nauseated.
Our Ellie did get better and I'm sure Charlie will too. It was probably a week after her stitches came out that we really felt out of the woods. And then before you know it, she was going up and down stairs two at a time, just like before (and definitely not wanting any help). Please don't give up hope. I would guess Charlie's still sore from the surgery and she's using muscles (and different muscles) which might be too weak right now. She still needs a bit of time to recover is all.
Denise, Bill and Angel 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
What kind of food has Charlie been eating? On the days Max seemed reluctant to eat we mixed a can of low sodium tuna in his food and he'd eat it right up. Whatever works right? Someone once commented that it takes 2 to 3 weeks for the pain of surgery to be gone and at least a month for mobility to become normal so Charlie seems like he's doing really well. Day 6 is pretty early on in this journey and by this time next week I think you will be amazed at how much better he's getting around. Hang in there it's going to get better!
Linda & Max
I'm so sorry! That is twice today I have mistaken a girl furface for a boy! I really need to pay closer attention as I'm reading. My apologies on mistaking the beautiful Charlie as a boy. Please insert she for he's on my post.
Linda & Max
My first post here was on the sixth day of Happy Hannah's amputation and it was because I feared I had made a HORRIBLE decision! She was miserable and not showing any sparkle coming back at all! Like Ellie, she was a member of the Not Bounce Backers Club!
I KNOW it's so hard to be patient and to recognize the bits of progress because it seems so little and so infrequent. Tiny progress is HUGE progress during the recovery period. It truly is gutwrenching waiting for them to stop hurting. It is soooo hard to be patient.
It IS major surgery and, as Linda said, the recovery from jist the surgery itself takes two or three weeks. The mobility adjustments take about a month before muscles, joints, balance, etc. start falling into place.
Is Charlie on Rimadyl as well as Tramadol? That coukd help with her "lone front leg" if it is indeed sore or inflamed. I know this has been repeated over and over, but you want to keep the pain pills on a consistent basis. If I recall, Charlie is just on Tramadol and not Gabapentin, right? The shaking could definitely be a sign if pain.
Also, before Charlie gets up, try gentle massage and gentle stretching. Her muscles, in addition to surgery lain, probably are sore from learning a new way of being used.
How about drinking? As Donna mentioned, a dose of fluids sometimes can perk them up. Did the vet offer any meds to coat her tummy or combat any nausea?
This "rumor" that all dogs bounce back within to weeks or sooner is one that seems to jave developed a life of its own! The reality is that SOME dogs seems to recover within two weeks...and so e dogs take longer! That's especially true with larger dogs!
Keep your vet in the loop and make sure she isn't running a fever or having any kind of infection. If there are no underlying issues, this sounds like a pretty "normal" recovery to me.
As far as food, try everything yummy you can think of..scrambled eggs, macaroni and cheese, steak and even liverwurst. And CHOCOLATE does wonders for the humans to help lower the stress level!
Hang in there and stay connected to us, okay? Charlie's sparkle will come back!
Hugs to all,
!
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!
Someone coined it in this community, "The stinkier the food, the more they love it."
I opened up a new bag of fish kibble the other day and the odorous cloud that came out of that bag would have killed the fleas in a camel's armpit! Mel and Meesha thought it was manna from heaven.
So, it totally makes sense that she would gobble up the tuna! Good job!
pam
Harmony became a Tripawd on 10/21/14 (MCT). She left us way too soon on 11/1/14.
"We miss you so much; our love, our heart, our Harmony."
- Pam, Ron and Melody, Meesha, Doublestuff and Mariah Carey
Learning to move well on 3 legs takes an adjustment period both mentally and physically and 6 days post op is still very early in the recovery process. A week post amp surgery my Sketch's remaining rear leg simply gave out on him and he was dragging himself across the floor on his butt. It was totally heartbreaking to see and I honestly wondered if we had made a horrible mistake in putting him through the amp surgery. Our vet said that often muscle soreness and inflammation in the remaining limb will occur and he gave Sketch a cortisone shot in his remaining leg to give it support while it got used to taking on it's new job alone.
