Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi everyone,
We are finally beyond the first week post-op and while the days are getting easier, there are still so many questions and difficulties I have that I hope people can give their advice on based on their experiences.
1) The first week was a breeze in that my cat never wanted to touch her incision area/stitches. Since she was still sore, she wouldn't even sleep on that side. Thankfully, as time has passed she now is sleeping on both sides of her body with ease! The downside is that she it itchier and i'm afraid she will itch her stitches. I try to observe her so I can stop her when she tries to itch, but she gets upset. I've also tried to put a small dog's jacket on her but she hates it! Any tips on how to stop this? Should I try my best to get the jacket on her so she can't itch?
2) My cat was in a pop-up pen for the first week of her recovery so we could restrict movement as much as possible. It never bothered her and she slept in there for days without trouble. Now, she is very tired of this pen and will claw the sides for an hour until she gives up and goes to sleep. I felt like I was causing more stress by making her stay in there, so yesterday I let her out for a few hours of supervised roaming, which she walked around and tried out her balance, and then slept on the couch for the rest of the time (I have small steps for her to get onto the couch so we can restrict any jumping). At night I want to put her back in since no one will be able to supervise her, but I'm terrified she will start jumping on furniture or countertops. She really is not enjoying the pop-up pen anymore. Did anyone have a similar experience with the pop-up pens/confinement? The first week was great and now she gets stir crazy and hates being in there. What did you all do?
3) My cat is expected to have her stitches removed later this week at the 2 week mark. What experiences did you all have with stitch removal? How did your cats stitches look after 2 weeks? Did they get all stitches removed and were they able to take their cones off?
Thank you!
Hi again,
Were you successful in hiding her meds in something, or did you continue to syringe? We never heard back on the other post. I hope you found a solution that worked for you!
What was the reason for the amputation, and which leg, front or rear? What is your girl's name?
1) The first week was a breeze in that my cat never wanted to touch her incision area/stitches. Since she was still sore, she wouldn't even sleep on that side. Thankfully, as time has passed she now is sleeping on both sides of her body with ease! The downside is that she it itchier and i'm afraid she will itch her stitches. I try to observe her so I can stop her when she tries to itch, but she gets upset. I've also tried to put a small dog's jacket on her but she hates it! Any tips on how to stop this? Should I try my best to get the jacket on her so she can't itch?
Yes, the first week, she had her hospital meds plus the meds you were giving , making her sleepy. Is she still on meds?
I'm not sure what you mean by dog jacket. A cone, baby onesie, or surgical suit is the only way to protect the incision. You do not want her to get to her incisions at ALL! I had permission to use a baby onesie from our surgeon. Purrkins is a front-leg amputee. He did not mind wearing his. We had a member be successful with a onesie on the rear leg. I'll find the link (it appears Gideons blog is not working). I do know Gideon's Mom used this video tutorial for it.)
I only have experience with front-legger onesies. If the dog jacket fits her and covers the incision by all means use the dog jacket. (i'm just not sure what your referring to.)
2) My cat was in a pop-up pen for the first week of her recovery so we could restrict movement as much as possible. It never bothered her and she slept in there for days without trouble. Now, she is very tired of this pen and will claw the sides for an hour until she gives up and goes to sleep. I felt like I was causing more stress by making her stay in there, so yesterday I let her out for a few hours of supervised roaming, which she walked around and tried out her balance, and then slept on the couch for the rest of the time (I have small steps for her to get onto the couch so we can restrict any jumping). At night I want to put her back in since no one will be able to supervise her, but I'm terrified she will start jumping on furniture or countertops. She really is not enjoying the pop-up pen anymore. Did anyone have a similar experience with the pop-up pens/confinement? The first week was great and now she gets stir crazy and hates being in there. What did you all do?
Yay
this is a great sign she is feeling better!
