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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WHOO HOO! Great Job on Sky's avatar 
!!
Yes, Sky is GORGEOUS and yay fewer pills onward and upward!
Holly & Purrkins
Sally OMC love the unicorn
Yay! You're right, Sky is pawsitively GORGEOUS!!🌺
Yay for less meds, there IS a light at the end of the tunnel...
Of course... we will need to find a way to see more pictures of your beautiful kitty 😉
Have a restful evening and please give extra snuggles to your beautiful furbaby❤️
Hugs,
Jackie and Huckster ❤️
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
Online
DEEEEEELIGHTFUL UPDATE!!😁 Looks like somebody may start getting some uninterrupted sleep tonight!💤💤💤
And the avata6 picture is absolutely priceless!!! Sky Blue is stunning! Sky is an incredibly handsome fella'!
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
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!
Wow what a gorgeous boy! Those eyes! His name is so fitting. Good job getting the photo uploaded!
Glad to hear the Carafate ordeal is over. That medicine is so challenging to give to a dog, I imagine it’s 10x worse for felines.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks to all for your compliments about Sky! If he were only beautiful physically it would be enough. But he is even more amazing inside - just a lover, funny, easy, purrrrrfect!
The hardest part of the Carafate was the timing with no food and other meds - some that required food - I got little sleep. Wasn't as hard to administer, although he didn't like it, but was just non-stop planning around it. Without it, life has gotten much easier.
I'm still really tired. I internalize stress so am trying not to get sick. Sky is doing really well! Dr Louise had me send her lots of pix today: poop of course (which looks good.. on the floor!), his nose (color is better so red blood cells are re-generating) and his incision (which she said is beautiful - I might beg to differ but you know me!). Weaning him off buprenorphine and seeing how low we can get away with lowering dosage of Predinisolone. He will remain on Gabapentin for his back and also Proviable Forte on his food which she said is getting amazing results in cats.
Sky is learning to walk better. He forgets how to walk when he first moves - tips over sometimes or stumbles. But then gets smoother after a few steps. I carried him downstairs last night to hang out with us and cuddle. He liked it.
Thanks as always for your kindness!!! And laughs.
R & S
3 WEEK UPDATE
Yes, 3 weeks ago, Sky had his amputation surgery. We have come a long way since then!
I'l admit, it still takes my breath away to see the missing leg. Not sure I'll ever get used to that. But he continues to adjust and is on my lap purring as i type this.
The sutures are still there but the incision is healing well. They are dissolvable and I don't want to put him through another session at the vet and trip in the car, so we will wait for them to fall out. His fur is growing back slowly - this is due in part to the Prednisolone which slows fur growth.
But he does the stairs very well, is remembering where the food is instead of in his recovery room, sleeps on the bed with me like he used to (although hasn't climbed on top of me to snuggle). Normal life is coming back.
I have slowly decreased medications and tonight will be his last dose of buprenorphine. Then he will only be on gabapentin long term because of spine issues and we are going to see how he does with slowly decreasing prednisolone. His stools have been good (although outside the box usually, Holly!) but I don't want to screw up our good progress.
He is just the wonderful, beautiful Sky I love so much! That hasn't changed. He does depend on me more and I'm happy I can be here to respond.
Hope everyone is doing well!
Rebecca & Sky
You made my day🌞🌞 Sooooo happy to hear how well Sky is doing.....and you too!! I can "hear" it in your words! You have both turned the corner and are clearly on the upswing now! Sky is going to be such an inspawration for anyone facing the challenges of recocery. You and Sky will show everyone how not to give up and how to stay the course!!!
And firm poops wherever they may land are a huge victory!!!🤪
Hugs and more 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!
You are awesome, Sally! Thank you so much for always being so supportive and taking joy in our victories!!
I have no idea if we have further challenges to come or we are on the home stretch now. One day at a time still.
But Sky is happy to be here and I'm so very happy to have him here.
