Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Jesse, my 60# Shepard mix, was diagnosed with condosarcoma about a month ago. Luckily for us it had not spread and was confined to his left hind leg in the knee area. He was in so much pain from the leg, we opted for the difficult choice of amputation. After a 7 hour sx and 2 days in hospital he came home and we knew we had made the right choice. He was doing fantastic, pain was well managed and he was getting around great.
Then, he found the incision and started licking 😮! He managed to relieve himself of one staple and has started oozing. I immediately put on the Ecollar and what a mistake, he freaked out, running into walls and fell down right on his stump more than once. I think we've managed to undo his wonderful recovery! He's now in pain, panting and drooling again and I feel awful. I found a DIY method using a towel to make a "cervical" collar, but if he really wants to I think he could reach that spot. Any ideas? As I'm sure you all know from going through this, I am beside myself and I'm sure he's picking up on my stress.
Thanks all.
Welcome! So sorry to hear about Jesse. Protecting the incision site at all times is a must. You will find many cone of shame alternatives in the Tripawds gear blog. Just click any cone of shame link. You might also try putting some old boxer shorts on Jesse to keep the wound clean. The tail can go through the flap, a t-shirt works best for front-leggers.
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 for lots of helpful links if you ever need help navigating the many resources Tripawds has to offer.
And yes, Jesse will pick up on your vibes and follow you lead. That's why our #1 tip is to Be More Dog . That's not just some silly saying, when you have time listen to our Be More Dog podcast for details.
Best wishes for Jesse, 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
Jesse and Mom,
Welcome to the Tripawds community. We love this site and have found the information and more importantly the friendship and support of the members to be invaluable on our journey. My dog Rusty is a right rearleg amp due to chondrosarcoma. He is over two months post-amp now and doing very well but those first couple weeks were tough and exhausting! We purchased an inflatable e-collar, basically an inner tube around his neck, that worked for the first couple days but then he found he could bend around and get to his incision. We got a pair of kid's shorts made from a heavier weight material and my Mom fashioned him some German lederhosen by sewing a couple straps to the pants as suspenders and tying them to his harness then she sewed the right leg shut. You can see a pic on his blog (http://misterru.....pawds.com/) they really worked and kept him from licking.
The initial recovery is tough but you clearly love Jesse and you can do this! I can't wait to see pictures and learn more about your guy.
❤️Amy & Rusty
Online
Youvew fotten good info from Amy and our Admin Guy.
TAKE SOME DEEP BREATHS.....B R E A T H E........Things like this DO happen! The e.collar is a scary thing! Nothing too serious has happened at all, okay? Jesse...And you...will get past this!! It is important to step back into yiurr calm a d confident pack leader role!
Check with your Vet, but it sounds like he could use a step up in his pain meds, regardless of the issue with the cone! It could be that his stump is a little more painful now. No biggie....can be managed easily with some meds
Okay...back to the deep breaths!!! You haven't "undone" anything! If you are avle to keep an eye on him pretty much no stop for a bit, you can just let things settle down and then try o e of the options offered above.
STAY CONNECTED and let us know how things are going! We are all here for you! And eat lots and lots 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!
Thank you for the info and kind words all! Ugh, what a stressful time 😨.
I revamped the DIY towel collar and that seems to be working. Jesse has since relaxed after the cone of shame incident and I am keeping him under close watch. At first he didn't think he could move with the towel on him, but he's worked it out.
I thought waiting while he was in surgery was stressful, ha! I had no idea😂
Just learning how to navigate this site, so bear with me, but I'm so glad I've found this amazing place for information and support 😊
It really is a rough time, there is no doubt about it. But stay vigilante and Jesse will pull through. These pups are amazing, after all they have been through, but all they want to do is scratch...!! That's not asking much is it?!😉
Jerry's Pack gave me some excellent advice, not too long ago... if you have concerns, call your vet... or jump online and somebody here will be sure to help out.
I do feel for you, Stewie is only now, after 3 weeks starting to act like a normal dog! He still gets tired easily but he's holding his own.
This is an incredible site and quite easy once you get the hang of it, although I still haven't quite figured out the forums totally yet.
Good luck Jesse and Mum... stay strong and we'll all be cheerleading along the way!👏👏👏
Super Stu sends sloppy kisses and all the best from his Pack. ❤️🐾🐾🐾🐾
Remember...“live in the moment!“
jessejmom said
Just learning how to navigate this site...
This Tripawds Network tutorial video should help:
How to Navigate the Tripawds Community
It is also available in the Technical Support forum where you'll find many questions answered, or feel free to start a new topic there to ask your own. Start here if you ever need help finding the many helpful Tripawds resources and assistance programs.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Jesse & mom!!
So sorry you had such a scary experience! Our pups sure can be motivated to get to those wounds, can't they? It sounds like things have settled down some and so you may have it all sorted but I still wanted to chime in.
