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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My sweet Bella had a limp two weeks ago, on the 28th we noticed her back right leg was swollen and hard to the touch. She had a biopsy on the 2nd, and today we found out she has soft tissue sarcoma. Her amputation is scheduled for next Friday. I'm pretty overwhelmed.
Let me start with her back story. I adopted Bella last May. She is a corgi/Shepard mix, 7-8 years old & 50 pounds. She was the saddest, oldest one at the shelter. They didn't know much about her, but what they did know was awful. She came from the Denver area, her owner was killed and she was left in the house for 7 months before being rescued. No one knows how she ate or survived for 7 months. She is a fighter. She is a happy dog! She loves her new house, but not being outside of it. She is very scared of everything. Cars, men, cats, taking a walk, door bells, hats and backpacks. She has never been aggressive and is a very calm dog for being so scared.
Ive looked for the necessities thread and can't seem to find it. We have purchased extra rugs for the hard wood floors, and are going to get a Cone and a harness. Is there anything else we should have on hand before next week?
Hello and welcome, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
I'm sorry Bella is facing cancer and amputation, she has been through so much already!
First off you might want to look through The Reading List. There are lots of links there to information from this site on what to expect with amputation and recovery.
My current tripawd is a little pug-mutt named Elly who lost her right rear leg after being hit by a car when she was 7 months old. Elly has lots of fear issues also- I know how challenging it it!
My first Tri-pug Maggie lost her left rear leg to cancer. She was a stubborn girl, set in her ways, who hated any changes to her routine. She was a grumpy pup for 6 weeks after her surgery, most here are back to themselves in 2 or 3 weeks. The first two weeks after surgery can be pretty hard so be aware and don't get discouraged. Bella may take a little more time to get used to things based on her history. I was sure I had made a terrible mistake choosing amputation for Maggie but in hindsight it made sense that she took her time to get used to her new normal. She did though and hopped happily through life for almost 4 years.
Ask lots of questions. We have been there and can help!
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
Awww...sweet Bella!! Rugs/runners/mats/yoga mats are a must for the floors, so that's a good start. You'll probably want a good harness - most of us use the Ruffwear harness
by Webmaster - you can find it under Gear on the homepage. It has a handle on the back, which is helpful for getting in & out of the car or anytime you need to help lift. Murphy had a front leg removed, but we never used a cone - we put a t-shirt on to help keep his incision clean. Many people with rear leg amputations use boxer shorts, putting their tail through the fly 
Whatever works!
The first 2 weeks or so are usually the hardest to get through, but each dog is different. Bella will probably be sent home on several medications. Murphy came home on Tramadol, Rimadyl & Gabapentin. Some have a Fentanyl patch & some antibiotics. You don't want to give all of the pain medications at the same time, space them out some so that she gets something every couple of hours for adequate coverage. You can also put an ice pack wrapped in a cloth on the incision for 10-15 minutes a couple of times a day. She will probably sleep a lot. Activity will mostly just be potty breaks, very short. She may not want to eat much - this is where we get creative. Whatever they will eat. I cooked rice and poured chicken broth over it then added chunks of chicken. Murphy took his pills with peanut butter with no trouble, but many have trouble with the Tramadol.
Is she spending the 1st night at the vet?
Feel free to ask questions, post updates, pictures, frustrations - we've all been there!
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
Sooooo glad ella found you! Soooo glad she has such a loving furever home!
Clearly she is a survivor and that is an extra added strength on this crazy journey! Recovery is no picnic for a couple of weeks. STAY CONNECTED! We'll help you through any challenges you may have and we'll celebrate every victory along the way!
You've already gotten great tips from Karen and Clare. I'll just add one specifically for you.
Eat CHOCOLATE, @ots and lots of CHOCOLATE!! 🙂 it does wonders for the nerves! 🙂
Lots of 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!
Bella started favoring her leg Friday night. I could tell she was in a lot more pain. One of the biopsy sites looked to be infected, so I went to the vet and got Meds. She is on antibiotics, tramadol & carprofen(sp). Already there is a huge difference! She is walking on her leg again, and wagging her tail! She is taking the pills like a champ. I was worried that since she is not a big eater she wouldn't take thepills. So far I've put them in string cheese and tiny peanut butter sandwiches. Any other ideas?
