Join the forum discussion on this topic!Caring for your dog’s amputation incision is usually as easy as ensuring that nature is taking its course and healing the site.
Most dogs like Tripawds Founder Spirit Jerry have minimal problems at the wound, but unfortunately some dogs like Tripawds Spokesdawg Wyatt Ray and Valentina the Great Dane experience surgical wound complications, such as continuous serum (blood and bodily fluids) leakage that requires extended veterinary care and longer recuperation times.
If you’re about to start your Tripawd journey, take time to be prepared for wound complications, just in case.
Here’s a quick rundown of some things to keep in mind:
Keep a Post-Amputation First Aid Kit Handy
Your vet may want you to change bandages or clean around the incision. Be prepared by stocking a pre-made pet first aid kit or making one yourself. To care for amputation wounds, your kit needs:
Muzzle
- Sterile gauze pads, large
- Scissors
- Surgical scrub solution
- Small towels
- Flexible vet wrap
- Digital thermometer
- Cold and hot pack
- Gloves
- Flexible, strong adhesive tape
- Rescue Remedy holistic calming aid (for both you and your Tripawd!)
To Bandage or Not to Bandage?
Your dog may or may not come home with a bandage over the incision, or a drain.
Our Tripawds Amputation Survey shows that more dogs come home without a bandage and drain, but it’s up to you and the vet to determine if these things are necessary. Most times they aren’t; usually it seems that a bandage is applied to lessen the shock value when pawrents see the wound for the first time. An old t-shirt can be worn by front-leg Tripawds to keep the incision site clean and help prevent licking. Boxer shorts can be worn by rear-leggers, with the tail through the flap.
Wound Drains
We never had firsthand experience with a “Jackson Pratt” or JP drain until our Wyatt came home from surgery last week. Had we known he was getting one, we might have asked about whether or not it was necessary, since ultimately it clogged and didn’t release any of the fluid that was building up.
JP Drains
One end of the drain tube is inserted into an incision near the surgical site to help release fluid accumulation. To the other end is attached a bulb that is compressed to create negative pressure, causing suction of fluid from the wound.
As a pawrent, your only responsibility is to empty the bulb when it looks full. Your vet will supply you with large syringes to measure the fluid amount.
The JP drain’s interior needs to be kept sterile: do not use water to rinse the bulb or tube, simply replace the bulb after emptying the fluid. Be sure to squeeze it before sealing it closed to reactivate its suction.
After JP drain removal:
Wyatt’s JP drain was removed four days after surgery. The drain’s bulb never filled up, so we and the vet assumed there was no drainage occurring. We were wrong. Almost immediately after removing the drain, Wyatt leaked copious amounts of serum in the vet’s office. Clearly, the drain had clogged somewhere and was holding back tons of fluid.
To help the area drain but prevent infection at the drain site, Wyatt’s vet sewed a series of loops around the drain site in order to hold a large stack of gauze over the hole. As an area that’s difficult to bandage, he thought that keeping the gauze in place with the loops and surgical tape would work.
Unfortunately we didn’t have time to take a photo of this impromptu experiment since it fell off almost immediately after leaving the hospital. The gauze was too full with the weight of the fluid to stay in place. A taped-on bandage was more effective. Using a low-tack adhesive tape is recommended, however, to avoid painful removal when changing the dressing.
Incision Healing Progress
Without complications, the amputation incision site will heal within 10-14 days. A permanent scar forms between 14-21 days.
Bruising and redness is normal after surgery, but to a point. Excessive redness and irritation can be a sign of something else going on, usually just an infection that can be cleared up with antibiotics.
This great article at PetPlace.com, Is My Dog’s Incision Healing Normally? offers terrific insight into how a wound develops, heals and what to watch out for, such as:
- Foul smelling discharge: Tell your vet about any discharge that isn’t clear and odorless.
- Excessive fluid drainage: Some dogs will get a seroma, which is a combination of blood and bodily fluid buildup at the incision site. Seromas usually aren’t serious and can be drained in a vet’s office, but you need to tell your vet your dog is having one to make sure it’s not more serious. You can try to prevent a seroma by keeping your dog calm for at least a week after amputation: too much activity can ramp up the immune system and lead to excess fluid buildup.
