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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Yeah!! So glad you got some much needed rest. And hey, no judgement here!! We all do things differently & what works for some doesn't work for others and the best part of this site is getting that advice from others who have been there, so you can make your own best decision for you! Besides, if you wouldn't have attempted to go upstairs you wouldn't have known how well Phin was able to manage them. For Kylie, going down has always been easier but I always worry about her going up and having to push up each step on that one remaining leg. But it is so much nicer sleeping in your own bed. We found that she slept better as well!!! (so then we didn't feel as selfish by bringing her back to the upstairs) 😉
Interestingly, it was always around 5-5:30am for us too that Kylie would start to get restless in bed and pant again, I always wondered if that's when the Tramadol was wearing off, since she's due for it at 7am each day. By the way I still hand feel Kylie most days, just so I know she will eat. She is coming around though. I think some babying is OK during this recovery phase. 
For her, she can't eat right away until her pill kicks in to help with the pain, then about an hour after she will knock back a bowl of food. Just an idea!
Best of luck on the days ahead! and YAY on the convertible ride for ice cream! Wow that dog has it good 
~Chris & Kylie xo
Ack! So, not sure how I haven't seen your posts until tonight, but here I am!!!
So here is Murphy's story (why did no one link you to me???)
Murphy is a retriever mix. He had started limping almost 4 years ago and his first set of x-rays were "clear." And on pain medications he would bear weight on his leg. When he finished his medications the pain became worse, but our vet didn't find anything wrong. Eventually we were referred to an orthopedic specialist. February 2013 we were told that he had a tumor. Bone cancer was suspected, but it could be a fungal or bacterial infection so we did a biopsy. A couple of weeks went by, but the biopsy was inconclusive. The next set of x-rays showed that the tumor had grown and was eating away at the bone. Murphy had just turned 7 and was perfectly healthy. Our options were amputation or putting him to sleep. We decided that we needed to give him a chance at a life, so we went ahead with surgery. 4/4/13 Murphy had his surgery. It took almost 3 weeks to get the pathology back, but it finally came back as histiocytic sarcoma. The lymph node they removed was also positive. They told us that "if we were lucky," we might get 12-18 months. Murphy got 6 doses of CCNU chemo. Last month he had chest x-rays and his lungs are still clear.
The first couple of weeks are really a big roller coaster. Murphy came home on Tramadol, Rimadyl & Gabapentin for pain. One week is still early in recovery, especially to be coming off of pain meds. Murphy took his for 2 weeks. He often didn't want to eat. He's better about that now (most of the time! lol). You need a good harness - many of us use the webmaster ruffwear harness , it has a handle on the top which makes getting Murphy in & out of the car a breeze. It will also help with the stairs.
Please feel free to message me anytime!!! There's also a link to Murphy's blog in my signature. Last week we drove 5 hours to a Illinois with Murphy for a fundraiser walk - he had a great time!
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
I can't add much to what everyone else has said, and my experience was similar. The beginning was *so hard* and it hurts to see your baby in pain. I only have one thing to add.
You may see around here, and on other websites, that the first two weeks after the amputation are "hell." That implies that after two weeks, everything is fine. However, that was not my experience. My Romeo was despondent and distant for at least a month post-op, and wasn't entirely himself for a month after that. It was only around the beginning of month 3 where I really saw him become himself again - goofy, loving, playful, affectionate, and thrilled to go for a walk or play with toys. So I'd say, be prepared for Phineas not to fully be back to his old personality for a while. That's not to scare you, but to reassure you that, even though it feels like an eternity while you're going through it, it *will* get better. Good luck!
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