Donna, when I talked to the nurse the other day, she said they wouldn't know if Bella would be staying the night until they got through the surgery. We live in the mountains and the vet is 20 miles away. And the overnight vet is over 45 minutes away. I really hope that they keep her overnight, it worries me to bring her home the same day and be so far away.
Sally, I am definitely going to stock up on chocolate!
When she is obviously in pain, can I do a hot or cold compress? Would that help?
Katie
Hi Katie, so sorry to read about your Bella. My dog Missy had her rear amputation on Jan 24th. She is 12 yrs old and weighed 54 lbs. She has done exceptionally well and doesn't seem to miss her leg at all. I hope that your recovery with Bella will be as easy. This is definitely the place to be for the best support and information.
I rescued Missy when she was only 1 yr old. She was found on the street, pregnant by the SPCA. Not sure what her life was like before that but she had teeth that were horrible like a much older dog and she still to this day is afraid of beings and vacuums.
In the Hopping Around thread I posted a video of her at the beach just 31 days after her surgery. Rescues never forget that you saved them. I hope all goes well for you.
Kathleen
Welcome to Tripawds Katie and Bella! You have come to the right place for help and advice that's for sure. Without the wonderful admins and members I can't imagine how hard this journey would have been for me and my dog Fionn. Fionn has a blog I designed to cover the immediate before and 2 week post op period day by day. Not that everyone's experiences are the same, far from it, but it should at least help prepare you for what to expect and the things I got ahead of time that worked (or didn't). Both cold and hot compresses helped my boy. Each day is a separate entry so you can skip around. http://fionnsjo.....pawds.com/
Others on here have more experience with picky eaters. Fionn will eat literally anything, but my go to for pills that I am not just putting in his food is peanut butter or cheese. He has his own jar of cheap peanut butter (but not the reduced cal/fat kind- they often have artificial sweeteners that aren't good for pups). Many dogs (again, NOT Fionn), lose their appetite after surgery. They are all drugged up and their tummies are not happy so maybe have some wet food if she doesn't already eat canned, or kitten food which is rarely turned down. Some folks end up cooking for their pups, You can search on here for posts about this.
Fionn came home less than 24 hrs post op, but did spend the night. There was a thread by someone awhile ago whose dog came home the same day and did fine. The first week is hard no matter what, but it will go by fast and you WILL be surprised by how well Bella does on 3 legs. Since she is fearful, less time in a scary environment may be better. I really believe someone needs to be home for at least the first week, or a large part of it if you can. She will need help to potty and regular medication.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery! Keep us in the loop.
Nancy and Fionn
Nancy- mom to the FABULOUS Fionn. He rescued me in 2015 when he was 6.
Right front leg amputation at age 7 for osteosarcoma 10/6/16. Taken too soon 6/12/17. Read about our journey here:
http://fionnsjo.....pawds.com/
Bella's coming home today!! Her surgery went really well. The doc called this morning and said she had been outside. She didn't want to walk so they arrived her, but once outside she hopped around a little.
I am so scared to bring her home! The doc said her wound won't be covered. Is this normal? That seems like a huge risk to me. I didn't really want my kids to see it that soon, but isn't it easier for infection to set in when it's not covered?
Also the doc said he is not giving me any extra pain Meds. We have leftover tramadol and carprofen from her biopsy but seriously, shouldn't she be getting more pain Meds? Or more often than three times a day? I just feel like I'm not going to be able to take care of her very well. We live high in the mountains and it takes a while to get back to the vet. I'm just scared I guess.
YAAAAAAAAAY!!! SURGERY IS OVER AND BELLA IS COMING HOME!!!
Just want to jump in quickly so you can get more pain meds from the Vet. Your instincts are spot on!! Bella needs AT LEAST TWO WEEKS OF TRAMADOL and, ideally GABPENTIN too!! She needs an a antibiotic too!
We are not Vets and not giving Vet advice. We do know, however, not all Vets are up tot date when it comes to pain meds for MAJOR SURGERY like amputation!!
Every dog is diffenet. Generally though, Tramadol works best three times a day, sometimes twice a day. The Gabapentin is often given twice a day. This, along with the antibiodic and Rimadyl.
Pain meds take some tweaking, maybe reduction, etc as recovery continues. But to be kn the safe side you need to INSIST Bella have enough pain meds! My Happy Hannah needed ners for thre weeks (at a reduced dose aof d less frequently, but she still needed some!