Izzy was a front legger, and as mentioned, we used a t-shirt to keep her sutures clean and protected when she inevitably fell on her incision. She later had surgery on a hind leg and also developed a tumor on a hind foot. Because of her loooonnnnggggggg legs (when she curled up, her feet reached past her head - she literally laid her head on her hind ankles!), I *HAD* to find another way - the cone of shame just wouldn't cut it. As unhappy as it sounds, I ended up using a basket muzzle. I found one at my local Petsmart after striking out online since most were designed with a slot to allow the tongue out - NoooOOoooOoOooo! Izzy had a short snout, so it made it a bit easier for her to drink with the muzzle on, but boy, it saved us SO much hassle and spared her from literally chewing herself into a mess!
Just food for thought if the struggle continues but I'm hoping all is under control!
Have we seen a photo of Jesse yet?!?
~Amy & Angel Izzy
Momma to the world's most beautiful American Bulldog, Izzy!! Lost her front leg to OSA 9/18/15. Diagnosed w MCT in June 2016. Celebrated her 1 year ampuversary with knee surgery on 9/18/16! MCT recurrence in Dec 2016. Happy & hungry til nearly 14, earning her wings on 7/31/17.
Amy...love the visual of Sweet Izzy laying her head on her hind ankles! 🙂 That girl has Hollywood Starlet legs! Great idea about the basket! See...that Izzy gal has many, many aspects to her legacy!.
How are things going with Jesse?
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!
Amy, Sally, Super Stu....thank you for your ideas and such caring support! What a group of wonderful people on this site.
Well yesterday morning at 3 a.m., woke to a sound that got me out of bed faster than the sound of a dog puking...a dog LICKING😲. Yes, Jesse had managed to slip his collar and relieve himself of a few staples. OMG, I was such a mess, there was a 1"gapping wound, luckily not bleeding, but oozing. I very gently dried him off and began the 5 hour wait of keeping an eye on him until the vet opened. Jesse spent another 4 hours at the vet where he was sedated again, loose staples removed and the whole incision restitched. Now we have to start our 2 weeks all over again 😞. The vet did have a bite not collar that he was able to send me home with. Jesse is not happy, but it does seem to be working with much less stress that the cone.
So begins the count down again.
And no I haven't been able to figure out how to add a picture yet 😞, tried to follow the instructions for changing my avatar even and the pic showed up sideways and I wasn't able to rotate it. Don't know what's wrong with me, lol, but I'm stumped. I'm going to post on the Facebook page so you all can see him😊
Hi Jesse's mum
you poor thing! I would've freaked out too! Poor Jesse too! I can imagine how frantic he was getting! (Never mind you!) My hope for you is that it doesn't take that long too heal.... hopefully it is just the outside of Jesse's scar that is not healed....?!
As far as getting pictures.... My nephew helped me out... so when you add Media from you personalm albums, you need to scale that picture in order to size it properly. If my picture has a scale of 750, then I usually scale it down by half... so I would change the first number (eg: 750) to 380 and it will automatically scale the second number for you. There is also a rotation button you can push and a centre button... good luck! If this hasn't helped much, I'm sure someone else will have some tips....
Stewie & I will be thinking of you. Please take care of yourself and try to get some rest! Until next time...
love from Super Stu, Petra, Paul, Spike, Chester & Miss Lily ❤️🐾🐾🐾🐾
jessejmom said
I haven't been able to figure out how to add a picture...
Photos must be hosted somewhere online, preferably somewhere other than Facebook (The Faceborg clears their static image URLs periodically and any photos linked from there will disappear. And, many Tripawds Members are not on Facebook) So...
1. Upload the photo. (This is why there are free Tripawds Blogs , and don't even ask about Photobucket.)
2. View the photo.
3. Copy the image file location.
4. Use the Insert image button and paste the link.
That's it!
Consider rotating your avatar before uploading in, or just upload an avatar and we can fix it for you. Post in the Tech Support forum if you need more help or send a PM and we can meet in the chat, or feel free to call the toll-free Tripawds Helpline anytime!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Wow... this sounds too familiar. Obie didn't mess up his staples licking... but by SITTING on them. (He's a big guy) So now I've got an oozing gap at the back/underside of his haunch! Ick.
He he is also a cone of shame escape artist. Happily for the most part he's left the incision alone.
Best wishes as the journey continues!!
Christie & Obie
Oberon the Newfoundland, born 8/26/09. dx osteosarcoma 7/11/17
Christie & Oboe I've been following your story here, what a wonderful boy he is!
We are still dealing with issues here. My determined licker Jesse found a way to get around the bite not collar. He is amazing. Luckily he has not done any further damage, but I'm so afraid that I am breaking his spirit. Poor baby is spending most of his time in the bathroom now and whenever I call him or come near him he begins to shake and won't make eye contact. Probably wondering what new torture device I'll be putting on his head next.
I know this is just a small chunk of time we need to get through and we will get through it, but I can't help feeling overwhelmed. We have a week and 1/2 left before the stitches come out. I never thought this was going to be the hardest part of the journey.
So glad to be able to draw upon your combined knowledge and experience.
Jesse's mom,
i know the look, although on Obie it is more like stink eye!
I allow Obie cone-free time when someone can supervise. I'm single but I have been lucky to have a friend who works from home who offered to hang out with him for a few days when I am at work.
Like you I am counting the days til this part of his recovery is done!
It is great to have someone to compare notes with.
Christie & Obie
Oberon the Newfoundland, born 8/26/09. dx osteosarcoma 7/11/17
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