We stayed in a spare room we gutted - no furniture and put the mattress on the floor (so Purrkins could not get under the bed). Purrkins chose the closet to recover in so he had more space. I did not close the closet door. He had the entire room but chose the closet. Purrkins did the same day 5 he wanted out of the spare room and was scratching at the door. I had to tell him NO. We had restrictions for 14 days. I stayed in the spare room for 14 days, too:)
It can cause more stress if possible, can you give her more space where you know she would be safe? A bedroom or spare room? Make sure she cannot get under the bed if you choose a bedroom. I understand your terror 100% of jumping on counters and furniture, and YES, they will if given the chance!! Until 14 days & stitch removal, she should be restricted and or monitored just like you ARE doing. See what the vet says, then. But Again, this is an excellent sign stir crazy;)
3) My cat is expected to have her stitches removed later this week at the 2 week mark. What experiences did you all have with stitch removal? How did your cats stitches look after 2 weeks? Did they get all stitches removed and were they able to take their cones off?
Purrkins had his stiches removed 14th day, his incision healed nicely, and he no longer had restrictions, no onesie free to be a cat. It will depend on your kitty's healing and what your vet advises. Some members are still in the cone or onesie after stitch removal; some are like us and free to be. This is what Purrkins incision looked like the day he got them removed.
Hope that answers some of your questions. Ask away thats what the site is for,
Your doing a excellent job
Holly, Purrkins & Saxton in the sky💫
💝💝
Purrkins said
We had a member be successful with a onesie on the rear leg. I'll find the link (it appears Gideons blog is not working). I do know Gideon's Mom used this video tutorial for it.)
Gideon's blog is fixed now so be sure to check it out. Thanks for letting us know Holly.
idig said
I try to observe her so I can stop her when she tries to itch, but she gets upset. I've also tried to put a small dog's jacket on her but she hates it! Any tips on how to stop this? Should I try my best to get the jacket on her so she can't itch?
At night I want to put her back in since no one will be able to supervise her, but I'm terrified she will start jumping on furniture or countertops. She really is not enjoying the pop-up pen anymore. Did anyone have a similar experience with the pop-up pens/confinement? The first week was great and now she gets stir crazy and hates being in there. What did you all do?
My cat is expected to have her stitches removed later this week at the 2 week mark. What experiences did you all have with stitch removal? How did your cats stitches look after 2 weeks? Did they get all stitches removed and were they able to take their cones off?
It's about the time for any animal to start getting antsy so your cat's healing is on track! But as you can see it's going to be challenging.
Keeping those stitches covered is important. We've seen many new Tripawds rip out stitches and then need to go back to the vet for a new suturing and more bills for the parent. The cone of shame is awful but it's the best way to protect the incision. If she's able to reach even with it on, add whatever it takes to keep those stitches covered. A baby onesie is really helpful with cats, as Holly pointed out.
Also keep in mind that excessive bothering of the incision area sometimes mean that they're feeling more pain than they should be. What medication is she on? And how often and how much?
That's really a good sign she is mobile and ready to move around. Just keep her movement limited to smaller spaces in your house. The crate isn't necessary at this point as long as you can restrict her movement to a room with a door, especially at night.
As for stitches, by 2 weeks they are usually out and the incision area looks exactly as Holly's picture depicts. Sometimes there are healing issues especially if the sutures get taken out by the patient, so again, keep an eye out and make sure she's not getting at them.
Oh yeah what's her name? Hope today is going well. Keep us posted.
Gideon's blog is fixed now so be sure to check it out. Thanks for letting us know Holly.
THANK YOU!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
💝💝💝
Thank you so much for all this information, and for following up on my last post!
My cat is named Gracie. We found a Mast Cell tumor on her leg and unfortunately given the size and location of the tumor, the best option after much consultation was to have an amputation. Gracie had her front right leg removed, and today is officially Day 11 since her operation! She is doing really well in her recovery so far. The first few days were the most stressful, but every day is getting easier and Gracie is getting stronger and stronger!
As for my last post, I had some luck hiding the medication in cat chicken broth. Gracie is still on medication, but she is now down to just taking Gabapentin 1-2 times a day depending on her pain level. Starting next week she will no longer be on any medication.
For the onesie, great idea! I did buy a jacket online that is meant for a small dog, so it also fits cats, and it serves the same purpose!z
Yay
this is a great sign she is feeling better!