Charlie may well have some soreness in her remaining front leg...that will pass with time as that leg strengthens and learns to support her front weight alone. Losing a leg is a huge physical change...but one that dogs make amazingly well. Charlie WILL regain her sparkle, however she may have a different long term level of stamina because it does take more energy to move the body with one leg gone. Our Sketch used to play ball or frisbee until I would call it quits because my arm felt like it would drop off! Now he does about 15 fetches and then lies down with his ball/frisbee between his front paws and rests while watching his "siblings" play. He is a happy boy, enjoying doing all the things he used to do just at a slower pace.
Stay upbeat so Charlie doesn't feel something is terribly wrong and she will do just fine.
Trini and my Sketchie Boy
Hi, and thanks for sharing your experience with Charlie. I love Bernese Mountain Dogs! They are so cuddly and lovable, even at over 100 lbs!
My dog, Cooper, is 75 pounds, and had his right front leg amputated at 7 months of age after an accident. He is an amazing creature and I also have his litter mate (whose name happens to be Charlie!). They play really rough with each other, and Cooper can run and jump and play just as much as his brother. In fact, the only problem I have is that I need to make him stop running so that he won't over-do it. He can run after a ball for hours if I let him.
After his surgery, he came home and jumped right up on the bed!! He was with his foster mom at that point, I had not adopted him yet, but I was in constant touch with her. She said she had to actually stop him from jumping on and off the furniture! Oh my!!
As for taking a while to do "number two" -- that could be a result of the medication, or just the trauma. Think of yourself, if you had surgery your bodily functions would probably be somewhat thrown off too. 🙂 And the peeing thing was probably the same answer, and a little bit of disorientation. Also, keep in mind that dogs pick up on our energy, so even THINKING about something bad can send a message to her.
Don't worry, your Charlie will be fine, and you will be amazed at the things she will be able to do soon enough. Humans should all take lessons from these amazing animals -- they overcome adversity without even thinking about it, unlike us because we tend to over-think everything. Like someone else said above, Charlie will figure it out.
Keep us updated!!!
xoxoxoxo from Cooper and the other Charlie!
Cooper (11/11/11 - 3/29/24) was a hound-collie mix "mutt" who was badly injured as a puppy and lost his leg at 7 months of age. We adopted him after the operation. He' was wonderful companion and comforting presence in our family for 12 years. He lived a fabulous life on three legs and was an inspiration to all. We will never forget our Coopie-Doopie-Doo.
Update on Charlie,
I would like to thank everyone for the kind words and encouragement. it has really helped us through this tough recovery.
we are now 16 days post op and Charlie is doing great. everyday brings more energy and progression. Charlie got the staples removed two days ago and our Vet was very happy with the incision. no issues of infection. Now off all pain meds except gabepentin and meloxicam. (spelling?) Charlie is starting to get her appetite back.
We went on our first walk to the mail box(100m) today. she did great. pretty tired after but nothing a 2 hour nap couldn't take care of. Yesterday she decided it was time to go up stairs to visit the baby in his room. She did the big flight of stairs no issue and back down. We were amazing and she was super proud.
Those first two weeks were extremely hard for us. We were so scared we made an awful choice but its becoming clear now that Charlie will be ok.
The next step is coming quickly and we don't really know what to expect. Chemo. I'm currently in the process of booking Charlie in for her first session. Hopefully we get in next week. We aren't sure how Charlie is going to handle the Chemo, and what are the possible/probably side effects.
Its amazing to come home, and Charlie is waiting at the front door wagging her tail, crying and whining more than ever. She is so happy to see us come home, she cries. She used to jump around and spin in circles. I'll take the cries of happiness tho. shes a beauty.
thanks again for all the support. blown away by the support of complete strangers that know how hard these situations are.
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