Happy Hannah did not come home with a bandage covering. Some dogs do, some don't. You can put a clean tee shirt on Bella to help for "asthetics" for the kids. The. most startling fact is how much fur they shave!
When you pick Bella up, don't even look at the incision. She just wants to know you love her a are so happy to see her! She just wants to get home!! Be a stong confident pack leader. She'll feed off of your energy.
STAY CONNECTED!!! YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!! Update when you have a moment! Ask any questions. We've all been through it!
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!
Sally is spot on. Most dogs come home with tramadol, rimadyl and gabapentin plus an antibiotic. Like Sally said at least two weeks worth. Some come home with the incision covered some don't. Our Max just had a light bandage on which fell off like in 3 days. Since they really don't or aren't supposed to have much activity first week I just would lay a soft towel over his incision as he payed there so he wouldn't lick it. I was able to be with him all the time being retired so during the day I just used the towel so he didn't have to wear the cone except at night. Bless you for saving beautiful Bella not once but twice, first at the shelter and now this journey. She is indeed a sweetie with a warrior heart. Good luck and let us know if you have any questions we're here to help! Hugs!
Yes Bella needs pain meds! Some old school vets are not up on the latest guidelines for pain management. Geeze- Elly had a baby tooth pulled and she was sent home with Tramadol for a few days!
Most rear amps don't have a bandage when the come home, some front leggers do and some don't. My pug Maggie did not have a bandage after her rear amp.
You might try boxer shorts if you are worried about the incision, the tail goes through the fly.
Let us know how she is doing when you get her home.
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
Fabulous news that Bella is through surgery and that she is doing so well she's ready to come home. That will be so good for her.
Ditto the above re the pain meds. My Meg came home from the hospital just on Metacam, but I spoke to my own vet and we added tramadol. Without the tramadol she was panting and fidgety and showing signs of pain. With it, she was absolutely fine. She wasn't actually on Gabapentin or an antibiotic, but most dogs are. She didn't have any bandage or dressing, or actually any visible stitches/staples either.
Good luck with it all. Please stay connected. You will be absolutely fine, and we are all here to support you. Bella's avatar is gorgeous. Can't wait to see more pics.
All best,
Meg, Clare and Elsie Pie xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 23 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
We made it through the first day. Bella is doing really well so far. We even got her to eat a little bit.
When I picked her up from vet, they had her outside and her tail was wagging so hard and she was smiling and ready to get in the car! (She usually hates car rides) I was really surprised how much fur was gone and with her being part corgi, how thick her fur is! There is a LOT of bruising around the incision, which makes it look even scarier.
I was able to get her to go outside twice today. I used a scarf to help hold her up, but oh my goodness, I swear she is going to fall and get mud or debris on her. She is so wobbly and unbalanced.
Ive been keeping a journal of when she gets her Meds and still somehow doubled the carprofen today, and now I'm scared to death I overdosed her. I feel like I'm trying so hard to do everything "right" that I'm not thinking clearly. I have my alarm set every two hours throughout the night so I can check on her. I don't want to fall asleep tonight and miss a sign or symptom.
Ive been trying to upload a picture, but I'm finding it difficult to do on my iPad.
That's fantastic that you are through the first day! And that Bella is doing so well and even eating!
The wobbliness will soon improve. It is probably a consequence of the hospital Meds as much as anything. Just makes sure she takes it easy. Lots of rest and just short leashes potty breaks as she recovers and gains strength.
And don't beat yourself up over the Meds! You are stressed and exhausted. Mistakes happen, and I know I have certainly messed up myself on occasion. Keeping a journal is a great idea and will help you to monitor any signs of discomfort against when she had her Meds.
Do try and get some rest when you can. You need to take care of yourself as well as sweet Bella.
Sending you a big hug,
Meg, Clare and Elsie Pie xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 23 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
kat4544 said
Ive been trying to upload a picture, but I'm finding it difficult to do on my iPad.
Here are detailed instructions for adding photos to forum posts . If you don't already share photos online somewhere, you can start a free Tripawds blog any time and upload them there. Need further help? Post in the Tech Support forum and we'll be happy to help!
Are you using the Rich Text Editor? Visit your Forums Profile and check you editing options. If Plain Text is selected, switch to Rich Text (TinyMCE). That will provide better tools for writing/editing forum posts.
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