Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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I hope I am doing this right. My boy's name is Rocky and he is a wonderful 9 year old black lab mix. He was first diagnosed with STS in his right front paw December of 2016. I was shocked to hear amputation to be the first method of attack. So I did a TON of research into this disease and placed him on some herbs and supplements known to help in what's called "apoptosis". Well, it actually shrunk! So I kept up with this for a while, and because it was doing so good, I backed off on some of the supplements I was giving him. I'm not sure if it was because of that or just the nature of the progression of the disease, but it started to grow again in size and now it's not recovering. So he is scheduled for surgery this Sunday morning for amputation. I am scared to death. But I do know he will be happier without the pain in that paw. I just hope it's not too late. I have no idea as to what to expect in the days to follow. I have read some of the groups postings and found most of the same challenges and outcomes.
If anyone has some advice for me, I am so willing to accept it!
Thank you for listening and I will keep people posted as time goes on.
Okay, first bit of "advice"...B R E A T H E........INHALE SLOOOOOWLY.....EXHALE SLOOOOOWLY....B R E A T H E. .. B R E A T H E!
You are not alone! We are right her by your side to supportnyou and cheer for Rocky and celebrate all his upcoming victories!! 🙂
We all understand the emotions and fear and exhaustion and panic and uncertainty involved getting to this point. You are making a decision out of love for Rocky and that is ALWAYS the right decision! 🙂
Although reasons may vary, quite often amputations are put off for months, so need not be concerned about that, okay?
Will Rocky be staying overnight at a 24/7 clinic?
A couple of preparations you can do at home before he returns. Put non slip scatter rugs down for traction if you have hardwood floors. If you have stairs, block them off. If you have steps he has to go up and down to go potty, if possible, build a ramp.. Raised food and water bowls may help prevent strain.
When you do go pick Rocky up, don't even bother to look at his incision. He just wants to see you looking into his eyes and telling him what a good boy he is and let's go home!!! 🙂 Stay strong, confident and happy and Rocky will follow your lead!
I know from your post in another "thread" you saw all the various links giving you insight in caring for a tripawd, so take a moment to read through those.
Most likely Rocky will come home with Tramadol, Gabapentin, Rimadyl and an antibiotic. Some come home with a Fentanyl patch (morphine). Every dog's recovery is different and every reaction to drugs is different. Usually after around the third day all the hospital meds are out of their system and that's when pain may hit them a little harder. It IS MAJOR surgery and it does hurt!
For the first two weeks, just SHORT potty breaks and back inside for rest, rest and more rest.
STAY CONNECTED.....EAT LOTS OF CHOCOLATE!!! WE ARE HERE FOR YOU EVERY STEPMOF THE WAY! And we'll be eating chocolate in solidarity! 🙂 🙂
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!
You are such an inspiration to everyone! Thank you for all those much needed words of wisdom. I have tears in my eyes just reading it (happy tears to feel a sense of relief just knowing people are out there). I did order a Ruffwear harness to help him get around those first days home. I was thinking of having some sort of ramp to get him down from our porch, thank you for that. I didn't think about raising the bowls, but that makes perfect sense. I'll look at where I can find a larger one to fit the dog bowls. I have to fit 3 bowl if possible since I have another doggie pal ( she's pretty cute too 🙂
Someone I know who fosters dogs happen to have a dog who recently had a front leg amputation ( it's actually a fellow teacher from another school in my district that I haven't met yet) Not sure what the reason was, I think it was cancer, but whoever did the surgery suggested that she give her dog "The Great Mender Tea Pill" along with all the pain meds. Do you or anyone know of this? She had good results with his recovery. Said he was walking around at day 3, quiet but pretty normally.
I will do more reading of those links and hope to get all kinds of people out there to give me advice. 
Now it's time to go get that chocolate stocked up!
Sorry to hear Rocky's diagnosis but you've stumbled upon the RIGHT place for help! Sally gave you lots of good advice and I am sure that Rocky is going to surprise you - dogs are SO resilient! The first few days will be a challenge (mostly for you) but you'll muddle through and we'll be here to cheer you on.
One small side note - you should likely wait a few days to use the Ruffwear harness . They are great but the amputation incision will be BIG and the harness will likely cross over it. You might try a sling (canvas shopping bag split down the sides, King size pillow case can even work in a pinch) so just provide a little support and stability at first.
Rocky may be shy about going potty with you standing over him, so maybe "practice" with a sling starting now - even a couple of days with your "hovering" can help him after surgery. That's often a stumbling block for dogs who are used to going out in the yard to do their business alone. Given he's going to be a front amp, you at least won't have the "hey, I'm supposed to lift THIS leg" issue, but he might lose balance at first but will quickly sort it out. Try not to panic when he falls - and he will at least once in recovery - as he'll likely get up and go on about live while you try to recover from the stroke you had watching it happen (can you tell I've been down this road?).
Not sure if there are little ones in your house, but my pre-teen "bonus son" was quite put off by Izzy's incision, so we put her in a t-shirt. It also made me feel better about keeping debris off the wound, but you know Rocky best. If that will throw him off, skip it.
He might be restless the first couple of nights, so you may want to prep a sleep space that works for you both, that is if he isn't already a "by your bed" sleeper. I slept on the couch next to Izzy the first couple of nights until she got a bit more acclimated and wasn't so loopy from the pain meds (she came home the day of surgery).