- Missing stitches or staples: If sutures fall out, this can indicate infection and an inability for the skin to heal. Also, if you see a wide gap (larger than ¼ inch) between the wound or tissue sticking out from the wound, call your vet immediately.
Whatever you do, DO NOT clean the wound with anything that your vet hasn’t prescribed. Do not use hydrogen peroxide on the incision, it can kill the cells trying to heal causing further complications. If the wound area gets soiled, use warm water only to clean around the incision and ask your vet what you should to do if further cleaning is necessary.
Itchy Wounds
Stitches are usually removed 10-12 days after surgery. After removal, most dogs go crazy trying to soothe the incision area as it dries and becomes more itchy. Unfortunately the cone of shame is the only surefire way to prevent your dog from damaging the wound.
In our ebook, “Three Legs and a Spare – The Tripawds Canine Amputation Handboook”, we share tips for preventing your dog from bothering the incision, such as:
- Use a Bath Towel: Loosely secure a large rolled towel around your dog’s neck (not too loose that she can slip away). The thick towel can serve as a barrier between her neck/chin and the incision.
A special sock like Power Paws Traction Socks for Dogs or dog boots like Ruff Wear’s Grip Trex and Skyliner can be used to keep your dog’s paws from scratching at the site, but dogs with degenerative mobility issues should not use them.
- Over the counter medicines to relieve itching, such as Benadryl and Chlorpheniramine
- Some vets recommend using ointment such as Neosporin. Others suggest using nothing that may prohibit natural healing of the incision.
- Homeopathic remedies suggested in The Whole Pet Diet, include Calendula, Comfrey and Myrh which all have antiseptic and healing properties.
We hope these tips will help as you care for your three legged dog’s amputation wound. If you are having any post-op complications, please call your vet and then join in the Discussion Forums for a shoulder to lean on from Tripawds pawrents who’ve been there.
Recommended Reading:
Tripawds Gear Blog: Cone of Shame Alternatives
One Vet’s Canine Amputation Surgery and Recovery Tips
Post-Amputation Side Effects in Dogs
Amputation Surgery Suture Reaction in Dogs
DISCLAIMER: Information provided is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice. Please consult your vet with any concerns. Always follow the direction of a licensed veterinarian prior to making any medical decisions about your dog’s health.
My Dog Harley is a short haired German Shepard. He got his leg amputated today. I picked him up at 3:30 pm, just a few hours after surgery. It’s not 9:56 PM. My question is..Is there supposed to be some blood on the bandage that they put on him. Now thts there’s blood. He was assisted to go potty outside and then we seen some blood. Should I remove the bandage? If not. When do I remove the bandage? I don’t want the blood to stick to his incision.
Hi Amanda, sorry that Harley had to lose a leg! Please hop over to our Treatment and Recovery Forum so we can assist you better. For now, it wouldn’t be unusual for there to be some blood on the bandage, amputation is a major surgery with a lot of blood vessels that get cut. It would be best to call your vet to make sure it’s not too much blood loss. As for removing the bandage, I’d ask them that too. Vets all have their own way of incision treatment. Most will keep the area unbandaged but some don’t. There’s no right or wrong way but you want to make sure you’re on the same page as your vet.
Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! We are not alone, and I am now so much more hopeful. Annie is doing well, and has had excellent care at UW Veterinary Hospital and our local Vet, Door County Vet Hospital. Annie has at all times been bandaged. Our problem is keeping the bandage in place. At least she is at home. The complication was a MRSA infection, very frightening, but seems to be gone.
Sara that is VERY cool that she overcame the MRSA infection. YAY! Go Badgers! Check out our other posts about MRSA if you’re interested. Best wishes to you and Annie! Keep us posted in the Discussion Forums!
I don’t know if anyone still monitors this site. Its October 2019. But I just wanted to say thanks. There is not a lot of information about wound aftercare for amputation.
I had two dogs. A female GSD who recently passed in April due to complications from degenerative poly neuropathy, two failed surgeries, and an aggressive strain of MRS-P.
Now our other GSD-mix was just diagnosed with osteosarcoma and in the same week we were told we had to amputate his rear right leg.
It’s been pretty trying, but he’s been healing well. And we didn’t know what to expect after the awful experience we had with our first dog.
