Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi everyone! I’m new to the Tripawd community. My nearly fourteen year old cat Lily had a rear leg amputation Thursday morning. Early June I found an open sore on her lower leg. After a week of wrapping it at the vets, there was no sign of healing. The vet said we needed to biopsy it to rule out cancer or a differnt form of granuloma. The results was a benign mass that needed to be removed. Our choices was to either do a skin graph, which was very costly and didn’t seem best due to possibly complications. The surgery went wonderfully and our surgeon said she couldn’t of asked for a smoother surgery. She ate well, used her litter box, and was quite lovey with all the techs. Lily stayed overnight at the vets for two days post-op. Today she came home! First thing she did once I opened the crate was run around like a bat outta hell. I live in a one bedroom and had my bedroom closed off to her, placing my mattress in the living room. She has spent mostly all her time hiding in the corner between a chair and the wall. And then ended up moving to another corner under the cat tree. Is this normal afterwards? I’ve brought her some dry food twice and she ate well. No interest in water. She has pooped once and peed twice (she’s been home for just under five hours). I’ve been trying to let her be and assume she’s a little mad at me for leaving her for three days (they had me bring her the night before surgery). She was on IV pain meds, last dose was at 9am. She has her fentanyl patch still, which is being removed on Monday. She has some other pain meds that are given every 8-10 hours as well.
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Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Welcome home Lily. Yes, this is normal behaviour. I think Lily is looking for a cosy den to heal. My cat Mona likes closets so I put a bathmat under a shelf in a closet where I could slide her out to get access to her. Some people have used a large crate and draped a towel or blanket over top, others draped a blanket over a coffee table and the cat slept under the table.
My vet sent Mona home with canned kitten food so I didn't worry too much about water since canned food has a high moisture content.
For the first couple of days Mona flopped around like a worm then would race around the house and flop around again. I think they can get a bit nutty from the pain meds.
You might want to give the pain meds more often than the 10 hours to keep ahead of the pain. Mona was prescribed hers for every 6-8 hours. I gave them to her every 8 hours and in retrospect I think it would have been better to give them to her every 6 hours.
Check back if you have any questions.
Hugs,
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
Hi and welcome!
What you described does sound normal, but her running around right now really should be as limited as you can make it. Can you use your room or a spare room that you can make safe for her recovery? Keeping her quiet and her pain managed like Kerren mentioned asking with eating and drinking is really important right now.
I used a spare bedroom and a large dog crate for Huckleberry. Took the bed off the frame so he couldn't hide under it, and had a blanket to cover his crate for security. He didn't come out of that room until about 3 to 4 weeks post surgery, but he was also feral so on top of recovery we were also working on trust and domestication. I had a step so that he could get up on the bed without hurting himself.
She probably thinks she's super cat right now with all those good hospital drugs still in her system, but when those wear off you might see her nose dive a bit.
Make sure you have all kinds of yummy foods available for her, and wet food will help keep her hydrated. Traction is important, are your floors slick or carpeted? If they are slick see if you can get some throw rugs, rug runners, yoga mats, anything to give her good traction . With only three legs she will have to relearn some of her balance and you need to keep the legs she has safe from injury.
I hope you bothboth a quiet, restful evening.
Jackie and Huckleberry ❤️
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
kazann said
Welcome home Lily. Yes, this is normal behaviour. I think Lily is looking for a cosy den to heal. My cat Mona likes closets so I put a bathmat under a shelf in a closet where I could slide her out to get access to her. Some people have used a large crate and draped a towel or blanket over top, others draped a blanket over a coffee table and the cat slept under the table.My vet sent Mona home with canned kitten food so I didn't worry too much about water since canned food has a high moisture content.
For the first couple of days Mona flopped around like a worm then would race around the house and flop around again. I think they can get a bit nutty from the pain meds.
You might want to give the pain meds more often than the 10 hours to keep ahead of the pain. Mona was prescribed hers for every 6-8 hours. I gave them to her every 8 hours and in retrospect I think it would have been better to give them to her every 6 hours.
Check back if you have any questions.
Hugs,
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
I made some comfortable hiding spots for her in the living room. One behind the cat tree and another behind the chair. She seems happy there. This morning she came to my bed for a little bit. My other cat however is a bit freaked out by her. Guessing it’s normal since she looks different and smells like the vets.
Thankfully Lily is walking around really well when she does come out of hiding. She seems really comfortable on her feet. Not really floppy right now. Although that might change the more she gets out and about.
paws120 said
Hi and welcome!What you described does sound normal, but her running around right now really should be as limited as you can make it. Can you use your room or a spare room that you can make safe for her recovery? Keeping her quiet and her pain managed like Kerren mentioned asking with eating and drinking is really important right now.
I used a spare bedroom and a large dog crate for Huckleberry. Took the bed off the frame so he couldn't hide under it, and had a blanket to cover his crate for security. He didn't come out of that room until about 3 to 4 weeks post surgery, but he was also feral so on top of recovery we were also working on trust and domestication. I had a step so that he could get up on the bed without hurting himself.
She probably thinks she's super cat right now with all those good hospital drugs still in her system, but when those wear off you might see her nose dive a bit.
Make sure you have all kinds of yummy foods available for her, and wet food will help keep her hydrated. Traction is important, are your floors slick or carpeted? If they are slick see if you can get some throw rugs, rug runners, yoga mats, anything to give her good traction . With only three legs she will have to relearn some of her balance and you need to keep the legs she has safe from injury.
I hope you bothboth a quiet, restful evening.
Jackie and Huckleberry ❤️
I have too many hiding spots in my bedroom and my bed is far too high. I worried about her getting somewhere I couldn’t get her out of, or trying to jump onto my bed. Or worse, jumping off my bed and hurting herself.