We stayed in a spare room we gutted - no furniture and put the mattress on the floor (so Purrkins could not get under the bed). Purrkins chose the closet to recover in so he had more space. I did not close the closet door. He had the entire room but chose the closet. Purrkins did the same day 5 he wanted out of the spare room and was scratching at the door. I had to tell him NO. We had restrictions for 14 days. I stayed in the spare room for 14 days, too:)
Oh this is great to hear! I was very concerned about making sure Gracie was in her confinement for the 2 weeks. I have her confined to a room now where I still supervise her. She mostly just sleeps, but I can tell she is so much happier than the last few days she was in her pop up pen. And every now and then she will also walk around for a few minutes, drink water, eat some food, and then lay back down, which I think is a positive sign. She is definitely acting more like herself now.
Purrkins had his stiches removed 14th day, his incision healed nicely, and he no longer had restrictions, no onesie free to be a cat. It will depend on your kitty's healing and what your vet advises. Some members are still in the cone or onesie after stitch removal; some are like us and free to be. This is what Purrkins incision looked like the day he got them removed
This picture is extremely helpful. My cat's incision is looking similar, and I was wondering if the redness towards the bottom of Purrkins' incision was normal? There is no longer any swelling or bruising, but Gracie also has those little red spots within the incision similar to your cat's picture.
How long after the stitches were removed did it take for the incision to fully heal? After Purrkins had his stitches removed, did you no longer have to supervise him? He was able to wander and jump and groom himself?
Thank you again for all the help!
Thank you so much for your response. My cat is named Gracie 🙂
Also keep in mind that excessive bothering of the incision area sometimes mean that they're feeling more pain than they should be. What medication is she on? And how often and how much?
Gracie is not having excessive itching, but when she does itch herself I do fear it may affect one of the stitches. Gracie is currently only on Gabapentin and she is taking it 1-2 times a day now depending on her pain.
As for stitches, by 2 weeks they are usually out and the incision area looks exactly as Holly's picture depicts. Sometimes there are healing issues especially if the sutures get taken out by the patient, so again, keep an eye out and make sure she's not getting at them.
This is great to know! I've read so many stories by now and every cat seems to be so different. It's crazy that our pets heal so fast and for such a major surgery most cats will have their stitches out at 2 weeks! I am looking forward to her check-up later this week.
Thank you again!
Im super happy to read Gracie is doing so well, and I'm sorry about the cancer diagnosis; we understand Purrkins had a soft tissue sarcoma on his carpal joint (wrist). We had to make the same horrible decision to take the leg. What I can tell you 7 plus years later, we have zero regrets. Purrkins has had a great qol.
How old/young is Gracie?
Great on the doggie jacket; use it when you cant supervise so recovery continues to go well and you don't have any setbacks by her going after her incision. I would stick to every 12 hours dosing until your stitch removal. That will help her not go after the incision so much.
Excellent, she is more content in the room. Im happy to hear it for you all!
one month after surgery
two months post op
three months
four months
After the stitches were removed, Purrkins was allowed to groom the incision; there were no restrictions. Some vets tell you it's okay just to let them return to being a cat!! That is not wise. We need to be protecting that remaining leg. We placed steps in any area where Purrkins would have jumped up or down, so we took that fear away as best we could and continued to watch and tweak areas of concern.
Purrkins was a cabinet dweller, and he shocked us one day by returning to his old routines and up on the kitchen cupboards.
Scared the poop out of us!! I placed steps there and helped him get down, and then we installed a door so when we were not home or able to watch him, he was not in any danger. It takes time, observation, and, yes, money to get the house tripawd proof. Watch and see where there are trouble areas and do your best within your means to rectify those areas. It took us years to get the house ALL tripawd proof, so do what you can as you can and make do with what you have. In the meantime, get creative;)
Hope that helps!
You are welcome happy to help & share our experiences.
scratches to Gracie Please
(((HUGS)))
Sure sounds like Gracie's recovery is right on track! I know it feels like a full recovery is a decade away but it sounds like she's doing really, really well. It's smart of you to be mindful about how much she obsesses over the itchy stitches area.
Lots of cats and dogs are off pain meds around the time stitches come out but some need a little more. When gauging her pain try to remember that animals are really good at hiding pain and by the time they show it, the pain is really bad. These pain signs in cats resources can help you determine if she's hurting.
I hope this week and her new little taste of freedom goes really well! Keep us posted!
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