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.
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Hi All,
The love of my life, Jack-Jack (named after the baby in The Incredibles) is scheduled for (R) forelimb amputation on Tuesday--day after Labor Day holiday, to address the bone tumor found around his elbow earlier this month. He's a 13 year-old, 10 lb, domestic short hair, indoor cat. I've been waking up daily with a racing heart, mentally hanging on by a thread, anxiously sick to nausea over his post-op recovery:
- Will he be in incredible pain? What if the meds don't work?
- What if he can't sleep because everything hurts too much? What if he's suffering to the point of growling/hissing?
- What if he can't use the bathroom, or wets himself, or can't have a bowel movement?
- What if he doesn't eat/drink?
- What if he gets a serious infection or has severe swelling? What if he's still bleeding?
- What if he never heals properly, or his personality changes?
- What if he's too old to be put through major surgery? What if he never recovers from surgery?
I know animals pick up on our energy, but living alone, I've been terrified over his surgery. Jack-Jack hates a vet visit and each time I pop him in the carrier it feels like a betrayal of his trust and now I'm overwhelmed with shame and guilt that this next trip is to going to put him in terrible pain and suffering. Any advice or help to help me off the edge of the cliff would be much appreciated, thank you!
Worried Sick in San Francisco,
~Sandy
Hi Sandy, welcome. Your future posts won't need to wait for approval so post away!
You are in good company here. Anyone who has been through the amputation ordeal with their fur kid knows how stressful it can be, so we can relate to your anxiety. To calm your nerves, I'll try to answer your questions as best I can, and then stay tuned for help from others:
- Will he be in incredible pain? What if the meds don't work?
pain management is critical for a good recovery. You want to have a conversation with your vet team about what kind of pain control he will get. Yes, there will be some discomfort but it should not be so severe that he is consistently in distress and suffering. Sometimes that does happen and in almost all cases, pain meds need fine-tuning after surgery. Meds don't behave the exact same predictable way in everyone. So he may show pain signals soon after the initial surgical meds wear off. Watch for them. If he shows signs, it's just a matter of calling your vet to find out how to adjust the meds for more comfort.
- What if he can't sleep because everything hurts too much? What if he's suffering to the point of growling/hissing?
See above.
- What if he can't use the bathroom, or wets himself, or can't have a bowel movement?
Sometimes cats will have trouble with the litterbox, so be sure to prepare with a low-sided litterbox so he has an easier time getting in and out. See our Tripawds Recovery Shopping List
for ideas. Occasionally a cat will be incontinent once or twice, but that can be due to being too zonked on pain meds. And constipation is normal, pain meds clog up the GI system so don't expect 
for a couple of days.
- What if he doesn't eat/drink?
Pain meds can also affect appetite. Be ready to entice him to eat with Churu sticks, tuna water in his bowl, warming up his regular food, anything to get him interested in food. Whatever you do do not hide his pills in his regular food, because that will turn him off from eating completely, and then it's hard to rebuild trust after that.
- What if he gets a serious infection or has severe swelling? What if he's still bleeding?
Sometimes infection will happen. A seroma and accompanying swelling is normal, and while the seroma fluid looks like blood, it's usually bodily fluid discharge (more pink colored than blood red) that is to be expected when a limb is removed (that fluid has to go somewhere). You want to keep an eye on the incision to make sure it's not getting infected.
- What if he never heals properly, or his personality changes?
Very few people have reported in our Quality of Life Surveys that this has happened. Animals are more resilient than we give them credit for. Most bounce back and their sparkle shines again within a few weeks. It's a real relief to get that painful leg off!
- What if he's too old to be put through major surgery? What if he never recovers from surgery?
He is not an old cat. We've had very old cats do really well so if your vet feels he is a good candidate for surgery, then run with that!
I know animals pick up on our energy, but living alone, I've been terrified over his surgery.
OK good so you are aware of this! And you probably also know that spending energy worrying about "What ifs" is totally unproductive, and even detrimental to his recovery. Your pawsitivity and good attitude is the biggest key to his success. You can do this!
Please check out our Three Legged Cats guide if you haven't already. Don't hesitate to ask any questions, we are here to help!
Hi Sandy and Jack-Jack!
As you can see from Jerry's thorough detailed response, you have come to the best place for information, support and understanding!
We get all the emotions involved.....we've all had the same feelings.
You want to remember that you are doing this FOR Jack-Jack, not TO Jack-Jack.
Sure, recovery is no picnic at first, but it doesn't last furever!
We will be right by your side everyday to help you navigate through recovery. We soon will be celebrating Jack-Jack getting his sparkle back and living life to the fullest pain free!
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! STAY CONNECTED!!
((((((((((((((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!
Hi Sandy, first off, you got this.
I know how scary and stressful this is, but you're doing the right thing for Jack-Jack and for you. I was where you are a few years ago with a senior cat who needed a foreleg amputation, and now have a very happy tripawed eighteen year old who chases me around for breakfast every morning.
The recovery for my cat wasn't a straight line, and I felt guilty and sad and terrified at times, but she did recover, and I would say a thousand times it was worth it, even with the pain.
You are coming into this with thoughtfulness and care. Trust Jerry and Benny - they saw me through the worst and all of us in this wonderful community are here for you.
Senior trikitty Luanne had a right forepaw removed in May of 2022 and is still going strong! Here's our story.
Thank you SO much everyone, for your kindness, insight, and guidance. I'm so deeply, deeply appreciative that you took the time to respond to a stranger's post. I've been hanging on by a thread, anxious, and am so grateful for the support from this community--it means more than you'll ever know.
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