She’s been eating wet food from the vets and dry food. Also gave her a few treats yesterday. She was super happy to have her typical dry food back. She gobbled it up.
Lily hasn’t been running around again since that first time I let her out. She got up a bit last night from hiding and came to the kitchen with me. Then she came back and laid on the carpet for a bit before going back to her spots. This morning she even came to bed for a bit. She seemed a bit more like her old self.
My place isn’t carpeted, but I have some large rugs. She didn’t slip at all on the floor. She walked around really confidently. I’m going to monitor her while she recovered and will get some extra rugs if she seems to be slipping. Do steps work well for getting up to higher spots, like my bed? She’s really stubborn and I worry if I get stairs she’ll not use them.
Here is some great reading on how to help your kitty adjust to her new life Tips for Three Legged Cats During and After Amputation Recovery
Here is another one for stairs and ramps Stairs and Ramps
So good to see that she has calmed down. There is a lot of good information here on the site to help you with post op care. There are a number of stairs on Amazon Smile Tripawd Link and if you use the link that I just posted, proceeds from the purchase goes to the Tripawds Foundation .
I would try to discourage her from any climbing right now while she is recovering. I see why you did not want to use your room at this time, and if she is content now to hang out in the living room then that is great. Sometimes when they are recovering they act like they have just been injured and want to hide. As long as you can get to her you'll probably be fine. I thought I was going to be wise and put pillows and comforters under the bed Huck was in... he wormed his way through like a mouse in a maze and I had to pull the whole thing apart and take the bed off the frame 
Huckleberry does have steps that I bought for him to get up into difficult spots and he uses them all the time.
You can try adding water or bone broth to her wet food in small amounts to give her the extra fluid intake. I do that with my boys every day now at night and it makes a world of difference.
It sounds like the beginning of her recovery is going nice and smooth, that is wonderful!! If there are any questions along the way, please keep in touch and we will do our best to answer them.
Jackie and Huckleberry
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
As you can see, we jeave THE best kitty support on the Planet from these very special members who have given you sic3h great advise!
Just want to add another warm welcome to you and sweet Lily ❤ Sounds like she is doing really well so early on. And you are doing a great job watching over her!
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!
Lily and family, welcome. You are doing such a great job being so conscientious about her needs.
Here is a post about cats and stairs.
Remember, Safety First with DIY Ramps for Cats and Dogs
You may be surprised at how she adapts to using them. Cats are smart, it doesn't take too long for them to figure out that stairs are helpful.
I hope recovery goes smoothly this week!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you all for the support and warm welcomes. This weekend was pretty good, today is Day 4 post-amp and she seems pretty good. Still concerned about her peeing, bm’s and not drinking. My partner brought some tuna water for her to try but she didn’t drink much (it was watered down a bit). I’m just at the vets for a check-up and waiting to hear what the vet has to say about her refusing to drink and lack of litter box visits.
Sunday she attempted to climb the cat tree with no success. She also has tried to jump onto my kitchen chair. I’ll have to remove the cat tree once she figures out how to jump because I’m worried about her getting down successfully. Right now she spends most of her time laying down on my bed. I’m also going to be one of those people who gets a wifi cam so I can check in with her throughout the day. If only I could take the next two weeks off so I can be with her! Thankfully I work as a nanny and was able to peek in on her before lunch.
Wow four days out and she's trying to climb? That's a good sign for sure. Yeah if you can eliminate those potential dangers for her right now, that would definitely keep her safe.
BMs sometimes take days, but the water intake is a bit concerning. If tuna water didn't work, try any of these home cooked meals for cats, they offer more hydration than traditional pet food and you may be able to water them down a bit once the food is in her bowl.
Lots of Tripawd parents get wifi cameras, you're in good company!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Tuna water is good, I had a lot better luck with bone broth than I thought I would have, I mix it with their wet food. I also got something called Delectibles Bisque, and the Delectables Squeeze Ups. Fancy feast makes a broth that I used, and you can always try low sodium broths. There is also a cat milk, I used it all up but I think it is by Whiskas. Comes in a little purple box that you refrigerate after opening.
Yes.. crazy cat mama.. but between switching all of those around it worked, and we got through the hump of the recovery. Now I still have stuff that I have not used and I just mix them with the wet food at night and all three of my boys are thrilled. Those squeeze ups? They are addicting I'm tellin ya. My cats will chase me around the house for them. Huck would only take it at first if I squeezed it on my hand but now he licks it right from the tube lol.
Hope some of this helps,
Jackie and Huck
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Vet told me to get some fancy feast if she doesn’t like the two different wet vet formulas she suggested. The first I gave tonight she liked. She said If she still won’t drink in the next two days to call and maybe bring her in. My family is vegan so we don’t have anything to make bone browth. I’m going to go Pet Valu tomorrow with my kids to see about those squeeze-ups and fancy feast browths. She’s a super picky cat about food!
Just now when I was getting my other cat some wet food before making Lily’s I turned around to find her in the kitchen behind me! I’m glad she’s coming for food. Guess that means no more meals in bed for her!
I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for how to make something to cover her stiches. The bandage is off and of course she went right for them! She has a soft cone now, and I tried to use an old onsie - but it was too small for her.
Here is the link on how to make DIY onesies to cover her incision: diy-baby-onesiet-shirts-cone-of-shame-alternative
Sorry, the bone broth comes in a boxed liquid.. already pre-made. Matter of fact, I think the last one I got was on chewy.com.
So good that she is starting to wander around, definitely a good sign. If she does not drink for you, the vet will probably check her for dehydration and give her fluids if necessary. Dehydration can make them feel really terrible as well as make them sick, so you are right on top of it!
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
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