Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Thank you every one for your advice and your words of encouragement. Opal is doing so well! Such a little rock star. She slept by my side the first nite, I had to help her down once to go to the litter tray and I thought she would need help in and out but she proved me wrong. Day one was much easier that I imagined.
Sadly I couldn't get time off work so I had to leave her in the care of my family who have been spoiling her rotten. Thank you for suggesting the onesie Holly, I got a couple on the way home from work yesterday they are working wonderfully. She is much happier in them and can eat much easier. She came out and curled up on my lap that nite and had a good groom, it was nice not having to worry she was "grooming" her wound. Again she slept up on the bed with me all nite, I woke up to see her sprawled out with her belly up just like old days.
Today she spent most of the day under the bed in the little spot I have allowed her to get to, right now she is in the wardrobe. She seems a bit more subdued tonite.
Thanks for the tips on how to help the diarrhea, Jackie. Thankfully she went this morning and while it was in the hallway and not her little tray, it was hard. I will keep in mind your suggestions. She has been a bit reluctant to eat, she is ignoring the biscuits for the most part. I got her some chicken tenderloins which went down a treat until today so I tried some tuna, she ate half a small can. She has lost a little over a kilo since the accident, she was 5.5kg now she is 4.4kg. She is a big bread of cat, hopefully when she is feeling better she will put on a little weight.
jerry said
I'm so glad you were able to get photos uploaded but WOW that break looks awful, poor baby! She's a real beauty, and you are going to be even more in love with her now that she's even more unique.
Best wishes in the coming days, keep us posted.
It really was terrible. The awful thing is that is a dislocation not a break! I can't imagine how bad it hurt. I am so grateful the on call vet realised she was someones beloved pet and provided more than pain relief which is all the SPCA allows if they don't know the owner. He took one look at her and knew how much she was loved. When we found her we were crying and so was the vet nurse she was so happy they found the owners.
I keep feeling guilty, I don't usually allow Opal outside at nite but it has been terribly hot here and she hates the heat so wanted to spend the nite in the cool, usually she will sleep on the front step and we can see her through the screen door when we get up in the nite. I know it was just an accident and I don't blame the dog or the neighbours, she wandered onto their property after all. But I do feel guilty when I see her hobbling along.
Yaaaasay for Opal the Rock Star!!!! Sounds like she is doing great ! Having your family to help with Opal is huge !
Glad to see the onesie is working! It is waaaaaay better then the cone! I refused to put a cone on Purrkins he wobbled with a cone on 4 so to me it was out of the question. Peace of mind for you and Opal clearly doesn’t mind ! She looks adorable in her onesie great job!
Just make sure and check the incision under there.
Food try warming her wet food a little or try fishy can food like your did , the meds can affect the appetite you just have to get past the senses and for us the smellier the food the better is what worked. As long as she is eating I would not be concerned Purrkins did not eat his normal amount but he did eat for me every day. The meds might change the poop to constipation now just a heads up if that happens with Opal it is normal from meds. Depends on the meds she is on.
Put the guilt aside ok that won't change a thing, a accident is just that, you cant change the past but you can change the future ! Opal is not looking back she is hopping on so try to do the same ok! Opal is going to do great on 3 just you wait and see.
I am so happy that she was found and you were able to help her & get her home she will heal up and you will hop on and have a hoppy life moving forward!!
Keep the pictures coming she is a little sweetheart !
Hugs
Holly & Purrkins
DITTO PURRKINS!
So glad she is having a good rest and a pee and poop! Now, the hospital meds will be out of her system by today or tomorrow, so a bit of a crash is " ormal". Just follow her lead and continue with the rest. It's amazing that she's sleeping straight through the nigh! Big news!! 🙂
And yes, thank good ess the Vet k ew that she is a well loved cat and took such good care of her!
Hugs ro you!
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!
Just a small update;
Opal felt much better last nite after her meds, she came out from the wardrobe and jumped on the bed and snuggled in for the nite. I managed to get her eat some more tuna before we went to sleep. During the nite I felt her stirring and was about to help her down but she jumped, its not far and she had practice I guess when she was bandaged up. To my delight she started munching on her biscuits, which was the best sound ever. She has always been a nite eater so to hear her munching away was great, then she used her litter tray and was soon back on the bed purring away.
This morning she hopped her way to the kitchen and I warmed the chicken for her, worked a treat! Thanks for the suggestion, with in minutes it was all gone. Then she spent a bit of time looking outside longingly before choosing a different wardrobe to sleep in for the day.
Her resilience continues to surprise me.
benny55 said
Btw. Opal is beautiful!!!!
Thanks, shes pretty special.
Very relaxed!
