Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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I feel so much more confident about Maddie's surgery tomorrow because of all of you and the posts and blogs of all those who have been thru it. I cannot tell you how helpful this forum and each of you who took the time to respond to my panicked questions have been. Maddie and I had a long conversation this morning about how today is the last day she'll have to deal with "the leg". Every day it is obvious to me that her pain level increases despite increasing her pain meds. It's been since early September so I feel like she's had to deal with the pain longer than she should have and I'm glad that today is the last full day. I think we've done all we can to prepare - we have mats and runners down, we have a good firm giant bed, we have her suitcase packed with her favorite foods for her hospital stay. We do not yet have a harness, but I do have a "sling" that is very soft to help her balance when she is standing. So I think we are as ready as we're going to be! Thank you all again - I'll keep everyone updated on how Maddie is doing!
Bobbi & Maddie a/k/a ManiacMads
Front leg amputation 10/17/17 due to Osteosarcoma
She's Madeline, She's Madeline
Hey Madiiiiiie 💓
Gosh, I was just thinking about you girls and then saw your new thread.
I am SO glad to see your enthusiasm and pawsitiveness, you are both totally ready, I could not be more thrilled 😃
And Maddie is going to be painfree and she's just about to start a new deliriously happy life with her humans 🎀🐶💕
We are all here, ready to answer any questions you may have after surgery and we are madly rooting for you girls 😍🐶
What time is surgery?
How long will she be at hospital for?
Sending you an avalanche of kisses 😘😘😘😘 and a tornado of cuddles to your sweetie pie, darling Maddie and also a big woooooof from Eurydice from the sky🐮💫✨🌟🌹
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
We have to drop her off at 7 a.m. Her surgery is in the morning but they didn't give me an exact time. I think the surgeon has two procedures and she's the second. The surgeon says she will be there at least overnight. They want to get her up and moving, and ideally eating before she's released. The surgery tech told me they usually give them chicken to get them eating and Maddie loves that so I'm hoping she will eat for them. She was there for the day on her "original" surgery date and she wouldn't eat anything for them. They called me and asked me to come get her early because she was "an anxious mess". She does not do well with changes to her routine so I hope she is okay. She had to stay overnight at the ER vet a few years ago and she was great for them. So I assume she's so anxious this time because she's in pain. Thank you again - reading about Eurydice has given me a lot more confidence in a positive outcome. The regular vet made me think Maddie was too big to be able to get around on three - in fact that was all she would say when I asked what the options were. Her response was "well, she's really big...." Anyway - I do feel more positive now and I just want to put the surgery behind us so we can move forward on recovery and chemo!
Bobbi & Maddie a/k/a ManiacMads
Front leg amputation 10/17/17 due to Osteosarcoma
She's Madeline, She's Madeline
That's my girl and I mean YOU 😄😄😄
That is the right attitude sweetie, and as a side comment your vet should check Eurydice's videos out (and all the other Tripawds Danes and giant breeds as well) before she says a dog is too big for amputation 😉
Concerning the stay at the hospital, Eurydice was there for 3 nights, I picked her up on day 4 in the morning.
They told me I could pick her up day 3 but I told them I preferred she would stay with qualified staff an extra day due to her size.
I don't regret having done it as it is not a piece of cake to look after a gigantic Dane so soon after surgery.
So, my point is, if she can stay at least 2 or 3 days (and provided she is not super anxious there) I would do exactly that.
I was told not to visit her before I picked her up because that was guaranteed to make her anxious.
I bet Maddie is in great pain now and that doesn't help her general mood but pain will soon be over, guaranteed !
Take some of your t-shirts with her tomorrow (clean ones, she will still be able to pick up your smell) that should help calm her down during her stay at hospital...
Also, please consider asking them to get one of your t-shirts on her the day you collect her, it is definitely better not to be hit in the face with the incision at that moment.
They sent me a picture of my beloved Eurydice hours after the operation, she sat for the photo (!!!!) and even if seeing the photo was a shock for me at the time, it did help me prepare for the size of the incision.
I am assuming they are removing the shoulder blade too as they did with Eurydice?
They did it so she did not have to carry a dead weight on her shoulder which would not have helped with balance and would serve no purpose.
As Maddie loves chicken stock up on it!
I gave Miss Cow all sorts of food plus grilled chicken, boiled chicken, chicken in the oven, chicken, chicken, chicken and more chicken 🐔🐔🐔🐔🐔🐔🐔🐔🐔
I'll send you my mobile contact by PM now in case you have any last minute "Dane" doubts or want to talk.
I am on Paris, Europe time here but if it is urgent (and say, the middle of the night for me) text me on the mobile so I can see it the minute I surface back to earth from Nodland.
Eurydice is SO glad you and Maddie are travelling with her, even if she is no longer here I am sure she'll be laughing her happy laugh from above 💕🐮💕
Zillion kisses and cuddles flying your way 😘😘😘😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
Maddie and you have the power of the Tripawds Nation on your side, we are sending lots of love and well wishes to you for a successful surgery and speedy recovery! We are glad you are here so we can help in whatever ways we can.
If it's any comfort we've heard many members say their vets told them the same thing about their big dog. If you want really good story to give you hope while you wait for Maddie's surgery to be over, you must read about Atlas the Great Dane. He will amaze you!
Tripawd Tuesday Celebrates Atlas the Great
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Online
OH YEAH! MISS MADDIE IS SOOOO READY FOR THIS!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 And she won't be nervous had all! Unlike you /well, I assume unlikebyou!), she'll have some great drugs to help her be high as a kite!! Just eat lots of CHOCOLATE!
Update us tomorrow. CHEERING FOR MISS MADDIE!
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!
Sounds like you are fully prepped with positivity and post-op plans in place! I can't wait to hear how Maddy's feeling after surgery, and hope that she'll soon be able to hop right into her regular vet's office to show him just how big and brave she really is! 
Good luck to your girl,
-Brittnie and Loki
🐾 Loki, Dog of Mischief 🐶
I loved life as a tripawd for over three years following right forelimb amputation due to an aggressive and recurrent hemangiopericytoma. I reclaimed my place among the gods and valkyries in Valhalla on November 11th, 2020. My parents miss me tremendously, but I know they'll keep me in their hearts forever... and don't worry, I've approved my mom's use of my Tripawds account.
Thinking of you and Maddie today and sending you both all the pawsitivity the universe has to offer up today! ❤️❤️❤️ Keep us posted as you can, and here's to an uneventful recovery! Maddie will be so much happier without that bum leg shortly here!
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