I just wanted to add my little crumbs of info in case it helps anyone else: my dog is almost 80lbs and has osteoarthritis and a partial tear CCL in his remaining hood leg. The vets told is he was perfectly fine and still a candidate for his amputation. And he has been. 7 days post-OP and he hops around just fine. We would wake up in the mornings to him trembling or shivering, panting and drooling. Turns out it was about the time when his pain meds would wear off, once we gave them to him, 30min later he’s calm and happy again. He also came home from surgery with a droopy watery red lazy eye. But just some eye drops and a few days later he was fine. They often get dry eyes or dust or some small thing in their eyes during the hospital stay that can irritate.
And the last thing I will add is the best thing I bought was a lambs wool sling that I could quickly throw around him when he stands to help him learn to walk again. Brought it to the hospital to bring him home with it and even the vets loved it.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience Elizabeth, it is very helpful. I’m just sorry you had to go through that but glad your dog is doing well. Please consider joining our Discussion Forums where you will find a lot of great people ready to discuss life on three legs and learn from each other’s experiences. Hope to see you there!
What if my dog isn’t visibly draining at all? The scratching is the issue for me.
Prasia, ask your vet about a topical solution like Microcyn. You can also check out these wound care tips in our blog.
Are red blotches normal to have above or below my dogs incision? They started out small but now are alot bigger. No drainage though.
hat is hard to tell without further detail. Please consult your vet with any serious concerns or search the forums and share photos there for much better help and feedback!
I have a rotweiler, Hannah who had rear leg amputation 5 days ago. She was sent home with no wrap, which was fine. The issue today for me is that the drainage of blood/body fluids is great. Her vet said that drainage is good just annoying. I am trying to clean around the wound with warm wash cloth but can’t keep up with the amount of drainage. I suppose it is good that it is draining and not building up. How long can I expect it to drain before it begins to dry up and heal? My vet said she would heal in a week (not sure where that was coming from). I don’t see her “healing up” in 2 more days. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Leslie
Leslie, please consult your vet with any serious concerns. Yes, some drainage is normal. Excessive leakage could indicate problems. Search the blogs and forums for lots of helpful tips like what to look for with seromas gone bad and other common complications.
please mam can i contact you please
i have a stray dog whose leg was removed three days back he has started to build it up……please help
We aren’t quite sure what it is that you are describing nitin. Please come to our Discussion Forums for help from the community.
Can someone please help my dog had his arm amputated today, but the vet didn’t wrap it up. I am worried do I warp it or not I can’t understand y they didn’t. Thanks Cindy
Cindy, not all vets will wrap the incision area. Ours didn’t when Jerry lost his front leg. If you are concerned please call your vet. Then join our Discussion Forums where you will find lots of support from pet parents who understand. See you there.
Hi, my 2-year-old Jack Russell is undergoing a front left leg amputation surgery this morning. Any tips and pointers on what to expect when he comes out of surgery and when he comes home? Any pointers on medicine, physical therapy, anything would help.
Our black lab Coalie just recently had her front right leg amputated 5 days ago and she has some clear drainage. It doesn’t have a terribly foul odar but it does smell like a fresh wound. She licks the site constantly! She will not eat, bark or even make a sound. I’m concerned since we have a hard time getting her to even take her meds. I worry about her getting depressed as well as getting an infection. The only thing she will eat it ice (which I think is crazy but at least she is not dehydrated) I thought about freezing pedialyte in icetrays for her and maybe even putting chicken or fish in them so she will maybe eat the frozen cubes with food. She broke her leg on the 8th and it became so inflamed and infected under the bandage that they wanted to either put her down or take her leg. We couldn’t even bear the thought of putting our girl down, she’s our 8 year old fur baby.
Jackie, we’re so sorry to hear about Coalie. It sounds like a normal drainage, but let your vet know. Dogs love the taste of the stuff, which is probably why she’s licking. Gross, I know!
It’s a great sign she’s eating ice cubes, lots of people have a hard time getting their dog to do that, so yay! You could definitely freeze the pedialyte or gatorade in there, and heck why not try the fish? I think others have done similar things, freezing cooked food, etc. so let us know how it works. And please, come to the forums where lots more of us can better help you OK? See you there!
Great blog!!! WOW, I cannot imagine the problems you had with Wyatt’s JP drain!! OMG! Hope he’s well now! Gotta go in on his blog to check him out!
Tracy, Maggie’s Mom