Getting a quick lick in before I change onesies!
And Opal's resilience this early in recovery asrounds us too!! ,Eating, purring, sleeping, walking on three, posing for the camera.....all great signs!! 🙂
Good job Miss Opal!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 Keep astounding us! 🙂
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!
That's wonderful news! Fantastic pictures, she is so beautiful! I'm glad she is eating for you. Has her loose stool eased up at all? Don't forget, if you're adding rice or rice water and they switch her meds it may do the opposite and bind her. So glad she's feeling better!
Jackie
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Opal you are making recovery look easy!
That is the best when you start to see the normal things happen, eating her biscuits at night & hearing the crunch!
She is feeling better without the leg! She is taking advantage of the onesie change oh one quick clean.
Animals are amazing they just hop on! She really is such a cutie OMC ! She is special and you will see this will strengthen that bond even more !
Give her a good chin scratch & cuddle from us!
You both are doing FANTASTIC! Thanks for the updates we love seeing things get back to a new normal!
Holly & Purrkins❤️
She is such a pretty girl! I'm thrilled that things are progressing so well. She's one tough kitty and you are doing a GREAT job! Here's to more wonderful days ahead.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
paws120 said
That's wonderful news! Fantastic pictures, she is so beautiful! I'm glad she is eating for you. Has her loose stool eased up at all? Don't forget, if you're adding rice or rice water and they switch her meds it may do the opposite and bind her. So glad she's feeling better!Jackie
No loose stool! She has mainly been eating chicken and biscuits, I did give her a little tuna at the start but she has never been a big fishy girl. She has done two so far and both have been firm. I read somewhere around here to put several litter trays around the house which worked a treat. The first she did on the floor in the hall so I put a tray near by and sure enough woke up one morning to a fresh in the tray. I haven't had to cut the sides either, she seems to be handling it all in her stride.
It has been very hot here, she spent most of yesterday conked out in the wardrobe, which isn't unusual she spent a lot of time in there pre accident too, so I put a fan on for her and closed all the curtains to help cool her down. Then I took her outside for the first time. We stayed around the back steps, she would walk a few steps then have a lay down, but I could tell she was loving it she was rolling around, cleaning herself and just enjoying the cooler night air. I took her out again this morning but its another really hot day, she went straight under the patio where I couldn't keep an eye on her so we came back inside. She managed to escape once when she was bandaged up and took off next door for an entire day, I was so worried, and I don't want that to happen again just yet. Usually she is very good at coming when you all her, and when you walk near her she can't help but say something, but she has been cooped up for so long I feel like as soon as she is given full freedom she will be off.
I do have a question, after the staples are removed do I have to still keep her from licking at the wound? Or can I remove the onesies at that point?
Purrkins said
Give her a good chin scratch & cuddle from us!
Will do!
I do have a question, after the staples are removed do I have to still keep her from licking at the wound? Or can I remove the onesies at that point?
We did not have ANY restrictions after Purrkins stitches were out he was free to do all things and no onesie. Most are the same it would depend on what your Vet said of course but Purrkins was allowed to lick I specifically asked it is ok for him to lick now and he said yes. Purrkins were taken out after 14 days. When does Opal get hers out?
Our restrictions for 14 days were to limit his activity, we stayed in spare bedroom to do that. I did carry Purrkins outside also to get some fresh air.
She escaped since her amp has been done too? Or are we talking prior too?
Keep this up Opal you get the award 🏆for easy recovery! Which is not always the case! You guys have done fantastic.
She could not be any cuter and her mane hanging out of the onesie she is a beauty 😍
Hugs
Holly & Purrkins
Yes, she is gorgeous! Huck had taken a couple of staples out, or rubbed them off.. anyways... I needed to keep an eye on him after staple removal because he had a small area that was irritated due to the pre time staple self removal lol. Unless she has an area that has not healed properly I would say the same as Holly. I saw just a couple of instances that people had to keep the cone on a little extra for those reasons only. I would think if Opal's incision looks clean and she does no harm to it don't worry about it. She looks fantastic! Such a beautiful kitty, I am so glad you had such a smooth recovery!
Jackie and Huck
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
P.S. I am totally winter warn and jealous of wherever you are that is so nice and warm. I would be enjoying sitting on the warm ground lol
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Purrkins said
Most are the same it would depend on what your Vet said of course
MOST are free to be unless there has been a problem with the incision which your Vet will tell you at the time of removal.
We have had a couple of members have to have a cone on or onesie on after removal of their stitches or staples . One was because they didn’t have a cone or onesie on and could reach the incision and one the incision was still a little scabby. MOST are free
Let us know what your Vet says.
Holly & Purrkins
1 Guest(s)