I hope that anyone facing this experience will take solace in the fact that I was totally, completely and utterly freaked out by this whole journey. And it wasn't an easy one with the gastro-intestinal complications too. But I know it could have been worse and am grateful for those mercies.
Love to all here! Thank you!!
You will get used to the leg missing I promise when Sky's fur grows back you will not look at him any differently! So glad to hear you sounding like yourself and upbeat YAAAAAY
As long as your thrilled with the beautiful poops I am THRILLED. If Sky gets in the box and sometimes poops or close and its good! YAAAY! I have a troubleshooting mind that wants to fix 🤨 I'm not saying a peep 🤐 or messing up good progress there is no issue☺️
I will celebrate beautiful poops with you where ever they land yes Sally💩😁!
YAAAY for new normal!! One day at a time is all we can all do!
Scratches to Sky and Hugs to you Rebecca keep up us posted please we love updates!!
Absolutely! Once the recovery process is complete and all his fur is back, you will have had enough time to get used to your "new normal".
I am smiling big time Holly, you made me totally laugh over here Producing normal poop is an awesome thing, you are so right! (wherever they may land too, heheh )
So glad to hear things are going your way.. you are totally rocking this
Jackie and Huck
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Thanks, Jackie and Holly! Hey Holly - Sky's poop location will always be "our thing" 
While he has had a few in the box, they are mostly next to one of them. And they are getting soft again... 
I believe Dr Louise may be sick - there has been a bug going around her office - so I haven't had a response in the past couple days about that.
Poop is my life!! (Hope I don't have to start the Met again.)
But so is an amazing cuddle bug named Sky. Last night he was on the bed as I went to sleep and we had our faces touching. He was laying on one of arms and his paw was on my cheek. I was in heaven! (I think he liked it too )This morning we cuddled again and my black cat, Chumley, came and groomed Sky's head and back. All 3 of us were really close together. Sooo sweet!
It will be good when that fur grows back!! He is so bare and the stump so obvious. But I guess the Prednisolone isn't going anywhere given the poop status. How long does it usually take to grow back? His is a little longer, too.
OK, back to 
!
Rebecca & Sky
Wow talk about a great update! Yes you have come a long way and no doubt that your journey is one that will give so much hope to kitty parents when they feel like there is none at all. We are always grateful when people share the good, the bad and the everything. It all adds up for a complete picture of amputation recovery that new members greatly appreciate.
TOTAL SNUGGLEFEST! I love it!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
rebeccac said
It will be good when that fur grows back!! He is so bare and the stump so obvious. But I guess the Prednisolone isn't going anywhere given the poop status. How long does it usually take to grow back? His is a little longer, too.
Purrkins fur was almost all back in 4 months completely back in 6 months, and his fur grows slow. As soon as it starts to grow it won't be so shocking.
Did you stop the probiotics by chance? I would keep Sky on those and stick to strict diet and HOPE you don't have to start the met again. We also give the boys digestive enzymes. Slippery elm helps with diarrhea or constipation FYI if you want to look into that more. Saxton takes slippery elm 2 x a day he is only on one med to help move the poop the rest are supplements, and we manage pretty well. Every kitty is different of course just a possibility to look into. I hope Dr. Louise feels better soon and your hear back.
Fingers crossed for nice poops!
Thanks, Holly, for the info! No, I haven't stopped the probiotics. I'm not sure he gets the full amount however as he doesn't clean his bowl. I've started giving him a half serving when I give the probiotics and I think that's better. I did find a most beautiful poop (next to the box 
) in the middle of the night so maybe things are normalizing. Not 100% sure.
I did hear from Dr. Louise (she is fine - just busy) and she said to increase Pred dose to half dose on every other day when he wouldn't ordinarily have a dose. However, with last night's developments I think I'll hold off on that.
She has mentioned enzymes before so I'll look into the slippery elm - thanks!
Good to know about fur re-growth - thanks! I'm impatient. Sounds like we have a long way to go before that area is covered. I'll just have to get used to it. It's only been 3 weeks.
OK time to give meds... thanks so much!!!
R & S
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