Also, as Sally noted, he'll likely come home on multiple pain meds. I staggered the administration of Izzy's so all of them weren't wearing off at the same time. It was a lot of pills, so I kept a little notebook on the counter and wrote down the time and medicine given. Some folks also log pee/
so they will be more aware - pain meds can cause constipation. I did not ... Izzy pooped the first night (in her bed - goooood drugs, man) so there were no issues.
That's all I can thing of right now. If you are interested in reading my panicked posts, you can find them (and laugh at me) here: http://tripawds.....-help-her/
Paws crossed for Rocky!
Amy & my pretty pink angel pup, 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.
You too, Amy ,have earned your wings for sure ( not now though 🙂 I think you may be right about the harness but wanted to be prepared for anything later. I will certainly use the sling method instead if that works best. I'm fortunate that Rocky is not shy about peeing/ in front of me lol! We go out together all the time, mostly at night before bed. He knows the ritual so well I just say, time to go to your corner, and he practically pees on command! He's so good. I will definitely read your past posts, I think that will help me a lot.
I do have kids, but they are both in high school (junior and senior, yikes) so they will be very helpful during all of this. I go back to school next Thursday ( I work in special education) and so I hope that he'll be ok when I go back. He will be 4 days in by then. Time will tell. I just wish they could have scheduled his surgery sooner than Sunday. This waiting is killing me. Not sure which is worse, the anticipation or the actual surgery....
Keep me in your thoughts as I really need all the help I can get
Thank you for your kind words of encouragement
Jeannine
jphalon said
I hope I am doing this right...
Perfect, best wishes for Rocky!
I have no idea as to what to expect in the days to follow.
Be sure to bookmark Jerry's Required Reading List and check out the various FAQs in the Tripawds News blog for lots of helpful tips.
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!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Yes, I too thought anticipating was about as bad as waiting for the vet to call me when it was all over. The days before the surgery...all I could do was look at my poochie boy and feel horrible/guilty/sad that I knew what was about to happen to him while he had no idea.
With all the preparing I did for when LB was to come home, I was pleasantly surprised that LB was getting around so well and also back to his regular potty routine very quickly. I hope your Rocky surprises you that way too.
This is a wonderful support system we have here. We're all here because we absolutely love our pets like family and they don't deserve to suffer through the pain of cancer or whatever situation that brought them to the Tripawds community.
Tiffyshea said
This is a wonderful support system we have here...
Consider registering to take full advantage of the many Tripawds Resources (and log in if you have joined), and your posts will not require moderation.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Update us on Rocky's surgery when you can!
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!
Ok, here is an update ")
Rocky went in this morning for surgery at 8am. I received a phone call at 1:30pm (seemed like furever!) from the Dr. saying Rocky did very well. He was in recovery and would call a little later with more updates. He then called me again at 4pm saying he was out walking about! All I can say is "Thank God and all the prayers"! Dr. John just called me again a few minutes ago and said he was really doing amazing and he was going to take him outside for a short walk. I am just so speechless I can't even begin. So he gave me the option of having him stay overnight, which I thought was best since it's so late and he would benefit from staying there and resting.
I go tomorrow morning to pick him up and can't wait! I was instructed to not call at 6am, ha ha ha. I really am so relieved that he did well and recovery is on it's way. I will post a pic of my boy in a sec (before surgery) so you all can have a face with the name.
Thank you all again for the much needed advice, ear to listen to, and overall wonderful friendship thus far. It's truly made a world of difference knowing I am not alone in this.
Talk soon!
http://tripawds..... Try this for photos.
And YAAAAAAAAAY FOR SURGERY OVER!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAY FOR ROCKY ALREADY STANDING!!! 🙂 🙂
Sleep well tonight, okay? Maybe a few sleepless nights ahead! Besides, Rocky's still high as a kite! 🙂
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!
Woohoo! Here's to Rocky making it through surgery and going home today! 
You are definitely not alone. As you think of questions you forgot to ask your vet, just pop in here and ask away. We look forward to seeing those photos.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I don't have any more to add to the already great advice you've received. I just wanted to say your pup has a great name. 
Glad he came through surgery and is doing well. Dogs are amazing creatures with how resilient they are.
David and Rocky (and Baxter now too!)
Rocky had his right front leg amputated on Valentine's Day 2017 after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma.
He joined the September Saints on September 3, 2017.
He is the toughest, bravest, sweetest and best friend I'll ever know.
So here we are day 1 post amp. He is such a trooper. Pretty drugged up, good, but still eating and all bodily functions working 🙂 He is on the same medications as most of you that I've read, Gabapentin, Tramadol, Meloxocam, and Clavamox. Someone had said somewhere that Gabapentin needs to be weaned. I was wondering when this happens, day 7 or so? If someone knows or could pass along their story, that would be so helpful. I am starting to stagger the meds a little too. The vet says I can give them at the same time, but I feel it's best to give them a little apart for better pain management . Experiences?
I am so very relieved at how he is doing. But I am still feeling a little overwhelmed with the thoughts of "did I do the right thing for him". I think I did, but because I am only in day 1, well you know.
Pictures to come at some point But anytime I take his picture now he kinda looks, not alive 🙂 Good meds!
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